Breaking the Grid
University of Portsmouth Graduate Showcase 2021
Brief
Every year the University of Portsmouth BA (Hons) Graphic Design, alongside going to graduate showcases, launches an online platform linking directly to student's portfolios. This year, due to the impact of the pandemic and the lack of physical graduate showcases, we were challenged with creating an online platform that not only showcases the work of this year's graduating class but reflects our values as a group and enables us to connect with people in the industry.
I was lucky enough to have my visual identity for the online showcase selected and have the opportunity to lead an amazing team responsible for its development.
Insight
University degree shows are a great platform for showcasing student's work however I wanted to ensure that our showcase was exciting, engaging, and unique, standing out to industry. My concept centralises around our enthusiasm to break out of the zoom grid we have been trapped in for the last year and into the creative industry. Breaking the Grid aims to celebrate our skills, successes, and most importantly our work during our time at university, promoting positivity.
The identity is very vibrant, playful, and stylised creating a unique look and feel that is tailored to our values and enables us to stand out in a crowded industry.
The website
The website was created to reflect the strong aesthetic and playfulness of the identity, using dynamic layouts and stickers to create an engaging experience which is 'breaking' the gird.
Social Media Promotion
Alongside the website we created a social media campaign on instagram, creating anticipation for the launch of the website as well as enabling people to engage directly with the graduates and learn more about their interests and skills.
Branding
The 'Breaking the Grid' branding is extremely bold and dynamic, ensuring that it is engaging and stands out from other graduate showcases. The colour palette reflects the colours of the University of Portsmouth whilst still allowing the identity to remain independent and unique.
Gradients are a key trend for graphic design in 2021, they are therefore used throughout the identity, creating interest and reflecting the year in which we graduate visually.
Initial Concept
When creating the initial concept for Breaking the Grid (previously Break the Grid) I carried out significant visual research, identifying key features and elements which I felt would be successful at showcasing our work engagingly and dynamically.
I then used these elements to create an initial brand identity and key screen designs for the website. My identity was then chosen by the rest of the group based on these initial designs.
With special thanks to Fleur Breen, Christina Gower, Allison Porta, Rosanna Smith, Emily Chivers and Emily Hawkins.
