when I conceived the idea for mdesign, it was clear that branding would play a large role in the early success of the organization.

it started with a mark. I wanted the logo to evoke something familiar within the university while standing on its own. I also had to avoid violating trademark laws.

since mdesign was brand-new, the main strategy for establishing credibility was to lean on the u-m brand/reputation. the logical choice was to make everything maize and blue.

building around the mark and colors, other themes emerged. i chose a clean sans serif font, black-and-white images that contrasted with the maize and blue, and textured circles to add visual interest.

the website was perhaps the most important element as it would be responsible for selling mdesign to the two groups of people that make it work: the clients and the members. the goal was to make the elements i had dynamic and interactive.

the website and branding influenced each other. I spent weeks learning webflow while creating this first page:

as i grew more comfortable with webflow, i was able to add more complex interactions. On my favorite page, I modeled a campus landmark in cad and coded it into the site so users can spin it, just like students can do in person:

while the website is still evolving, it’s already had an enormous impact on the community, driving clients and members to mdesign. It has directly influenced the success we've enjoyed

200+

INTEREST FORM
SUBMISSIONS

40+

CLIENT
REQUESTS

< plant pedal

inhaler >