DAAPworks is a college-wide event at the University of Cincinnati that showcases the graduating class and their capstone projects at the conclusion of their undergraduate and graduate journeys. As part of their cirriculum, the undergraduate Communication Design students are tasked each year with developing a theme that connects each of the senior’s capstone projects within the program. The class is oriented around the development and implementation of a visual identity that celebrates the students and their projects and promotes the Communication Design Senior Showcase.
Brady Rudisill
Frankie Matthews
Maggie Fultz
Megan Fein
Patrick Hutson
Zoe Huffman
To begin, the seniors split into groups, developing an identity aiming to unify each of the senior’s capstone projects. The groups then pitch their themes, after which one theme is selected to be used as the identifying brand. I was fortunate enough to be a member of the team that developed the class of 2025’s selected theme.
Our theme was a conceptual play on the unique paths we have taken through our undergraduate journey’s. From our shared beginning, we ventured off on our own—exploring ideas and learning new skills. DAAPworks is the convergence of those journey’s; uniting unique experiences with shared purposes.
Our brand’s foundation lied in the ad-lib. A flexible, transient identity that allowed us to use across a range of applications. The ad-lib’s primary use is to identify project themes or ”purposes.” Alongside our ad-lib, we standardized color, typography and a brandmark sticker which served as our visual marker and a teaser for the show.
Our class then got to work developing the brand into a fully integrated component of the show. Our efforts were turned towards industry night—a networking event at the start of the DAAPworks showcase. In order to promote this, the class was divided into committees, organizing everything from social media posts and invitations to event setup and displays. We developed brand guidelines to align each committee on visual standards when creating promotional materials.
Additionally, our class developed a sub-brand that is used exclusively for student merchandise—t-shirts, hats, beanies and stickers. A cheeky expression that plays on the subject abbreviation which is used in our course registration communication design (CODE).
The brand is expressed across a range of platforms, promoting the show and expressing the liveliness and creativity of the Communication Design class of 2025. Its distinctive flare and flexible use flaunts the challenges that our class has endured and the optimism that we have for our future. The Communication Design class of 2025 is not just another group of designers, but a class of disruptors—ready to challenge the norm and change the way that the world thinks about design.
Pictures Coming Soon!