MSU Burgess Institute

Role • Visual Design, Art Direction

Faced with the challenge of rethinking event identities to better resonate with the Burgess Institute’s target audience, we brought innovation to life. For 2DAYVENTURE, childhood building blocks inspire geometric aesthetics, while the Innovate State Speaker Series gets a contemporary facelift in line with MSU's brand. The outcome? A remarkable 90% average attendance across events.

For the 2DAYVENTURE project, my goal was to capture the essence of the event—a two-day challenge where teams transform ideas into viable businesses. Drawing inspiration from the concept of building and the fundamental geometric shapes we used as building blocks in childhood, I crafted a visually engaging identity. The key visual elements revolved around abstract background graphics resembling playful shapes, and I incorporated geometric framing to enhance the overall design. This approach not only communicated the creative and dynamic nature of the event but also added a touch of nostalgia, connecting participants to the excitement of building and creating something from scratch.

When tasked with refreshing the visual identity for the Innovate State Speaker Series, Burgess' flagship event, I delved into the realm of contemporary graphic design. These designs aimed to strike a balance between familiarity and uniqueness, ensuring they coexisted within the established MSU brand while standing out as a recognizable and distinctive identity for the Innovate State Speaker Series.