Open Studios 2025, the first Media Arts & Technologies public viewing at MiraCosta College, served three purposes: first, to educate the public about the MAT program from preliminary courses to portfolio output; second, to spotlight a wide breadth of student creativity within the program; and third, to inspire creatives from all backgrounds to engage further with media arts in the world around them.
Our team spent several days discussing the brand's focus and position towards the public.
Since we were both the client and the designers, our team had the opportunity to explore brand attributes and positioning in relation to the public. We believed in creating a showcase of the department’s diverse culture of creative, empathetic, and forward-thinking individuals who aren’t afraid to experiment or consider alternative perspectives. We also agreed that attending patrons should feel informed, inspired, and encouraged, with the event facilitating curiosity towards media arts and technologies.
Brand personas were created to identify our main audience.
From this point forward, our design team split up into individual directions. My own go-to method alongside research is mind mapping; I’ve found that allowing the brain to wander and make its own associations provides a wealth of unexpected connections to explore.
Using the mind map as a guide, logo sketches took shape. No idea was off the table at this point. Here, I tried playing with different marriages of “open”, “technology”, and “community”, from concrete objects like doors and buttons to abstract forms.
My mind maps typically contain both words and doodles.
A variety of options were considered from variable logos to lettermarks.
Though we each had our own individual directions, our team sought feedback and held brainstorming sessions weekly. After a group vote based on presented sketches, we each moved forward with 2-3 digitizations in black and white.
Even here, the key design elements that would become Open Studios 2025 are visible: combinations of point, line, and plane become both a callback to the foundations of design, and the basis of designing the MAT community. Each logo is its own take on how interpersonal connections can create new forms and ideas.
The evolution of the Open Studios logo.
Experimentation with color and potential icons.
Partway through the process, we received notice that the Open Studios name was changing to better reflect the usage of physical space. We also began to consider both the color palette and potential iconography.
Two main questions rose to the forefront as we brainstormed and designed:
1. How did we want to emulate the MAT department’s values?
2. How would we convey those values and attract people who didn’t even know about media arts?
The final version of the Open Studios logo.
For Open Studios to truly be “open,” it had to be accessible regardless of language, education, or background.
We agreed that the strongest representation of these values was in the Open Studios icons. Each emulated a cornerstone of the department: the square icon for Web Development and Design; the circle, for Graphic Design; and the triangle, for Video and Media Design.
Geometric forms and vivid colors allowed us to advertise to the public through inviting visuals instead of front-loading information. The idea was to get people through the door first, then offer further details.
The three finalized icons for each focus of the Media Arts & Technologies department.
After the logo and visual elements had been established, we built on our foundations to create branding applications. Mock-ups of A4 flyers, posters, merchandise, and environmental signage were created to provide the MAT department with as many options as possible.
Beyond visual applications, a branding guide was also designed. It exists as a 30-page document detailing appropriate logo usage, spatial requirements, minimum sizing, and the identity system in full detail.
Brand guide cover page.
Brand guide table of contents.
Sample brand guide chapter page.
Sample interior page (1/3).
Sample interior page (2/3).
Sample interior page (3/3).
With the building blocks of Open Studios branding created, next came the designing, printing, and posting of posters, signage, wall decals, and other deliverables. The A-frame doubled as a digital invitation for students signed up to MiraCosta’s Applied and Creative Arts newsletter.
With the assistance of our web designers and social media team, we were able to push out the message to hundreds of students both past and present.
Banner for Engage, MiraCosta's student event website.
Screenshot of MiraCosta's MAT Department homepage.
Promotional Instagram post.
In the final days prior, we printed as many large-scale decals and posters as we could. Since the MAT department was relying on its own supplies to support both the Open Studios branding and all of the student portfolio work in the showcase, we had to consider what pieces would make the most impact.
Wall banners hanging from inside the lobby.
Our final A-frame on display outside.
Students and their families enjoying Open Studios.
Open Studios 2025 had over 200 attendees from all ages and backgrounds. With Creative and Applied Arts faculty present, we were able to provide program information, course pathways, and tangible evidence of potential portfolio work students could graduate with.
Open Studios was a showcase of student creativity, effort, and process. During the day, high school students were offered a door into the world of media arts; at night, our existing community was given a spotlight to gather underneath and shine collectively with family and friends.