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miami university varsity
esports program

brand personality
Technological / Modern / Corporate
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The Miami University Esports Program is the nation's first varsity D1 esports program with high-ranking teams in some of the most popular competitive online games--Overwatch 2, League of Legends, Valorant, Rocket League, NBA2K and Halo. The program proudly holds championship titles in several prestigious tournaments, such as the Esports Collegiate (ESC) tournaments.
deliverables
During my four years as the lead graphic designer of Miami's program, I worked at developing a unique brand for the program within the university's branding guidelines and created a large assortment of graphics for use digitally, on live stream, and/or print. Some of those graphics include:
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•  Social media posts
•  Email signature
•  Stream overlays
•  Website banners
•  Advertisements
•  Pamphlets
•  Posters
Animated graphic with repeated red text 'FORGE THE LEGACY' on a black background and a large metallic shield logo featuring a red 'M' above the word 'ESPORTS' in silver letters.Poster for esports tryouts informational session listing games Halo, Hearthstone, League of Legends, NBA2K, Overwatch, Rocket League, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, and Valorant. Session is August 28 at Laws 100, 5:00 PM. All students welcome. Contact esports@MiamiOH.edu.Certificate from Miami University Varsity Esports awarded to Joshua Johnson with the title of Legionnaire for earning highest average skill improvement in Miami University's Esports Camp Program, signed by varsity esports staff with the date July 31, 2021.Esports team sitting at computers in a gaming room with purple lighting; one monitor displays the word 'VICTORY!' and a team member raises their arm in celebration.Super Smash Bros Ultimate 2021-2022 esports roster with characters in red silhouette style representing players: TimeGear, Thass, Rinrin, Phirb, Multi, Fritos, Lombardi, Brutus, and sub MeITheFrog with their respective player names.placeholder blueMiami University Esports Call of Duty Game Day announcement featuring a match against Boise State University at 8:00 PM, with 'Forge On' slogan and logos.Tri-fold brochure for Miami University Varsity Esports featuring the M Esports logo and images of players competing, with sections titled Love and Honor, Miami Programs for You, and Perks and More, detailing the university's first DI Varsity Esports team, undergraduate certificate programs in Esports Management, Emerging Technology in Business + Design, Games + Simulation Major, and benefits like coaching, funding, and access to a new Esports Arena.Red banner reading Miami University Varsity Esports wishes you a very Happy Holidays above a snowy scene with stylized white pine trees and the Miami University Esports logo in the center, with a crescent moon and snowfall in the background.Poster displaying repeated red text 'MASK REQUIRED' stacked six times with the silhouette of a face mask overlaid in black and white. Below, smaller text reads 'over nose and mouth at all times per Miami University guidelines.' At the bottom right, there is a QR code with text nearby saying 'Check out facility hours and other info here' accompanied by arrows pointing right. The poster is framed with black diagonal stripes at the top and bottom and corner lines on the sides.Promotional graphic for Call of Duty Vanguard esports playoff match between Miami University Esports and University of Akron, with a soldier holding a gun on the left and logos of the teams in the center. Text indicates the match is live now during the CCL group stage.Text over a dark background with esports players: Miami University's Camp Programs featuring Summer Esports Camp, Love & Honor Esports Academy, and Varsity Esports Camp, with the Miami Esports logo below.Black rectangular table cloth with Miami University Esports logo, social media handles, and slogan 'FORGE ON' printed in red and white.
process
Prior to my involvement, the program's branding over-relied on generic JPEG textures and overall had an unremarkable design, as seen in the graphic on the right. I addressed this by using certain visual elements reminiscent of technology, linear glitches, lines, and halftones to appeal to the program's target audience (young adults with an interest in video games) while maintaining the modern corporate aesthetic dictated by Miami University's branding guidelines. To add visual interest, I also use imagery from the specific games played in the program, and more importantly, candid photography of the teams' players.
Graphic showing Miami RedHawks logo on the left versus Toledo logo on the right with '2:00 PM EST' time in white text below, on a dark carbon fiber textured background, with Miami esports logo bottom left and CS:GO logo bottom right.
By incorporating photos taken by the Miami University's Esports Program's media team of the players in action at tournaments, another personal layer of brand identity is added while also advertising a big selling point for the program, the Lounge and Arena. These photos become especially important with recruitment graphics as it allows the more specific demographic, potential players, to visualize the unity of the team they could potentially be a part of.