Brand Advancement
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The Design Consortium (DC) is a student-faculty creative studio rooted in a collaboratively engaged design process. Within this framework, design faculty and students partner with community residents, organizations, educational institutions, and local activists to achieve a common goal. The traditional notion of designers “serving” clients is replaced by equal partners who can create an impact through their collaborative efforts. This inclusive design model acknowledges that each participant brings exceptional knowledge to the relationship, without which the work would not succeed. Design students work with faculty to understand their partners’ needs and challenges, develop appropriate strategies, and deliver and implement real design solutions and approaches.
Student Designers: Matheus G Cueva, Liam L Gunning, Estrellita G Matheu Roca, Nikolas A Mclean, Daniela Murillo-Cifuentes, David M Ostrovski, Mansi Patel, Jasmin M Perez, Kaviyan Ravindrakumar, Jean Weekes, Camilla M Zarzuela.
Faculty Lead: Rebecca Pauline Jampol
NEWARK CITY PARKS FOUNDATION
The Newark City Parks Foundation manages, represents, and engages the local community in Downtown Newark’s public parks and squares. Encompassed by the slogan, “Your town, Our town, Downtown,” the scope of the foundation’s work centers around the upkeep, utilization, and programming of five sites in the downtown area: Lincoln Park, Military Park, the newly developed Mulberry Commons, Riverfront Park, and Harriet Tubman Square (formerly Washington Park). Newark City Parks collaborates with a range of public and private partners, including the City of Newark, the Lincoln Park Historical Society, the Newark Museum of Art, Audible, Edison Properties, Prudential, Back Together Again, and the City of Newark Municipal Council and Mayor’s Office. To ensure the upkeep of the parks, Newark City Parks also relies heavily on volunteers who are entrusted with everything from staffing special events to assisting with park clean-up and small repairs
Brand Advancement | The Landscape of Newark
The Landscape of Newark brand advancement project reimagines the identity of the NCPF through the lens of cartography, emphasizing infrastructure as a vital element in shaping the city’s public parks. By designing a unique cartographically inspired logo and developing distinct identities for each park, this initiative aims to enhance accessibility, navigation, and awareness of Newark’s parks as a place of community and history.
Identity | Logo Lockup
The refreshed identity system combines the refined NCPF tree mark, now integrated with the cartographic forms of Newark’s five parks, with the bold and approachable Brandon Grotesque typeface. This design reflects the harmony between nature and infrastructure, showing the foundation’s mission to make Newark’s parks more accessible, engaging, and community-driven.
Identity | Dynamic Logo System
The completed identity system features an interchangeable tree design, built around three distinct tree shapes that integrate the cartographic forms of Newark’s five parks.
Sub Identities | Icons
To further establish a unique identity for each of Newark’s five major parks, we designed individual sub-identities using polygonal forms within a circular shape, mirroring the structure of our dynamic tree system. Each park’s identity highlights an iconic element that reflects it’s individual character and significance.
Brand Language | Expressive Type
The “Where Newark Comes To ---- & ---- ” concept uses vivid, action-driven word pairings to highlight each park’s unique identity. By capturing the atmosphere and role of each space in just two words, the framework creates a memorable and cohesive narrative across Newark’s public parks. Its simplicity invites emotional connection, encouraging people to experience each park as a vibrant part of the city’s cultural life.
Identity In Use | Signage
As part of the refreshed brand system, we developed unique signage for each park, giving every space its own visual identity while staying connected to the larger NCPF brand. These signs blend cartographic elements with colors, icons, and typography tailored to each park’s character and history. The goal was to make navigation easier, celebrate each park’s individuality, and create a welcoming experience for all visitors
Identity In Use | Stationery
Beyond the park signage, we expanded the identity system into everyday touchpoints that help build recognition and community connection. Business cards and letterheads carry the core brand elements with a clean, professional feel, while promotional items like pins and stickers bring a more playful, accessible side to the identity.
