Novum nexum
GD 301 Branding, Interaction, and Service Design - Creating an Identity
Working together with two of my classmates, we created an organization that would require Branding, Interaction design, and Service design. The structure and goals of the organization were left up to us, and we decided to create the futuristic (and fun!) Novum Nexum. Meaning "new pioneer" in Latin, Novum Nexum would be the first advanced--and permanent--civilization on Mars.
BRANDING
My focus was the Branding of Novum Nexum, and involved three touch-points: Identity, Iconography, and Wayfinding. Identity would direct the overall design language and style of all Novum Nexum systems. Iconography would create a visual alphabet that would make communication, interaction, wayfinding, and shopping on Novem Nexum extremely efficient. Lastly, wayfinding would combine the elements of identity and iconography into a navigation and informational system.
IDENTITY
The ideation for the Novum Nexum logo began with more clichéd ideas about Mars: planetary shapes, orbital patterns, the Red Planet, etc. However, after discussion with the group, we decided that the logo needed to move away from the contemporary understanding of Mars and toward something unexpected. To achieve this, I decided to experiment with the typographic structure to create a logo that incorporated the initials of the organization as well as the idea of being ever-lasting (the infinity symbol). Lastly, I chose a color scheme that would describe the calm, sophisticated Novum Nexum environment rather than the red, hostile environment of Mars.
ICONOGRAPHY
Novum Nexum has an iconography system that matches the community’s identity. The icons are simplistic, clean, informative, and are versatile. These icons are used in wayfinding, social, medical, gestural, scientific, and other systems in the Novum Nexum community.
Novum Nexum's iconography is inspired by its identity, as well as contemporary iconography. Some icons, such as the telephone, are so engraved in users' minds that even though phones no longer appear as they do in the icon, users are still able to identify it as a phone.
This is taken advantage of in the Novum Nexum iconography. Chat bubbles, battery power level, data folders, etc. appear in icons similar to today's representations.
WAYFINDING
The wayfinding system was created using the language dictated by the previous touch-points: identity and iconography. The holographic panels were designed to be dynamic and constantly up-to-date, with the information continuously cycling and refreshing. When left idle, the panels will transition between the information on their own. A user may interact with a panel using hand gestures, and can view whatever information they need. The panels were placed into an environment to illustrate where and how they would be incorporated into Novem Nexum.