Overview
Hornet Heartbeat is a student-centered engagement initiative housed under the President’s Office at Sacramento State. Tasked with creating a vibrant and emotionally resonant visual identity, I developed the full brand system—balancing institutional brand integrity with the expressive, grassroots energy needed to speak directly to our student body.
Scope of Work
Branded visual identity for a student engagement initiative under the Office of the President
Developed multiple logo concepts and finalized a flexible identity system
Designed assets for use across social, print, and promotional materials
Created supporting style guide for consistent implementation campus-wide
Approach
This project began with a strategic exploration of how to visually express a sense of connection, pride, and individuality—while staying rooted in Sacramento State’s broader brand system. I developed three distinct identity concepts, each experimenting with type, symbolism, and graphic texture to reflect the energy and diversity of the student body.
One direction included a hand-illustrated pattern that expanded on the heartbeat motif through expressive, almost folkloric visual elements. While this version was not ultimately selected, the process was a valuable design exercise that may have future applications across campaign collateral or student-led programming.
To support campus-wide use and rollout, I created a shared resource drive housing logo files, texture graphics, and usage-ready assets. A streamlined visual guideline document was also developed to accompany the mark—providing direction on sizing, clear space, color usage, and applications across social, merchandise, and digital channels.
Throughout, the focus remained on building a system that is flexible, expressive, and easy to implement—something that celebrates individuality while remaining unmistakably Sac State.
reflection
Hornet Heartbeat gave me the opportunity to lead with both brand strategy and creative experimentation. It represents a bridge between official communications and student authenticity—a tone I strive to cultivate in all student-facing university work.