Case Study: SHU20 Summit
Logo Design | Event Branding | Print Design
Project Overview:
In 2014, Seton Hill University launched the inaugural SHU20 Summit, a two-day leadership training event designed to empower and enhance the leadership skills of student leaders involved in clubs and organizations on campus. The summit, held on April 6-7, offered a range of leadership development sessions, including topics like time management, communication skills, event planning, and navigating campus-specific tools like OrgSync. The goal of the summit was to help student leaders better understand campus procedures, develop their leadership abilities, and create more engaging programs within their organizations. As part of this initiative, I was tasked with designing a logo that would visually represent the essence of the SHU20 Summit.
Problem Identified:
While Seton Hill University has many student leaders, there was a lack of formal training to equip them with the skills needed to successfully navigate campus procedures and lead effectively within their organizations. The SHU20 Summit was created to provide students with comprehensive training and guidance on these topics. The logo needed to reflect the summit's focus on leadership, growth, and empowerment, while also maintaining a visual identity that would resonate with students and align with the university’s branding.
Solution:
The logo for the SHU20 Summit was designed around the concept of a chessboard, using the imagery of a queen and pawn chess piece. The pawn represents the student leaders who are at the beginning of their leadership journey—willing to learn, grow, and take initiative—while the queen, placed behind the pawn, represents the potential and strength that these student leaders can aspire to achieve. This powerful symbolism communicates the summit’s goal of nurturing leadership potential and providing students with the tools they need to step into their roles with confidence. The design highlights both the journey of growth and the leadership that students can attain as they advance in their roles.
My Role and Responsibilities:
As the sole designer on the project, my role encompassed several key responsibilities:
Market Research & Problem Identification:
Understanding the SHU20 Summit’s mission to train and develop student leaders. This involved analyzing the summit’s core objectives, such as fostering leadership growth, understanding campus procedures, and enhancing communication skills.
Brand Creation:
Designing the SHU20 Summit logo, ensuring that it communicated the themes of growth, leadership, and empowerment in a way that would resonate with student leaders.
Branding:
Developing visual materials that would be used across the summit, such as promotional merchandise, T-Shirt, and digital assets.
Design Process and Approach:
Research & Market Analysis:
I studied the SHU20 Summit's goals and the needs of student leaders, focusing on leadership growth and understanding campus procedures.
Identifying the White Space:
I aimed to create a logo that represented leadership while standing out from typical student organization logos, symbolizing personal growth and leadership potential.
Concept Development:
I used chess pieces as symbols of strategy and growth, focusing on the relationship between the queen and pawn to show students' progression from beginner to leader.
Logo Design:
The logo features a pawn in front of a queen, symbolizing a student leader’s growth from humble beginnings to their full potential. The clean, modern design emphasizes strategy and leadership. I used a red, white, and black color palette to represent strength, ambition, and success.
Visual Identity and Brand Assets:
I maintained consistency in typography, layout, and design across all summit materials.
Conclusion:
The SHU20 Summit logo effectively represents the event’s goal of leadership development. The pawn and queen pieces symbolize students’ growth from starting points to leadership roles. The design balances professionalism and approachability, creating a memorable brand identity that aligns with the summit’s objectives.