Celebrating 40 Years of Advancing Equity
CLIENT
Oregon MESA is a non-profit organization dedicated to empowering underserved middle and high school students to succeed in STEM fields and beyond through hands-on learning and education.
CONTEXT
Refresh the existing brand based on the event theme, “MESA Through the Decades.” Create a system that is flexible for a variety of applications, but constructed with templated assets that internal teams can use to build out with Canva.
SERVICES
APPROACH
01
Frame
Creative work session with the MESA team to explore key themes of each decade of the organization and align on visual tone.
02
Explore
Rooted in the stories shared in the working session, iterate broadly using the event invitation as the design reference to bring the brand system to life.
03
Craft the Guidelines
Finalize typography, color palette, image treatment, and reference designs to guide how the brand identity should be applied.
SIGNATURE SHAPES
push forward.
The design system is grounded in four signature shapes. Each shape represents a unique chapter of Oregon MESA’s history and the organization’s impact on Oregon’s STEM legacy.
01 Spark
(1985-1995)
Inception and new beginnings. Igniting a movement and the catalyst for Oregon's STEM legacy.
02 Momentum
(1995-2005)
Growth, building on potential. Lasting impact on students across Oregon. "Forever a MESA kid."
03 Expansion
(2005-2015)
Scaling from the foundation, up. A nod to the first place trophy Oregon MESA wins at the national competition.
04 Invention
(2015-2025)
Focus, intention, balance. Marking a shift to Human-Centered Design, and empowering students to lead the way.
“Jia Lu and Carlos exceeded our expectations with both their creativity and strategic approach. The outputs they produced were not only high-quality, but also deeply aligned with our mission and vision.”
– Michela Sottura, Partnerships & Communications Manager, Oregon MESA
40th Anniversary Gala
A joyful evening honoring four decades of building Oregon's STEM legacy and a celebration of the diverse innovators that have marked Oregon's history and changed the face of the field.
After delivering the Brand Identity System to Oregon MESA, their graphic design team built on this foundation to develop an inspiring and cohesive set of assets, from an immersive projected environment to photo backdrops to table placards and every detail in between.
Curious to learn more?
Jia Lu Ni
All rights reserved.
01 – Lead with curiosity
02 – Collaborate without ego
03 – Embrace complexity
04 – Challenge assumptions
05 – Champion the customer, always