Art & Art History Program Identity (NYUAD)

Created to unite NYUAD's Art and Art History Program, this visual identity route is inspired by the idea of many dots (different in shape and color) overlapping to create a single image, much as the many members, creative works, and research in the Art & Art History Program intersect and overlap to create a single program. Using a printmaking technique called “color halftone” in which dots of four base colors can create a gradient of any color. In this case, the oversized halftone provides a unique visual texture that from a distance looks like NYUAD Violet.

The halftone edges fade out, suggesting the infinite universe of work in the AAH Program as well as a sphere on which all points are equal. This route also draws on the common informal usage of the acronym “AAH,” formalizing it in a lockup that can be used to provide a sense of unity within the program. The halftone sphere links the “a” and “ah,” much as the constellation of AAH work sits between art and art history. This provides a modern, flexible identity that underscores the innovative, multidisciplinary approach to art taken by the NYUAD AAH Program.

This visual identity is not a logo but a recognizable visual system that can be applied on a number of types of digital and physical products to promote a sense of identity for the Art & Art History Program. The typography used adheres to the official NYUAD brand guidelines.

The design was also expanded on by student designer Tonia Zhang to create a series of posters advertising the majors and minors of the program.