Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground
Sub-Brand Identity System within the Boston University Brand
Role: Creative Director
Organization: Boston University
Recognition: University & College Designers Association (UCDA), 2020 / CASE Award, 2020
Deliverables: Sub-brand identity system, visual framework, brand guidelines, digital and physical applications
The Challenge
The Howard Thurman Center for Common Ground serves as a university-wide space dedicated to dialogue, identity, belonging, and shared understanding. As the Center expanded into a new physical space and a broader campus role, it needed a distinct visual identity that could express its mission clearly while remaining structurally connected to the Boston University brand.
The challenge was to create a sub-brand that felt human, expressive, and culturally alive, without breaking brand governance. The identity needed to always appear in partnership with the Boston University plate, reinforcing institutional trust while allowing the Center to maintain its own voice.
The Approach
As Creative Director, I led the development of a sub-brand system designed to live within Boston University’s established brand architecture.
Rather than creating a standalone element, the system was intentionally designed to pair consistently with the Boston University plate, ensuring alignment, clarity, and institutional continuity. The identity draws inspiration from architectural elements within the Center’s physical space — particularly hexagonal forms found throughout the environment — using them as a metaphor for shifting perspectives and collective dialogue.
The result was a system that balanced expressive flexibility with structural discipline, allowing the Center to feel distinct while remaining clearly part of the larger university ecosystem.
The System
The final identity system included:
A modular visual mark designed to always appear alongside the Boston University plate
A flexible geometric framework that supports variation without losing cohesion
A vibrant but controlled color palette aligned with BU brand standards
Typography and usage rules that ensured consistency across units and platforms
Comprehensive guidelines covering digital, print, environmental, and social use
Every component was designed to reinforce the relationship between the Center and the University, not separate from it.
Impact & Recognition
The identity was applied across web, social media, print materials, signage, apparel, and environmental graphics, helping the Howard Thurman Center establish a recognizable presence that felt both expressive and institutionally grounded.
The work was recognized by the CASE and the University & College Designers Association (UCDA) in 2020, affirming its success in balancing mission-driven storytelling with large-scale brand governance.
Why This Matters
This project demonstrates my approach to brand leadership within complex organizations:
Designing sub-brands that scale without fragmenting the brand
Respecting governance while enabling authentic expression
Translating place, culture, and mission into adaptable systems
Creating clarity through structure rather than control
It reflects how thoughtful brand systems can support autonomy, identity, and inclusion — without losing cohesion.