Website + Identity System Refresh + Video
USC Brand and Identity Website & Video
Art Direction and Motion Graphics: Kandace Selnick
Creative Direction: Jane Frey
Web Developer: Edward Sotelo and Product Strategy & Design team
Team: USC University Communications
A comprehensive transformation of USC’s printed Brand and Identity Guidelines into a digital-first experience was led to modernize access, usability, and overall brand engagement. The new website improved how the USC community discovers, uses, and applies brand assets and guidance.
The goal: to translate a traditional printed guide into a dynamic, user-friendly website, establish a modernized identity system, and strengthen the overall impact of USC’s brand experience.
In collaboration with cross-functional partners across University Communications, a new Brand & Identity website was developed, featuring a refined information architecture, an intuitive user experience, and USC’s first animated identity style guide.
Further improvements include:
Expanded 100+ logo libraries (primary logos & marks, academic, and administrative logotypes) with additional file formats and color variations to support accessibility and broader digital applications
Standardized folder structures and file naming conventions to improve organization, consistency, and ease of navigation
Trained designers, freelancers, and shared updates with brand ambassadors to ensure accurate logo usage and scalable asset creation
Structured asset management systems that increase efficiency and support long-term brand governance
Advanced USC’s brand by aligning identity systems with the institutional strategy of a digital-first approach
A dynamic animation was developed to showcase USC’s identity components in a contemporary and minimalist style.
Inspired by the original identity system (initially crafted by Saul Bass and later refreshed by Pentagram) a motion graphics video was created to showcase the USC Identity. The video opens with the Southern California sun rising over the Pacific Ocean waves, symbolizing both the region’s essence and USC’s strength and leadership as an academic institution.
Featured on unique pages across the site, the identity video offers a bold introduction to the university’s distinctive marks, including the seal, shield, monogram, and wordmark. It also highlights the institution's primary and academic logotypes.
Throughout the video, the brand’s color palette is authentically featured, seamlessly blending with the visual narrative. Additionally, the dynamic font system is presented with an engaging flash, emphasizing the vitality of typography within the overall identity.
A feature highlight video was created to showcase USC’s brand and identity in action, using original footage, b-roll, and imagery.
In collaboration with the team’s videographer, art direction was led for a series of shoots capturing the identity system and branded materials, alongside curated supporting visuals. The resulting feature video demonstrates how USC’s brand is expressed and experienced across the university.
