Identity Ecosystem + Environmental + Video
USC Brand and Identity
Art Direction and Motion Graphics: Kandace Selnick
Creative Direction: Jane Frey
Web Developer: Edward Sotelo and Product Strategy & Design team
Team: USC University Communications
USC's Brand & Identity Guidelines transformed from a traditional printed standards manual into a digital-first platform that modernized how the university community accessed and applied the brand. The project established a more cohesive, accessible, and scalable identity system, creating a flexible foundation for consistent brand stewardship across digital, motion, and environmental experiences.
I led the art direction and evolved USC's identity system by creating tools and experiences that extended the brand across digital, motion, and physical environments. My work included redesigning the 27-page Brand & Identity website with streamlined guidance and improved information architecture, creating USC's first animated identity style guide. I also translated the identity system into large-scale environmental graphics for USC's return to commencement at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, extending the brand into one of the university's most significant campus experiences.
Additional work included expanding the logo library, standardizing asset systems, and developing scalable brand management practices to support USC’s broader digital-first strategy.
USC Commencement at the LA Memorial Coliseum
Extending the Brand Experience
To celebrate the return of in-person commencement, USC extended its brand identity into one of the university's most significant campus experiences. After more than 70 years, USC returned to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to host commencement ceremonies for the Classes of 2020 and 2021, whose graduations had been delayed and reimagined in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the university's brand experience, I designed a cohesive system of environmental graphics and signage that extended USC's visual identity across the historic venue, creating a unified experience for graduates, families, and guests while supporting wayfinding and event communications.
Animated Style Guide
Extending the Brand Experience
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 refreshed identity 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.
