Recruitment Brand Redesign
Experience USC
Art Direction & Design: Kandace Selnick
Creative Director: Candice Lawson
Team: USC Human Resources, Ethics, and Compliance Strategic Communications
The USC recruitment brand system was redesigned to create a cohesive experience across the Careers website, brochures, and social channels, positioning USC as a leading destination for professional growth. Each touchpoint showcases the university’s culture, benefits, and opportunities, strengthening its reputation as an employer of choice.
The goal: Develop a unified visual identity for the Talent Acquisition team, enhancing recruitment materials and establishing consistency across all channels to strengthen brand recognition and engagement.
Since updating the recruitment touchpoints, “Apply” clicks on the USC Careers website have increased by 42% following the new site launch. Traffic also increased across both the LinkedIn Life and Jobs pages, driving strong engagement, recruiter traffic and improved performance of job slots and recruiting messages.
The redesign includes:
Careers website
Recruitment brochures
LinkedIn and Glassdoor social post templates
LinkedIn Life page updates
Benefits and Event flyer templates
The USC recruitment brand system was built around the theme “Experience USC”, capturing a Southern California spirit that is vibrant, aspirational, and optimistic.
Creative Direction
Designed to align seamlessly with the master USC brand and core university website, the system integrates expressive radial elements to symbolize community and aspiration, evoking a sense of optimism and connection. The photography direction brings this vision to life through vivid, treated imagery featuring sunny skies, warm sunsets, and subtle touches of cardinal to reinforce the core USC brand.
Careers Website Redesign
As part of the master usc.edu ecosystem, the USC Careers site was redesigned to create a personalized and engaging experience for prospective candidates.
The redesign brings the Trojan experience to life, highlighting USC’s culture, benefits, and wide range of career opportunities. The update focused on storytelling, visual design, and an enhanced user experience to help candidates envision their future at USC.
As the main entry point for future employees, the site plays a central role in the broader Talent Acquisition refresh — putting the candidate’s needs front and center. The goal was to create a cohesive, on-brand digital experience that positions USC as a top employer of choice.
The site showcases USC’s academic excellence, innovative spirit, supportive professional community, focus on well-being, and long-lasting impact, all set against the energy of Los Angeles.
Further improvements include:
A redesigned website that improves the user experience and follows best practices from leading organizations.
A refreshed visual direction that strengthens the USC brand and aligns with the overall Talent Acquisition redesign.
Updated content and visuals that highlight USC’s culture and values for prospective candidates.
Recruitment Brochures Redesign
The brochures follow the overall system, with covers that showcase the “Experience USC” creative direction and reflect a vibrant, aspirational Southern California spirit. The layout is minimal and functional, featuring large imagery and bold typography, with subtle expressive elements to ensure broad applicability across departments.
