Art & Art History Program Identity

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. 

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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. 

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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.