SCD News
SCD News is an online news show highlighting stories and updates from the Siebel Center for Design (SCD). I was responsible for designing the visual identity for the series, creating a logo, and developing templates and graphics that align with SCD’s brand while establishing a unique sub-brand.
Role
Graphic Designer
Tools
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, After Effects
Timeline
September - October 2024
Team
Graphic Design & Marketing
Why SCD Needed a News Show
During the summer, I collaborated with the marketing to conduct internal research on how students and staff engaged with SCD programming and communications. One key insight was that people felt unsure about what was happening at SCD and felt intimidated to come in, especially those who weren’t design majors. In response, we conceptualized SCD News, designed to feel fun, rebellious, yet approachable to better welcome our broader campus community.
Tone & Constraints
So, How Did We Get To SCD News?
The tone of SCD News as a show was intentionally a blend of semi-satirical and semi-serious coverage. With that, we wanted the visual identity to reflect this duality. The goal was to make something that felt welcoming and self-aware without being too sterile. To maintain brand recognition, I worked within certain visual constraints set by SCD’s branding guidelines. This meant using SCD’s official color palette and primary typeface in our logo and other materials. These limitations actually helped ground the more expressive elements of the design, ensuring that SCD News still felt like a part of SCD.
Inspiration
The visual inspiration came from shows like Saturday Night Live and MADtv, particularly their bumper graphics. These bumper graphics have bold layouts, use of texture, and a sense of controlled chaos. We wanted SCD News to stand out from other internal communications, and these references allowed us to get creative and bold.
Final Designs
Main Logo
The SCD News logo was inspired by magazine-style lettering, which is playful, pieced-together, and reflective of the show’s experimental tone. I created two versions: one with a scrap paper background and one without. Since the logo appears over video content, having both ensured visibility across contexts. The paper version also subtly emphasized that SCD News was in its early, scrappy, prototype stage.
Segment Cards
I designed four unique segment cards to appear in the corner of the screen during story introductions. Each card reflects the distinct tone and content of its segment, giving the show a more structured, editorial feel while still keeping things visually playful.
Rotate Cards
I created a set of four “rotate your phone” graphics to encourage viewers to turn their screens for the best viewing experience. Since some early episodes were shot horizontally and posted on Instagram, these cards helped preserve video quality and clarity. Each version had a slightly different tone, giving the editor flexibility to match the tone of the episode while keeping the messaging consistent.
Video Background & News Ticker
I designed a custom background graphic for the news desk segments, featuring sticky notes with doodles created by SCD’s concierge team. It was inspired by the sticky notes students leave in the building’s individual work cubicles as a way to bring a bit of SCD’s physical personality into the digital space.
I also created a lower-third graphic to display the segment title and continuously looping messages. Keeping with SCD News’s tone, I mixed serious updates with lighthearted ones, creating an extra layer of humor and engagement for viewers.
News Desk
I collaborated with SCD’s Shop Director to help build the SCD News anchor desk. I designed the wood-texture graphic for the front and side panels and created a logo decal featuring a piece of masking tape which was used to subtly signal that both the show and the set were still in progress and proudly unpolished. This was a fun way to bring the SCD News identity into the physical world while reinforcing its experimental spirit.
Personal Reflections
Finding my confidence
Launching SCD News to an audience of over 2,500 followers on SCD’s Instagram was a proud moment as it was the first time a visual identity I helped design reached that many people. At the time, I was still finding my footing as a graphic designer, and this project gave me a much-needed confidence boost. It reminded me that I could trust my instincts, execute a vision, and create something meaningful that resonated with others.
Learning new tools
On a technical level, I also took the initiative to teach myself the basics of After Effects so I could contribute motion graphics to the project. I am proud of how quickly I was able to learn and apply those skills. It was a reminder of how much I enjoy diving into new tools and pushing myself out of my comfort zone.
If I did it again…
If I were to revisit this project, I would love to experiment more with motion graphics. We even talked about animating the logo itself as part of an introduction or for the bumpers which would have been fun to test out. Regardless, SCD News was one of my favorite projects I got to work on at SCD.
Questions?
If you have any questions or comments about this project, feel free to contact me either via email (angelahukic.design@gmail.com) or LinkedIn.