Date Started: February 1st, 2021
Date Completed: May, 2021
Programs Used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop
Challenges: The biggest challenge I had in this project was the idea that the typography needed to be created in Spanish as that is the official language of the territory. Currently, I am not fluent or have much knowledge about Spanish, which is why I consulted with someone who is Puerto Rican and fluid in Spanish. The biggest issue that could come from this is the fact that translations do not always come across the same in different languages and cultures. This aspect of language was crucial to the integrity of the project as I found in many of my interviews the importance of culture and identity within Puerto Rico.
Project: For my Senior Capstone project , it wishes to activate a discussion into the relationship between the U.S. and Puerto Rico. More specifically, in regards to the handling of the devastation of the island and the slow action by the U.S. to help one of their own begin to rebuild.
As I more deeply explore this hypothetical scenario of hosting the 2032 Olympics in Puerto Rico, I wish to consider what makes my project different from others. Indeed, I would not be the first to develop an Olympic branding campaign as a student Graphic Design Project. But my proposal works to highlight deeper questions—around statehood, inclusion, culture, and life that often gets lost in translation. Beyond this I hope to explore how the senses that make up the world around us can, or should, be included under the umbrella of brand design.
Lastly, I hope to explore how design and branding can serve to make people wonder about the world around them and to use design to inspire, provoke, entertain, resonate, and of course to be of utility. Design for inclusion, design for participation, design that challenges norms, thoughts, beliefs. How can design be used to both signify, but also as a tool for questioning the world around us? This project explores these questions alongside the development of a high caliber brand identity system and style guide to support a speculative 2032 Summer Games in Puerto Rico.
Process: Research was heavily relied upon during this process of the identity system as it was essential for me to understand Puerto Rico's culture and history. With this the initial step was to develop a logo that sets the tone for the rest of the branding system. After sketching various logos ideas the options would be limited to the top three. After evolving each of the three to a solid designed state I shared the choices to five people I interviewed for my Senior Capstone paper who are Puerto Rican to get their feedback on which one felt as though it goes with the culture best.
The result is a logo that includes traditional Taino Indian Petroglyphs from those who first inhabited the island, using the symbol of water as a flame atop a torch. Deciding upon the logo meant I needed to develop typography as well as the interaction between the logo and use of Olympic Rings.
From here I utilized the symbols and forms created within my logo through other graphic features moving forward. Moving into graphics I developed the form used in the final logo to create a swirling ribbon as a secondary element. After developing the graphics I then moved into pictograms that would be used for each sporting event. Utilizing the pictograms as the basis for the basic design of the tickets for the sporting events came as the next step. Researching other Olympic branding systems allowed me to see how previous years have created these tickets. Applying the ribbons onto the ticket gave a solid basis for each as I then worked on color palette and gradients. In order to break up the designed elements on each ticket I cycled a color palette through the tickets by changing up colors, having three different ribbons, and breaking the ticket up at an angle flipping each way. By creating this color palette it allows all tickets to be unique in one way or another based on which events you could experience.
The slogan was the next task as it was important to find a motto that brought awareness to Puerto Rico and the relationship between it and the United States. The result would become, “We are Puerto Rico.” The Speculative Olympics San Juan 2032 aims to keep the integrity of the territory and the culture alive and showcased.
Ticket Mock-Up
Poster Design Mock-Ups
