UC Davis Engineering Student Design Center

How can you recognize donors with a "donor wall" without...well, a wall? 

Since the ESDC building was meant to be a creative space filled with various machinery and moving parts, there wasn't a large, empty wall space that would be adequate for donor recognition, so this design used the large paneled window of the front lobby. 

I had to figure out a way to create a cohesive design that represented engineering themes, didn't obstruct the view into the maker space, and also contained space for future donor names. Eventually, the team and I settled on my circuit board design, with small circuit board motifs on each panel and wires running through the various panels to unite the design. The design uses intentional negative space and minimalistic visuals, allowing for easy viewing into the building.

For the room signage plaques, I made sure to adhere to accessibility standards, measuring out space for inclusion of Braille as well as using the proper text height and sizing. 

I opted for simplicity of design with only a few tangled wires as the decorative engineering element, in order to let the design communicate its purpose largely through text, as well as allow for an easy-to-use template for future use should any new rooms be added or amended.

I was allowed the most creative freedom with the structural pillar wrap designs. Each pillar would recognize a certain donor as well as represent a key theme (or pillar, if you will) of engineering.

Since these pillars are cylindrical in shape, it was challenging to craft a design that would look good from various angles, so I took into consideration potential measuring errors or overlap in the vinyl printing process and installation. I used a simple, cartoony style and made sure to create a key unifying element between all six pillars so that they appeared cohesive as a series while being distinct in their individual themes.