CMD Faculty: Designing a modular education identity
Transforming a design education program into a scalable, expressive, and future-proof identity system.
Overview
Team: Andreas Kruszakin-Liboska (Lead), Henry Dao, Rae Cao, Matteo Kremkow Created at: newdesigners.agency
What I worked on
Identity system design, icon and assets generator, website concept, project management
Designed a modular identity system for the CMD and UXD programs, creating a recognizable visual language that scales across physical spaces, and digital touchpoints.
CMD & UXD: Modular educational identity
The challenge:
CMD and UXD are two closely connected design programs, but visually they lacked a shared system. The identity felt fragmented, fragile, and hard to scale. Course materials, presentations, signage, and the website all looked disconnected. New courses were difficult to brand consistently, and non-designers struggled to apply the visual language correctly. At the same time, the programs wanted to express what UX education really stands for: curiosity, empathy, creativity, and impact. The challenge was not just to redesign visuals, but to build an identity system that could grow, adapt, and survive handovers.
The approach:
Building a unified icon system:
Designed a modular icon system made of multiple icon families, each serving a clear purpose. CMD and UXD were visually distinguished through form and color: CMD icons became rounded, playful, and yellow. UXD icons became angular, technical, and blue. On top of that, a third layer of icons visualized design principles like balance, layout, and contrast, acting as flexible accent elements across materials.
Designing for scalability, not decoration:
New courses, materials, and campaigns can be created without redesigning the brand. The system grows with the curriculum thanks to the tool developed for teachers for fast iteration.
Translating identity into physical space
Explored how the identity lives beyond screens. Large-scale banners, hallway signage, doors, pillars, and open-day materials were designed to be bold, legible, and impossible to miss. Rather than fragile graphics, the system embraces strong composition and oversized elements that spark curiosity. The physical environment became part of the learning experience, not just decoration.
Website concept & digital expression
Redesigned the CMD website concept to reflect the new identity without losing clarity. The structure stayed familiar, but the experience became more expressive: • Icon-led navigation • Playful dotted and grid-based backgrounds • Real student photography instead of generic stock imagery • Interactive sections where student work becomes part of the interface The website was designed as a living canvas for the program, not a static brochure.
The impact:
Clear program recognition
Students, staff, and visitors can instantly distinguish CMD and UXD while still feeling they belong to one coherent design ecosystem.
Scalable identity system
New courses, materials, and campaigns can be created without redesigning the brand. The system grows with the curriculum thanks to the tool developed for teachers for fast iteration.
Stronger educational presence
The identity gives CMD and UXD a confident, contemporary presence that reflects how design is actually taught today.
Long-Term usability
By documenting the system in guidelines and a Figma component library, the identity remains usable even when teams change.
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