Johns Hopkins Student Association Logo

A Eastern European student group at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore reached out and commissioned me to create a logo for their organization. After studying the school’s existing blue jay branding and discussing with the group’s leadership, I set out to design a simple yet aesthetically balanced piece that took inspiration from pre-Christian Eastern European and slavic symbols. I decided on Sventovit, an ancient representation of a powerful god said to provide protection and abundance during times of strife. Interestingly, its rune-like shape resembles the back of a bird.

 

Combining this foundation with other smaller, repeating symbols, I created a visually harmonious composition and filled it with a mix of smooth vector shapes and oil-pastel textures. All artwork was created in Adobe Illustrator and touched-up with complex effects in Adobe Photoshop.