Portfolio – Project 1

Instructions:

1 - Based upon the jobs you looked at and the requested skills of each, identify a piece you have previously created that you could improve to show you possess the skills being requested, or create a new project to show that you have the skills the employer is looking for.

2 - Create a blog post about this project: who is the audience, what is the message, and what are you hoping to accomplish with the piece, what design decisions did you make, and why you made each one?

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For Graphic Design Portfolio course Project 1, I decided to create a new project to show that I have the skills the employer is looking for.

Company: CALSTART INC.

Website: CALSTART Inc.

CALSTART is a national non-profit organization that collaborates with businesses and governments to advance clean transportation solutions both nationally and globally. The organization aims to create a more prosperous and healthier future by accelerating innovation, growing the market, creating jobs, and reducing pollution through its network of influential industry leaders. CALSTART has offices in multiple states and also has a global presence through its "Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero" program. The organization focuses on key areas like technology development, public policy advocacy, market acceleration, member support, and data insights across various sectors, including light-duty vehicles, buses, trucks, and fuels.

Values: CALSTART's values are to focus on improving air quality, protecting the environment, providing greater economic prosperity, and creating jobs.

Goals: The company's goal is to remove barriers to fundamental changes in clean transportation technology, fuels, and systems. It aims to reduce carbon-based emissions in the next decade to avoid the worst effects of climate change.

Mission: CALSTART's mission is to work with businesses and governments to develop clean, efficient transportation solutions.

The CALSTART job position is Graphic Design Intern

Graphic Design Intern

What You Will Be Doing

• Assist in reviewing and updating brand guidelines to ensure consistency across departments and channels.

I decided to update the company's brand identity by creating a new Icon and Logo/Wordmark.

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Current Logo and Tagline:

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My new design:

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Updating CALSTART's Brand Identity

For this project, my audience is CALSTART's leadership team, marketing department, and potential employers reviewing my design portfolio.

My intent is to show that I understand the value of strong brand identity and how it reflects an organization's mission, values, and goals.

The message is that CALSTART is a forward-thinking leader in clean transportation, and its visual identity should reflect that momentum, innovation, and environmental commitment.

My goal with this redesign was twofold. First, I wanted to present CALSTART with a fresh, modernized logo that still ties back to their recognizable brand. Second, I wanted to demonstrate my ability to take a brand from an outdated visual style to a new, professional look that works across digital and print media.

Design Decisions

• Icon Shape and Style: I kept the road motif from the original logo, but gave it a sleek, rounded, and balanced design. This creates a sense of forward movement, which connects to CALSTART's mission of advancing clean transportation.
• Color Palette: I chose a rich blue paired with an eco-friendly green. Blue represents trust, reliability, and technology, while green reinforces CALSTART's environmental focus and commitment to cleaner air.
• Typography: I used a bold, modern sans-serif typeface for "CALSTART." It's clear, confident, and highly legible in both large and small formats, signaling professionalism and stability.
• Layout Variations: I created vertical and horizontal versions of the logo, as well as standalone icons and black-and-white versions, to ensure flexibility for various applications, whether that's a website header, business card, or social media post.
• Tagline Placement: The tagline "Changing Transportation for Good" is centered below the name in a lighter weight font. This allows it to be read quickly while keeping the focus on the CALSTART name.

I made each of these choices to balance brand recognition with a modern look that aligns with CALSTART's vision for the future.

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