CalArts (California Institute of the Arts) is a storied, countercultural institution that thrives on creative collision. Its dated, fractured site couldn’t capture the unified creative energy of their six fiercely independent schools or the restless experimentation at their core.
In close collaboration with the CalArts team and Handbuilt (a studio with three generations of CalArts alumnae), we transformed that tension into an authentic, living digital experience. Handbuilt’s visual toolkit of bold color, type, and abstract patterns (generated from CalArts performance recordings) served as my foundation for establishing an accessible design system where elements pulse, overlap, and harmonize.
Nothing sits still. It’s CalArts’ raw energy given form.
The resulting platform gives editors creative tools, not templates, that scale seamlessly from web to email to Slate. All while staying true to CalArts’ frenetic culture. The work earned a CASE Gold Circle of Excellence Award and inspired me to write Brand Fluency First, an article exploring how trust, visual identity and system design work together to express brand through experience, not just appearance.
Creative/Art Direction | Interactive Design | Motion + Design System Strategy
Design Director, NewCity x CalArts x Handbuilt Studio
