Mason Law School seeks rebranding from SoA alumnus
This article was written by Natasha Boddie for George Mason School of Art website.
In April 2016, George Mason University renamed the law school after the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. The decision came after an anonymous $30 million donation. Shortly after the announcement, the Antonin Scalia Law School drew attention to a new project. School of Art alumnus Donny Truong was tasked with that next big project—rebranding. According to Truong, the rebranding gave Scalia Law the opportunity to step-up its game.
Being almost six years since Truong was hired by Scalia Law to handle web design and development, his career’s pivotal point arrived when Dean Henry N. Butler and Senior Associate Rher, who was responsible for the school’s marketing strategy, approached him about the rebranding project. It later led to a promotion for Truong to becoming the Director of Design and Web Services for Scalia Law.
Having completed his MA in Graphic Design in December 2015, Truong was able to further explore his new-found passion for typography and continue to work on print design. Being in classes with professors who work in the design industry, designing branding guidelines, and developing a brand for a class project prepared Truong with the skills he needed to take on the Scalia Law rebranding project. In addition, an elective course permitted Truong to further enhance his passion for typography. After extensive research, Truong wrote and designed a book on Professional Web Typography and led him to his final thesis on Vietnamese Typography.
One of the challenges of the Scalia Law rebranding projects was restriction. Compliance with Mason’s branding guidelines was a must. The limitations, however, didn’t concern Truong. His first objective led him to interview the Deans to learn more about their vision for Scalia Law. His strong passion for typography was a coherent starting point. Being a collaborative project, it was agreed upon by all that the new brand would have to be simple, modern, and flexible. Myriad Pro, a contemporary sans serif typeface with an extensive family that can be used in any circumstance, was the perfect choice.
According to Truong, the previous logo was designed specifically for the web; therefore, it was not scalable for other media. With this in mind, he proceeded to eliminate “unnecessary details” including the shield, the bevels, and the drop shadows. In doing so, it would allow the new logo to be used in a variety of ways.
Continuing to lead the team through a successful rebranding process, he further strengthened the new brand by incorporating larger typography, richer colors, and bolder visual elements.
Scalia Law’s tagline was also developed in concurrent with the rebranding project. During the initial development phase, Truong applied the skills learned while enrolled in the MA program to bring the slogan to fruition.
“This simple catch phrase has been used on promotional items ranging from the website to t-shirts, postcards, social media accounts, newsletters, name badges, and even the elevators in the law school building,” says Associate Dean Keene. Truong gave this simple slogan new life using bright bold colors to radiate energy and communicate success, achievement, and triumph.
“He’s repeated this thoughtful approach to his other designs, but this one really stands out in a way that is unique among law schools,” Keene concludes.
The law community immediately accepted the new brand. Senior Associate Dean Alison Price who was one of few on the team has this to say about Truong’s work, “I have enjoyed working with Donny Truong in rebranding the law school. Without fail, when I articulate a concept, Donny has demonstrated the ability to turn it into something visually appealing and on message. I also admire his ability to suggest changes that will lead to a more polished product.”
To view the Antonin Scalia Law Schools simple branding guidelines, click here.
To learn more about Donny Truong and other projects, click here.