• BRENDAN MCKAY — [03.24.24]
    BRAND DESIGNER AND PRODUCT STRATEGIST
    • IN SEARCH OF

    A curated and educational library of excellent resources for design professionals who seek to enhance their knowledge of the visual design industry.

    DECEMBER 2022 — ONGOING

    FREELANCE CONTRACTING
    LOGO AND PRODUCT DESIGN

    HOW IT BEGAN

    In January 2022 I met JP Ramirez, a professor teaching a design course in typography and space at the University of Illinois School of Art + Design. Meanwhile, I was organizing weekly meetings as president of the Design Club at Simon Fraser University.
    We both commonly referred our students to a loose list of great design resources that we had scattered across our notes and bookmarks. Our goal was to formalize this list in an easy to access directory for budding design professionals.

    PRODUCT DESIGN APPROACH

    I began by facilitating exercises with our team to create brand pillars and determine our value proposition.
    We are creating a digital tool for design professionals who seek to enhance their connection with, and knowledge of, the visual design industry. We support them by providing a curated, educational, inspiring, and exploratory library of excellent resources. We are unlike competitors who focus on ephemeral updates to niche fields of the visual design industry.

    DETERMINING VALUE FOR SEEKERS

    People I interviewed said that they connected strongly and best with resources that were highly regarded or recommended by mentors and peers.
    To promote strong connections between our readers and our resources, each entry in the design directory is accompanied by copy that tells the importance of each resource and why it is regarded so highly.

    MAPPING THE LANDSCAPE OF DESIGN

    On cards, I used the scrollable chip pattern to retain contextual design discovery and inform search decisions. To map the landscape of design - chip categories include media type, type of design discipline, and type of organization.

    ADDENDUM

    Thanks for stopping by! I have so much more to share about my process and approach to this project. I would love to get in touch and share my excitement for this project with you.