Live in Translation Brand Concepts
Brand Identity
Self-directed academic project
Tools: Adobe Illustrator,
December 2019
Lives in Translation is a pro-bono legal translation service, a program that helps people get through the legal system in a language they can actually understand. For this project, I had to build out a full brand identity for them from the ground up: logo, business cards, and a conceptual website. The one rule was that everything had to feel like it belonged together. Not just "same colors" together. They are actually connected.
I started with the logo, because nothing else could happen until that was figured out. I took the program's initials, L, I, T, and built them out of square shapes. That wasn't just a stylistic choice. Squares feel stable and professional, and for a program tied to legal aid, that kind of visual trust matters. It's clear, it's approachable, and it doesn't try too hard.
Once the logo was locked in, I moved on to business cards. I made two layout variations, one where the mark sits within a bold color block, and another where it bleeds past its borders and takes up more space. I ran both through three colorways: blue, magenta, and purple. The goal wasn't just to show options; it was to prove that the identity could stretch without breaking.
The website is honestly the part I'm most proud of. I didn't just slap the logo on a header and call it a day. The "L" from the logo literally became the navigation sidebar. The "+" from the "t" pulled double duty as an expand button on pages with more detailed content. And depending on which tab you were on, the small "t" in the top-left corner of the logo changed to match that section's color. It was a small thing, but when you notice it, the whole system clicks. That's the kind of detail that makes a brand feel thought through rather than thrown together.
This project was really about learning how to think in systems. Any designer can make something look good in isolation. The true challenge comes from making sure every piece of a brand, from the smallest business card detail to a full website layout, feels like it came from the same place. LIT was my first real attempt at that, and it's the kind of thinking that's shaped how I approach every branding project since.