The Otis College of Art and Design has great facilities, programs, and faculty. None of this was being effectively communicated through their promotional materials, which were mostly designed by students. We approached the project with these goals: to offer a clear and memorable impression of Otis; demonstrate why an Otis education is unique, covetable, and valuable; and revitalize and extend the Otis brand to better communicate the experience of the place to potential students, faculty and alumni. The Otis College of Art and Design has the most diverse student demographics of any private art school in the country. We created a viewbook to appeal to young, hip potential art students. Given our target audience of high school seniors, we communicated our message with humor and a minimum of text.

The book is divided into three sections. The first section, “Why?” communicates the unique reasons one might choose to attend Otis—L.A.’s vibrant arts community, the school’s fabulous resources, and great career opportunities in L.A.’s art-driven economy—using tongue-in-cheek photography and pop charts. The second, “What?” communicates the different programs available to students. In this section, we also designed distinct identities for each department at the school that can function separately or together. The last, “How?" communicates the steps that are necessary to apply to Otis.

The total budget for the project was $150,000.

This is fun, engaging and exciting. It is youthful without being condescending.