A tote bag with the CCU logo
Creative Coding Utrecht
Branding
Webdesign
Creative Coding Utrecht is a Dutch institution that facilitates and curates events, workshops, lectures and exhibitions in the space of creative coding. As one of the frontrunners in Europe they have established a loyal following and community over the years. To support their achievements and improve their digital visibility I got the opportunity to design a mini brand system accomponied by a revamp of their website. The result is a a dynamic regenerative logo and a landing page to welcome members and newcomers in an interactive and inviting manner.
The logo
To design a logo for a creative coding institute with such an organic nature, it wouldn't make sense to come up with a static icon or lettermark. Instead I explored different grids in which the letters "C", "C" and "U" could be used. The result is a dynamic grid in which the letters live. Additionally I added  dynamic border radii to generate an infinite amount of variations in shape of the initials of Creative Coding Utrecht. This redesign not only reflects the constantly changing landscape of creative coding but also embodies the progressive, forward-thinking ethos that drives its community.
A gif with logo variations
The flexible logo grid
A code snippet from processing
The color scheme
Just as the logo there is no fixed colour set. The colours are generated based on a range for each red, blue or green value. Resulting in a controlled, yet coherent colour system. The colours are generated with a small script written in Processing and makes its application limitless. For example business cards with a unique colour combination for each employee of the organisation.
Business cards
A gradient generated by the code snippet
A code snippet from Processing
The website
Visit website
The redesign of the website had to reflect that same philosophy used for the logo redesign. I didn't choose to design a classic section by section webpage but instead embarked on a hyper custom approach. My goal was to captivate visitors from their first interaction with the website inviting them deeper into the world of creative coding through discovery and play. Inspiring visitors what the internet outside of common convention could be. As a result the homepage evolved into a welcoming playground for visitors to explore and interact with.
Items can be moved around effortlessly, while interactive widgets ensure that visitors are not only engaged but also informed about the various offerings of creative coding.
A mock up with an image of the website
A rotating widget saying to sign up for the newsletter
A mock up with an image of the website
Afterthoughts
With this assignment, I embarked on one of my first creative coding projects. Through the process, I realized that an obsession with controlling every pixel can stifle creativity and hinder innovation. I learned to embrace a new role for designers, as curators who create dynamic, user-driven experiences that foster exploration and experimentation. By prioritizing user or machine control and stepping outside of the constraints of convention. And instead creating these constraints for users or machines to interact with. This project is just scratching the surface, but with AI here, this change of perspective will be pivotal for the future of (digital) design and a more dynamic and personalised take on UX.
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