T.O ME

Brand Identity, Marketing, UX/UI

Client:

Personal Project / Thesis

Role:

Art Director, Designer, Copywriter, Photographer

Scope

A thesis project on brand identity framework and social marketing campaign for the city of Toronto.

The city of Toronto is home to over 2.5 million people, the most populous city in Canada and the capital of the province of Ontario. Despite being the cultural and financial hub of Canada, we struggle from an identity crisis. Yes, that is a bold statement to make, and in no way one can prove that it is an actual existing problem; let alone convince anyone it is worth investing time and money to solve it via good design.

However, it is hard to dispute that Toronto is stuck between the American habits of the bursting Big Apple to the south and the more European tendencies it harbours as a member of the Commonwealth. Are we committing to a singular vision of the city of the future? “Our identity crisis is our identity” seems like a reasonable answer.

“T.O ME” is an attempt to let Torontonians portray the town they live and breathe. “T.O ME” proposes a universal system of geometric grid that provides a strong but flexible foundation for the city branding as it moves forward.

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"The logo is directly derived from the logotype ‘T’, but combined with a small dot in order to abbreviate the nickname ‘T dot‘ of the city, which has been embraced by its residents for many years."

"The thick, increased visual weight of the letter allow it to stand up at smaller sizes and contexts, as well as serves as a window for other visual images embedded inside of it."

What is T.O ME?

Everyone has their own version of Toronto that they adore and embrace. “T.O ME” is a campaign that urges Torontonians to go out and explore the city’s neighbourhoods, tell their story of the Toronto they fall in love with.

The primary target of the whole campaign is the residents of Toronto, the youth that will shape the city and define its very essence, as there is no better brand ambassador than the people of the town themselves.

How does it work?

Participants will go to the microsite and pin the location of the local gem they discover on the map, as well as create a graphical icon of the location. All graphic arts can be created online via the tools and platforms provided on the website. Users can also leave reviews, personal experiences and stories about the place.

The graphic arts can later be used for various promoting material as the campaign grows. One location can have several graphic arts, in which case, the “official” artwork will be selected based on votes. These artworks will be constantly changing, allowing the public to curate and select final artworks that will be used for the collaborated mural of the city, which is updated annually.

The map mural of Toronto is a key component of Toronto’s new visual identity. As the map evolves over the years, its image style grow organically, resulting in a living, breathing system.

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Paletta

Brand Identity, Packaging, Illustration, Web Design