Upstarts 2025 Identity
Background
ICAD UPSTARTS is an upskilling programme that helps emerging creatives find their way in the advertising and design industry. It paired each participant (Upstart) up with a mentor who coaches them through six briefs given by leading Irish Agencies and Design studios. I participated in Upstarts in 2024 and redesigned the brand identity while working for ICAD in 2025
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ICAD UPSTARTS is an upskilling programme that helps emerging creatives find their way in the advertising and design industry. It paired each participant (Upstart) up with a mentor who coaches them through six briefs given by leading Irish Agencies and Design studios. I participated in Upstarts in 2024 and redesigned the brand identity while working for ICAD in 2025
Concept
Looking for work in the creative industry can be confusing, and most of the time, you can feel completely all over the place. Upstarts is there to help find direction in the creative industry — but it is not always a linear path. This insight was what the Upstarts' identity was built around.
Identity
I used a limited number of repeated arrow strings to make the identity feel grounded in momentum. The colours took some of the established ICAD brand colours and mixed in brighter tones to help the communications campaign stand out against other ICAD communications. I made sure the overall tone of the copy kept up the feeling of momentum
