By leveraging the Gestalt principle of continuity, I transformed the iconic Verizon "V" into a symbolic staircase representing professional ascent and momentum. The result is a sophisticated visual language that anchors a global leadership program for over 18,000 participants.
Context
Verizon required a refreshed, high-impact visual identity for “Raise the Bar 2025,” an award-winning initiative designed to stretch leadership capabilities across eight global engagement hubs.
Date Completed:
Dec 2024
Role:
Art Direction, Key Visual Designer
Involvement:
Key Visual Design
Overview
The project involved the creation of five distinct thematic icons to serve as the primary visual anchors for bimonthly “edu-tainment” broadcast sessions. Each icon utilizes a specific micro-pattern to communicate complex leadership pillars while maintaining a unified, brand-aligned framework.
Challenge
The main problem was taking broad, abstract ideas like “Strategic Visionary” or “Active Ally” and making them look simple and professional. We needed five different topics to look like they belonged to the same family while still standing out as individual sessions.
Solution
I used a staircase design because the human eye naturally follows a path of repeating shapes, which creates a feeling of momentum. Designing the pattern inside a consistent stair shape works better because it gives the viewer one “anchor” to recognize the Verizon brand while the internal details tell the specific story. This keeps the design from looking messy or disconnected.
- Talent Champion: Star clusters represent excellence and high performance, showing how great talent stands out and shines.
- Active Ally: A mix of different shapes shows that every person is unique, highlighting a team made of many different backgrounds.
- Adaptive Communicator: Stacked speech bubbles represent the flow of conversation and the ability to change communication styles based on the situation.
- Inspirational Influencer: Water ripples show how a single person’s actions can spread out and create a massive impact on the people around them.
- Strategic Visionary: Puzzle pieces symbolize the ability to see the "big picture" and understand how small parts fit together to reach a goal.
Results
This visual system became the core look for the entire global rollout, successfully unifying the experience for 18,000+ leaders across 8 Engagement Hubs. The designs were used as the primary assets for website and email banners, video teasers, and explainer videos, ensuring a polished and professional look for all five major broadcast episodes and the workshops that followed.
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