The Art of Working Together: New Talent 2023 Latest Entries

With this week’s latest New Talent entries, the art of working together is at the center of these designs. From the literal collaborative efforts in “REWIRE” to the art of book production in the “Spector Books Rebrand,” these designs were born out of a desire to lift fellow designers, creatives, and dreamers up, not just the individual. Limited color palettes and smart typography bring dreams to new life, beckoning viewers in at each point. 

The first entry is properly titled “REWIRE — An Exhibition Identity and Promotion for Collaborative Student Projects” (above) and is an integrated capstone project and collaborative effort from Hong Kong Polytechnic University students Ho-Iam Thomas Wong, Yan-wing Natalie Ng, and Hoi-yan Zoe Kwok. Each part of the project spans several different topics, from local Hong Kong issues to global topics. In order to unify these separate sections into a group exhibition, these designers found and combined symbols that represented each of their topics. Their resulting designs are gray and black monograms of cityscapes against a blue background. Viewers will instantly connect these design choices to blueprints, instinctively recognizing the posters, pamphlets, and banners as resources for information and guidance throughout the exhibition. While the students may have created extremely different works, the overall design identity is not only cohesive but fluid and extremely engaging. 

The next New Talent entry comes from Grace Cai, a student at the ArtCenter College of Design. Cai’s assignment was to complete a rebranding for Spector Books, a bookstore based in Leipzig, Germany. Focusing on the multitude of ways a book can be made and remade visually, the logo for “Spector Books Rebrand” (above) is the letter ‘S,’ which sprawls across the website and window display with multiple lines sticking out of it from all directions. One interpretation of this logo can be of the sun, with its rays shining brightly out from its core, as Cai’s design utilizes a classic sunny yellow. Cai designed the website layout to remain horizontal, as a digital bookshelf, allowing viewers the opportunity to feel immersed in their own private book collections. The rebrand for Spector Books inspires viewers not only to engage with the store and purchase books but also to contemplate the infinite possibilities of imagination and versatility. 

For more information on the New Talent competition, and to submit your own work, click here.