Brunswick i-Jet Lab
Creating recruitment materials and more for the Brunswick i-Jet Lab at UIUC’s research park.
Brand Refresh
My most recent project at the Brunswick i-Jet lab was refreshing the lab’s brand. The corporate design office had just created a rebrand for our parent company, Brunswick, and it was my task to update i-Jet’s branding to match.
I think that my understanding of the company was imperative to getting all of the details right. I already had information from recruitment, but I still started with an interview of i-Jet’s director and collected information of what i-Jet should represent; in comparison to the parent company, to other corporations, to student recruits. I then considered how this could be represented through shapes, forms, colors, and typography of the logo and design assets.
The logo itself required a lot of attention to detail. It needed to look new and innovative, yet retain recognition. I must have sketched nearly a hundred ideas, and I went through multiple rounds of iterative testing, which were very important as it was easy for people to read the logo in ways I didn’t intend. Once I used just the right details—such as the typeface the parent company used, ever so slightly rounded corners, and lines that traveled through the composition—the new logo was unique, innovative, and a huge success.
Recruitment
My main project over summer 2022 was recruitment for the Brunswick i-Jet lab in UIUC’s Research Park.
I found that the main question I needed to address was, “what is the i-Jet lab?” Most students hadn’t ever heard of it, and the previous materials didn’t explain the specifics of the lab very well: it’s essentially a “tech startup for boats,” a place for research and development of new technology for Brunswick, a leader in the marine recreation industry with over 80 brands.
Research and planning
I started by surveying other interns, asking what their favorite parts of working there were, what made it different, and what they prioritized in an internship.
The intern-focused environment of the lab was an important part, as well as collaborative projects. I worked together with our media intern to capture photos of students working on i-Jet’s many hands-on projects and fun events. I knew these materials needed to show students working and having fun, answering these questions visually.
I also took the time to understand how the individual positions worked and interviewed as many other interns as I could to understand their day to day work.
Final Deliverables
a front and back flyer provides information about i-Jet, shows pictures of hands-on activity around the workspace, and provides details of specific positions available in language students will recognize.
The boat and water imagery integrates i-Jet’s existing brand and quickly lets students know the final products the company makes.
Banners around the table further show an active environment with friendly faces, allowing students to visualize themselves at the i-Jet lab.
Merchandise and swag
In addition to recruitment, I also designed some merchandise and swag, both for handing out at events and for employees.
Society of Women in Engineering Recruitment
Later, I was also invited to make banners for Brunswick’s booth at a Society of Women in Engineering (SWE) event. A banner of brands was featured for people who again might not be familiar with Brunswick, but their brands instead. In addition, I knew it was important to show pictures of real women in the workplace and feature their achievements.
Brunswick at CES
Every year, i-Jet creates an immersive experience for the Brunswick’s spot at the Consumer Electronics Show. 2023 was a demonstration of a new autodocking feature on the “Future Helm:” an augmented reality display with the helm of a boat in front of a massive screen displaying an awe-inspiring virtual setting.
I had the opportunity to assist the computer graphics team for the CES 2023 project. I illustrated concept art, designed maps of a bay city for them to expand in Unreal Engine, helped design a user interface for automatic docking, and helped with the entire process of ideating for the setting and user experience.
Concept art: The city would be a vision of the future, and focus on sustainability and harmony with nature. The journey is one of recreation, so the lighting is peaceful and inspirational.
Maps: create a map that accommodates the story and flow. The user first navigates a channel to learn how to control the boat. They navigate under a bridge, then turning a corner, have a grand reveal of a glowing futuristic city. They explore their surroundings as they make their way to the docks.
Storyboard of navigating into the bay versus screenshots from the final design created by the CG team.
User Interface: most of the structure was already designed, but I created some final visual assets that were imported into Unreal Engine.
Overall, CES, and especially the future helm, was a huge success. I’m incredibly grateful I had the opportunity to contribute my work.
See clips of it on Brunswick’s channel!