Stanford d.school

In 2004 David Kelley, co-founder of IDEO, established a new multidisciplinary design school at Stanford University. The school needed a website to educate prospective students and it needed a vehicle for fundraising and industry participation.

Stanford d.school

In 2004 David Kelley, co-founder of IDEO, established a new multidisciplinary design school at Stanford University. The school needed a website to educate prospective students and it needed a vehicle for fundraising and industry participation.

1. Context

[↓] David Kelley created this mindmap to describe the scope and approach of the new design school. This became the background image for the site and inspired the use of hand-lettered text in the design of the site.

2. Mood Board

[↓] We began visual design by collecting examples that addressed similar problems. People photography, use of color, bold graphics, and hand-drawn sketches would figure heavily in the design.

3. Visual Design

[↓] The site's photography emphasized students and teachers working together. Color was used to differentiate one section of the site from another while consistent layout and grid helped the site feel cohesive. Hand-drawn elements reflected the design methodology that would be taught at the school.

1. Context

David Kelley created this mindmap to describe the scope and approach of the new design school. This became the background image for the site and inspired the use of hand-lettered text in the design of the site.

2. Mood Board

We began visual design by collecting examples that addressed similar problems. People photography, use of color, bold graphics, and hand-drawn sketches would figure heavily in the design.

3. Visual Design

The site's photography emphasized students and teachers working together. Color was used to differentiate one section of the site from another while consistent layout and grid helped the site feel cohesive. Hand-drawn elements reflected the design methodology that would be taught at the school.

1. Context

David Kelley created this mindmap to describe the scope and approach of the new design school. This became the background image for the site and inspired the use of hand-lettered text in the design of the site.

2. Mood Board

We began visual design by collecting examples that addressed similar problems. People photography, use of color, bold graphics, and hand-drawn sketches would figure heavily in the design.

3. Visual Design

The site's photography emphasized students and teachers working together. Color was used to differentiate one section of the site from another while consistent layout and grid helped the site feel cohesive. Hand-drawn elements reflected the design methodology that would be taught at the school.

4. Impact + Takeaways

This was the d.school's original site when it was founded. d.school has trained a generation of designers and innovators and has become one of Stanford's most sought-after programs.

  • This was a small project with a very small budget. The design was completed within a span of a week. There was no time to second guess. Limited time and resources can be a catalyst for creativity in design.
  • When faced with a blank slate, it's important to find an idea or a hook on which to hang the design. Since the school was in the process of being founded while the site was being designed, I had to find inspiration from the few materials at hand.
  • I also found it helpful to collect examples of how others had solved similar problems. This made it possible to quickly bootstrap a visual identity that would help shape how d.school presented itself to the wider world.

4. Impact + Takeaways

This was the d.school's original site when it was founded. d.school has trained a generation of designers and innovators and has become one of Stanford's most sought-after programs.

  • This was a small project with a very small budget. The design was completed within a span of a week. There was no time to second guess. Limited time and resources can be a catalyst for creativity in design.
  • When faced with a blank slate, it's important to find an idea or a hook on which to hang the design. Since the school was in the process of being founded while the site was being designed, I had to find inspiration from the few materials at hand.
  • I also found it helpful to collect examples of how others had solved similar problems. This made it possible to quickly bootstrap a visual identity that would help shape how d.school presented itself to the wider world.

4. Impact + Takeaways

This was the d.school's original site when it was founded. d.school has trained a generation of designers and innovators and has become one of Stanford's most sought-after programs.

  • This was a small project with a very small budget. The design was completed within a span of a week. There was no time to second guess. Limited time and resources can be a catalyst for creativity in design.
  • When faced with a blank slate, it's important to find an idea or a hook on which to hang the design. Since the school was in the process of being founded while the site was being designed, I had to find inspiration from the few materials at hand.
  • I also found it helpful to collect examples of how others had solved similar problems. This made it possible to quickly bootstrap a visual identity that would help shape how d.school presented itself to the wider world.

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