Thryve
Role
UX/UI Designer
Design Researcher
Visual Artist
Team
Individual Project
Tools
Sketch
Procreate (iPad Pro)
Photoshop
Figma
Midjourney
Duration
4 months
Bridging Heritage with Modernity
The Museum of the African Diaspora (MoAD) is a cultural beacon that explores the art, history, and contributions of people of African descent globally. As one of the few museums dedicated exclusively to the African Diaspora, MoAD engages its audience through exhibitions, conversations, and educational programs framed around four core themes:
Origin
Migrational Movement
Adaptation
Transformation
This project reimagines MoAD’s digital and brand presence, ensuring a cohesive and impactful experience across both physical and digital touchpoints.
Reimagining MoAD’s Digital Presence for a Stronger Cultural Identity
MoAD’s rich cultural significance presented an opportunity to enhance its branding and digital experiences with a more cohesive visual identity and intuitive user interface. The website, logo, and stationery components needed a modern, unified aesthetic to:
Strengthen brand recognition and visual storytelling
Improve user engagement across digital platforms
Align MoAD’s visual language with its mission of cultural exploration
By refining these key touchpoints, I aimed to create a visually compelling and accessible experience that deepens audience connection to the African Diaspora while preserving the museum’s historical and cultural essence.
A Modern, Cohesive, and Culturally Resonant Identity
My goal was to redefine MoAD’s brand and digital presence by designing a new logo, stationery system, and website—ensuring a modern yet historically rooted aesthetic that:
Amplifies MoAD’s mission and cultural impact
Creates a seamless and immersive user experience
Unifies the brand’s visual identity across digital and physical touchpoints
By blending contemporary design principles with deep cultural storytelling, I aimed to establish a timeless yet innovative brand presence that strengthens MoAD’s connection with both new and existing audiences.
Understanding MoAD’s Identity
To craft an authentic and resonant redesign, I conducted research into MoAD’s mission, existing brand identity, and user expectations. I identified five key attributes that encapsulate MoAD’s ethos:
Provocative
MoAD ignites challenging conversations and showcases unconventional portraits that celebrate African history, culture, and natural biological structures
Vibrant
The use of bright colors exemplified throughout MoAD’s branding, from flyers to art pieces, creates an energy that is visually compelling and commands attention
Powerful
Each piece exhibited conveys power, fearlessness, endurance, resiliency, and strength, telling a story of historical trials and triumphs leading to freedom
Rhythmic Structure
MoAD showcases patterns, textures, colors, and tessellations found in African prints, quilts, and crafts, contributing to a rich visual identity
Adaptive
MoAD effectively shares the common experiences of diverse African-descendant cultures globally through its hosted events and exhibitions
How might we redesign MoAD’s digital and physical touchpoints to create a visually compelling, accessible, and immersive experience that deepens audience connection to the African Diaspora?
Mood Board: Establishing a Visual Tone
A curated mood board helped define the aesthetic direction, drawing inspiration from African textiles, geometric patterns, contemporary art, and bold typography.
My goal: to maintain heritage-driven yet progressive visuals that resonate with diverse audiences.
Sketching & Iteration
Exploring over 50 logo variations, I focused on geometric forms, tribal symbolism, and typography that honored African artistic traditions. Through iterative design and feedback sessions, I narrowed it down to three refined options, each encapsulating MoAD’s essence.
Final Logo Selection & Variations
The chosen logo balances rigid geometric structure and fluid tribal motifs, symbolizing the interconnectedness of African cultures worldwide. The refined type treatment enhances legibility while maintaining cultural authenticity
Typography Selection
By pairing these typefaces, I created a balanced visual hierarchy that enhances both storytelling and user experience, reinforcing MoAD’s mission through a sophisticated yet accessible design system.
Headlines:
Noto Serif Bold
A strong yet elegant typeface that reflects MoAD’s cultural depth and historical significance
Body Copy:
Noto Sans
A complementary sans-serif that ensures readability across mediums while maintaining a modern aesthetic
Color Palette
A crafted 5-color palette, inspired by African earth tones and bold, vibrant hues, balances strength and warmth. The primary colors (P1 & P2) exude power and confidence, while the secondary colors (S1, S2, S3) add depth and support visual hierarchy.
Business Card
A minimal yet striking design featuring MoAD’s new logo, name, contact details, and brand colors, reinforcing the institution’s professional yet artistic identity.
Letterhead & Envelope
The letterhead design integrates the new branding elements with a refined layout, structured typography, and subtle tribal motifs as design accents. The envelope maintains elegance and brand cohesion, incorporating a cultural emblem as a back seal
Brochure Design
A two-page promotional brochure for MoAD’s exhibitions utilizes a multi-column grid system, typographic hierarchy, and immersive visuals. The layout reflects MoAD’s storytelling essence, guiding readers through engaging content seamlessly
Website Redesign: A Digital Evolution
MoAD’s previous website had opportunities for improvement in visual cohesion, usability, and engagement. To better reflect the museum’s mission, I set out to design an immersive, user-friendly experience that seamlessly integrates storytelling, accessibility, and modern aesthetics.
By reimagining the digital presence, I aimed to create a website that not only enhances visitor engagement but also strengthens MoAD’s role as a cultural and educational hub.
HIGH-FIDELITY WIREFRAMES
A complete high-fidelity redesign, emphasizing bold typography, structured layouts, and intuitive navigation.
Key Enhancements:
Home
A striking hero section showcasing featured exhibitions, engaging CTAs, and a focus on community-driven initiatives
About Us
A rich storytelling experience highlighting MoAD’s mission, history, and impact through interactive elements and team profiles
Exhibitions
An interactive media hub for curated content, virtual experiences, and educational programs that inspire and inform
More Info
A comprehensive visitor’s guide featuring essential details, combined with an engaging FAQ section to answer common questions seamlessly
Design Approach: Modern UX/UI principles combined with immersive visuals to increase engagement and accessibility
Interactive Desktop Prototype
A fully interactive desktop prototype that transforms the wireframes into a tangible experience, showcasing the museum’s bold and structured design. It reinforces the museum’s brand identity while delivering a seamless, engaging, and accessible user journey.
Mobile Wireframes
Interactive Mobile Prototype
Designing for Impact, Storytelling, and Cultural Connection
This redesign of MoAD’s digital presence was an independent exploration—an opportunity to push the boundaries of visual storytelling, user experience, and brand cohesion in the context of a culturally significant institution. While this was a conceptual side project with no official collaboration with MoAD SF, it allowed me to hone my design strategy, problem-solving skills, and ability to create immersive, user-centered experiences.
Approaching this project with a blend of research, creativity, and technical execution, I embraced the challenge of crafting a modern yet historically grounded identity that could inspire deeper engagement. This process reinforced my passion for designing experiences that bridge culture, technology, and human connection—an approach I am eager to bring to future projects and teams.
Key Learnings & Reflections
Bridging Tradition and Modernity
This project challenged me to create a design that respects history while embracing modern aesthetics, reinforcing my ability to balance innovation with cultural authenticity
Strategic
UX Thinking
By analyzing the existing website’s structure and exploring intuitive solutions, I refined my ability to approach UX challenges with a strategic mindset
Scalability & Brand
Cohesion
Designing for a brand beyond just a website (logo, stationery, and digital touchpoints) strengthened my understanding of holistic design systems and scalable branding
Reinforcing User-Centered Design
This project deepened my ability to prioritize user needs by designing an interface that enhances both accessibility and engagement. By focusing on intuitive navigation, clear visual hierarchy, and storytelling, I strengthened my approach to crafting experiences that are both functional and emotionally compelling
Other Projects
Exploring Ideas & Possibilities—Let’s Connect!
I’m always excited to chat about UX Engineering, 3D Design, and all things XR. Whether you're a recruiter, collaborator, or just curious about my work, let’s connect! I’m also passionate about mentorship—so if you’re looking for guidance or want to talk shop, I’d love to chat!
