OPEN FOR WORK!
D Wang is a queer Chinese-Michigander illustrator and designer in NYC.
Their commercial work includes: Center for Urban Pedagogy, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and Understood (coming soon).
Their personal work includes: Ritesh Gupta, comics and zines, and DICE!.
About | dwangzhao@gmail.com
Ritesh Gupta
Fresh branding and custom typography with “expressicons” that can be used modularly with the logo.
As the former Design Director of Hyperakt, Ritesh Gupta is no stranger to a rebrand. He wanted his personal branding to play nicely with the existing look-and-feel of “Useful School”, a series of courses by and for creatives of color.
Through the process, I expanded the originally scope to include a library of “expressicons” that became the motifs for the larger brand.
Moodboard
The inspo includes For the People’s Be Equitable branding, and Ritesh’s grandma’s peacock wrist tattoo.
Initial concepts
One that felt bolder, more playful, drawn with a marker. The other more edgy, dynamic.
Early iterations of the R
Experimenting with adding different eyeframes and hats, as Ritesh’s style is known to have. It was through this process that I wondered: “what if i made a whole custom typeface that had this kind of personality?”
Peacock Display
The custom display typeface I designed that Ritesh’s wordmark is made up of. Can you spot the playful “R”?
Final result
I mean, our work is never really done, right?
Ritesh - with their signature hat and glassesSprouts - growth and happiness Peacock - culture, based on a tattoo Ritesh’s grandma has Sun - expressivenessDancing Human - signifying community and kindness
In Situ
Thank you for reading!
This drawing didn’t leave the cutting room floor, but it still warms my heart!