Holiday Card Design - Iowa State University College of Design

Project Overview

This project was created as the official holiday card for the Iowa State University College of Design, distributed both as a physical postcard and as a digital animated greeting. The card was shared through the college’s official print and email communications.

Brief
I was asked to create a visual concept centered around the College of Design building that celebrates creativity, collaboration, and connection. The design was also encouraged to subtly reference the college’s new Game Design major, without relying on direct or literal imagery.

Concept & Visual Direction
The College of Design building was reimagined as part of a game-inspired world, transformed into a dynamic environment where architecture functions as an active system rather than a static structure. Drawing from the visual language of steampunk, the design incorporates gears, mechanical elements, light, and movement to suggest play, systems, and collective energy.

Airships, motion cues, and layered mechanical details reference ideas of exploration, collaboration, and shared momentum, echoing both game world–building and the collaborative spirit of the college community. These elements hint at game mechanics and interaction in an abstract way, allowing the piece to remain inclusive and open-ended.

The final artwork was developed first as a physical holiday card and then adapted into a digital animated version. The motion design brings the static illustration to life through subtle animation and sound, while maintaining visual consistency between the physical and digital formats.

The completed project was officially distributed by the Iowa State University College of Design and shared with thousands of recipients. Design credit was included in both the physical card and the digital communication.