University of Toronto Model United Nations
Graphic design, web development, and social media marketing over three years of UTMUN
UTMUN is the University of Toronto's largest model United Nations conference organised by university students for high school delegates. For many attendants, UTMUN provides an opportunity to engage in public speaking and debate while experiencing U of T's downtown campus.
In 2013, I joined the team as Director of Design and Technology to develop the Wordpress site and to design a new logo. UTMUN wanted something different from the usual model UN logo - often a combination of the school coat of arms and the UN olive branches - and to take advantage of nabbing the name "UTMUN" from the many other model UN groups on campus (though we still occasionally overlap with the University of Toledo in social media hashtags). Having one olive branch flow into text works as a simple but distinctive logo that makes UTMUN instantly recognisable as a model UN group. We chose Futura as the primary typeface for its clean, geometric lines and for the fit of its U with the olive branch, which UTMUN uses as an icon.
The logo is used across UTMUN's digital platforms and on all conference materials delegates receive, particularly the folders and handbooks which feature a different design each year.
UTMUN largely stays in touch with delegates and their teachers through its website and social media pages. Marketing the conference begins with committee announcements in the summer - in 2016, we began a series of rolling posts over a two-week period during which each committee revealed was accompanied by a graphic and short blurb. The colour scheme and icons used in the graphic were then carried over to the design of name tags, placards, and background guides for the respective committee.
These background guides are prepared by university students directing the committees. Apart from the covers, much of the design work involves proofreading, formatting text and graphics, finding additional images, and updating the website once they have been uploaded. In response to feedback, we changed the magazine-style two-paged spread design into a single-paged layout for delegates accessing the guides on mobile devices. An archive of background guides as PDFs can be found here.
In 2015, UTMUN moved its website from Wordpress to Squarespace for better web design controls and ticket sales support. I was responsible for setting up the relevant pages with committee information, registration details, and a quick-access portal for delegates with updating schedules and announcements during the conference. When UTMUN partnered with the Marriott Bloor Yorkville Hotel, I updated the payment process with information about the promotion accordingly.
Other roles during my three-year period with UTMUN include photographer for headshots and the conference itself, as well as videographer and editor for interviews with our keynote speakers.
UTMUN 2016 executives with keynote speaker Bob Rae.