In an era where gaming transcends entertainment, New Meta, a leading gaming arena, set out to make a deeper impact by launching an academy that uses games to teach kids essential life skills. The New Meta Academy was created to empower young students, helping them sharpen their gaming abilities while equipping them with tools for personal growth, from teamwork to resilience. With a dual audience of students and their parents, the academy needed a foundational identity that could inspire excitement in kids while reassuring parents of its meaningful mission.

I was brought on to craft the initial visual identity for the New Meta Academy, building on the established New Meta brand while ensuring the academy had its own distinct voice. Working closely with the New Meta team, I focused on creating a logo and core foundational elements that reflect the academy’s vision of nurturing growth through gaming, all while maintaining a clear connection to the bold, futuristic ethos of the parent brand. Due to budget constraints, the project was scoped as a starting point, laying the groundwork for a brand that could be expanded in the future. The result is a concise, impactful identity that bridges two worlds, speaking to both the aspirations of young gamers and the values of their parents.

The academy’s mission, to help students improve their gaming skills and equip them with essential life skills for the future, became the guiding light for the identity. To address the challenge of engaging two distinct audiences, I studied the New Meta brand’s design language, defined by keywords like futuristic, bold, hype, inspiring, and dynamic. I reverse-engineered its core elements to ensure the academy felt familiar yet unique, creating a visual foundation that balances excitement with reassurance.

The logo emerged as the heart of this identity, merging the dynamic, exploding shape of the New Meta logo with a new symbol of growth and support. Inspired by the concept of a student ascending through guidance, the design features a sharp, crystalline form that radiates outward, symbolizing potential unleashed, while its structured base reflects the nurturing foundation the academy provides. This fusion creates a mark that feels both energetic and grounded, perfectly capturing the academy’s dual mission.

To bring this vision to life, I developed a color palette that echoes the New Meta brand’s vibrant energy while introducing a sense of balance. Deep blues and blacks form a futuristic backdrop, evoking the immersive world of gaming, while bright whites and accents of blue add a spark of inspiration. These colors work together to create a dynamic, high-energy aesthetic that excites students, with the darker tones providing a sense of stability that resonates with parents. The typography, set in a sleek, modern sans-serif, ensures clarity and versatility across initial applications, from digital platforms to print materials, maintaining a cohesive look that feels both cutting-edge and approachable.

For New Meta Academy, this starting point is a promise, one that inspires students to reach new heights while giving parents confidence in a program that nurtures their child’s future. It’s a brand that stands at the intersection of play and purpose, ready to grow alongside the next generation of gamers and thinkers.