BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2021

PROJECT TYPE Program Branding

CLIENT USA Network

AGENCY Block & Tackle

MY ROLE Art Direction & Design Lead

Black History Month is an annual celebration of the achievements of African Americans and a time to recognize their central role in U.S. history. This show package aired across 14 television networks nationwide.

It was an honor to work on the Black History Month campaign, a moment that carries deep meaning for our nation. From the start, I wanted people to feel a sense of pride and dignity, while also staying connected to real moments in history — moments that shaped our collective memory and continue to inspire us today.

Styleguide Because the show package will go to a number of networks, I designed the look with a robust compound grid and Styleguide Kit. Which provides a certain degree of guidance to the other designers while giving them freedom to create infinite possibilities of great composition.

Concept A big part of the concept was to center stage the archival photography of history. I built the design on a clear grid system to keep the look clean, bold, and memorable. The images, such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. speaking, carry so much power on their own. By repeating shapes and exploring different ways of framing and cropping, my goal was to share the strength and authenticity of these photographs while also bringing people closer to the intimacy of a real moment in history.

Typography I chose bold and solemn typography, tall and condensed, almost like standing columns. This gave the words a sense of firmness and conviction, with each statement carrying real weight. At times I placed the letters apart within the grid, so they stand like individuals, tall and solemn. At other times I brought the letters close together as a full sentence, so the words read with clarity and power, like a statement being spoken loud and clear.

Colors Right from the start I wanted the design to feel bold, yet quietly loud. Because of its symbolic tie to our nation, red, blue, and white were a natural choice. I adjusted the tones slightly to create a subtle vibration between the colors, adding a sense of kinetic energy.

Motion language I wanted a steady rhythm that felt like marching forward with unstoppable force. The intercuts between colors, typography, imagery all come together as if hammering the letter one by one into metal.

History is made one step at a time.