LAND40 Celebration
A comprehensive event design system celebrating forty years of work, culture and values from Auburn University’s Landscape Architecture program.
American InHouse Design Award: LAND40 Celebration, Graphic Design USA
Assignment
LAND40 welcomed students, faculty, alumni, and friends to campus for a keynote lecture and panel discussion, an exhibition of student work, an alumni reception, and a tour of the Alabama Meadows Project at the Mary Olive Thomas Demonstration Forest. The event celebrated four decades of graduates from Auburn's Landscape Architecture (LAND) programs while also anticipating the graduation of the first class of the re-launched Bachelor of Landscape Architecture program. Auburn’s Landscape Architecture program is rooted in place, driven by purpose, and grounded in practice, preparing students to engage complex environmental and social systems with creativity, clarity, and care. The objective of the LAND40 branding was to honor the program’s emphasis on ecology and human-made systems while recognizing the students, alumni, and history that have shaped the discipline.
Process
The identity system was developed as a familiar visual language that emphasized the natural environment and reflected the culture of the Landscape Architecture program. Research into the program’s history informed the selection of stencil typography, inspired by lettering found throughout student and faculty archives where text was often engraved in wood or applied through stenciling. Deliverables were produced on natural, textured paper to reinforce a grounded and tactile sensibility. Student work became a central component of the system, with scanned and edited sketches integrated throughout the designs to create a stamp-like effect. This same treatment was extended to speaker portraits, creating visual consistency across materials. Together, these elements established an intimate, community-centered, and environmentally focused identity that connected the event to the values and traditions of the LAND program.
Results
The final identity system successfully unified the event across all touchpoints, creating a cohesive visual language that felt authentic to Auburn’s Landscape Architecture program. The combination of tactile materials, stencil typography, and student-generated imagery reinforced a strong sense of place and discipline while resonating with students, faculty, alumni, and visitors. By centering student work within the branding, the deliverables fostered a sense of community and celebrated the creative contributions of the program. The grounded, ecology-focused aesthetic strengthened themes of environmental stewardship, collaboration, and practice, resulting in an approachable and meaningful experience that honored the program’s history while presenting it through a refined and contemporary lens.