For NYU’s first venture into native mobile app development, we collaborated with ModoLabs, using their framework and user-interface components. My role on the project was to imagine a new user-experience design utilizing our growing set of web services: emergency alert system, campus map, student shuttle service, news, and events. Along with the UX research, I explored new visual design avenues that afforded us the capacity to share assets between other university services. The shared asset strategy ensures a visual connection between the web and mobile designs.
Typography is an essential part of the New York University visual system. When used consistently, it unifies messaging and creates familiarity. Gotham Sans by the Hoefler&Co type foundry is our institutional typeface. Combined, the six fonts in the family make a balanced look and feel for all of our messaging and communication.
Many facets of the web service were still underdeveloped at launch, as the engineering team regularly iterated to improve the missing features. We continue to learn and improve upon the initial version and adjust the designs when necessary to accommodate the service changes. The shared asset strategy was a success with our editorial team’s help, who modified their headline writing to fit within mobile devices’ new constraints.