Project Overview
Uni Exchange is a marketplace app designed exclusively for university students, providing a safer, easier, and more social platform to buy, sell, and trade. To refresh their app and website with a more youthful and personal identity, they hired the SDSU Design Studio for a complete rebrand.
Brand Identity | UI UX | SDSU Design Studio | Completed 2025
Logo Design Process
After reviewing competitors, I noticed most rely on minimalist branding, typically using plain wordmarks or simple icons. While I wanted the Uni Exchange logo to align with those expectations, I felt that something overly minimal could feel too sterile and miss the youthful, fun tone students are drawn to.
Final Logo
The final logo features an abstract, interlocking “u” and “n” that symbolize connection and exchange. Its rounded form feels youthful and approachable, aligning with a student audience, while the clean, geometric design works well for app icons and mobile use. The blue color evokes trust and reliability, and was chosen based on user feedback favoring blue tones.
App Branding
The onboarding screens showcase the central features of the brand: a vibrant, diverse color palette, and quirky patterns derived from the logo. The theme of connectedness carries through into the patterns with overlapping and intertwined shapes that share their geometry with the main logo. The wide range of colors used throughout the brand reflects the diverse range of products available on uni exchange.
Function Screens
The function screens retain the essential elements of the brand, but in a simpler form that prioritizes clarity and functionality. Core visual cues such as color, typography, and layout are maintained to ensure consistency across the user experience. However, these elements are applied with restraint to keep the interface clean, intuitive, and focused on usability. Each page uses a reduced version of the full color palette to ensure the user isn’t overwhelmed by the wide spectrum of colors.
Responsive Web Design
The website showcases both the functionality and core value proposition of the app, serving as a compelling entry point for new users. Messaging and imagery are carefully crafted to highlight realistic, relatable use cases that differentiate uni exchange from competitors. Branded graphics are applied with responsiveness in mind, ensuring the experience remains visually consistent and engaging across all screen sizes.
