Designer Stefanie Posavec and Chair Jason Forrest reveal how they built a clear, human-centered brand for SVA’s new MPS DV&C program
The new MPS Data Visualization and Communication program at SVA needed a brand that cut through complexity and prioritize human connection. We brought in designer Stefanie Posavec for her widely regarded ability to blend data and design engage and inspire. Program Chair Jason Forrest spoke with her about the design process.
Early ideas
"I just started with the abbreviation DV&C because it has this really lovely set of letter forms and a very nice ampersand as a starting point," Posavec explained. From there, she explored how to communicate the program's difference from other visualization graduate programs—trying options where letterforms broke out of boundaries and grids, showing "how the creativity and humanity of us as people is a really important part of the course and how it's kind of breaking the bounds of rigid data structures". She tested handmade letterforms and stretched typography to capture "this merging of data plus messy and imperfect and really glorious humanity together in one nice package".
Early examples (round 3?) of the DV&C logo by Stefanie Posavec
The punk pivot
"When I created the initial mood board, I was coming at it from more of a mid-century take and then about like a day or two, we took this kind of sharp pivot towards more of a punk ethos," Forrest recalled. For Posavec, the shift "actually felt right" because it aligned with the program's ethos: "It's about immediacy and showing the hand and the humanity in the communications that are put out into the world, you know, like really putting people at the heart of it".
Early mood board by program chair Jason Forrest showing a combination of mid-century design + 80s punk flyers
Iterative process
The design evolved through multiple rounds where Posavec refined weights, spacing, and visual expression to balance clarity with personality. "I was really trying to push forward messy, wonderful, exuberant humanity," she said, ensuring the system could communicate both rigor and warmth across applications from social posts to course materials. Forrest noted in hindsight, "There really was a clear winner from the beginning," reflecting how the iterative process clarified the strongest direction.
Giving data a voice
The breakthrough came with the speech bubble concept. "I was thinking about, well, what is the role of us as data designers?" Posavec explained. "You have data and you're taking that data and you're giving it a voice. You're unlocking it... So, it's not locked in a database, it's not locked in a spreadsheet, but with your creativity and your ability to understand the people around you to take that data and transform it into something that's meaningful and resonant". Forrest remarked, "I don't think I ever really indexed on the phrase 'data being given a voice,' but you have it clearly from the earliest days".
The final DV&C logo by Stefanie Posavec!
A legacy reflected
When asked how the project reflects her legacy, Posavec shared: "In a lot of the projects that I do, it's really about amplifying stories within data and people and communities that might be overlooked. I think it's just that I see people at the heart of a lot of the projects that I do with data... It's not just about taking data and transforming it into something beautiful, but it's about using data as a way of understanding our world, understanding the people around us, connecting with people".
Reflecting on their collaboration, Forrest explained: "I don't think that this program could have ever existed had it not been for your work and what you've been doing over the last number of years. But it's interesting now, in retrospect, how it feels like predestined to be this way... It's just interesting to think about how intertwined my professional development has been really with your professional output".