“NUWA”
Spring 2022
Project OverviewNuwa is a speculative worldbuilding and branding project that imagines a fictional yoga and meditation retreat set on Mars in 2122. Rather than approaching the concept purely through a cold, sci-fi lens, the identity balances advanced technology with softness, stillness, and ritual. Through extensive experimentation, I created a cohesive and immersive visual system spanning identity design, illustration, editorial layout, and early UI/UX systems to examine how branding can shape atmosphere and community in an off-world civilization.
Concept & Narrative
Named after the Chinese goddess credited with creating humanity, NUWA imagines a three-day wellness retreat attended by both Earth travelers and Martian residents. The concept serves as an exploration of how mindfulness, spirituality, and human connection might evolve and adapt within a multi-planetary society.
Research & Mood Boards
To ground the project, I studied NASA photography of the Martian surface alongside futuristic architectural concepts and the atmospheric paintings of artist Mars-1. Analyzing these environmental textures, atmospheric lighting conditions, and subtle shifts in color directly informed the project’s final visual language—translating dusty gradients and muted earth tones into a serene, speculative aesthetic.
Ultimately, I pursued a hybrid direction combining elements of Mood Boards 1 and 2. By pairing NASA-inspired environmental references with the surreal palettes and luminous highlights of Mars-1’s paintings and grounding them with organic, humanlike yoga figures. This approach introduced a dreamlike, emotional depth while maintaining a sense of calm futurism.
The exploration helped establish the overall tone of NUWA (atmospheric, meditative, and slightly surreal) ultimately shaping the final color palette, typography, textures, and broader visual system.
WordmarkTo create a more unified and fluid wordmark, I customized and extended the letterforms, reducing visual breaks and introducing a sense of continuous movement. The final result mirrors the slow, uninterrupted rhythm associated with meditation and breathwork.
Original Type - Gesmont
Wordmark
Wordmark with taglines
Applying Branding ElementsOnce the core form and typography were finalized, I shifted to experimenting with color and subtle texture applications inspired by the project's research phase. These tests were crucial for confirming the final palette and mapping out how the logo and broader identity system would flex across physical environments, print, and digital settings.
Final Branding Elements
Billboards
Designed as large-scale advertisements placed near transportation hubs across Earth and Mars, these billboards act as both promotional material and atmospheric worldbuilding pieces. Each composition was intended to communicate the retreat’s transformative and meditative experience while reinforcing the project’s futuristic setting.
Standard Billboard
Standard Billboard
I also wanted a secondary billboard that was more atmospheric and do without typography to focus purely on the calm environment of the event. To ground the surreal visuals in authentic human anatomy, I staged a photoshoot that utilized a Halloween superhero bodysuit to clearly map out lines of motion and posture during various yoga poses performed by my girlfriend. These reference photos were then stylized into clean vector illustrations. By pairing organic human forms with minimalist abstraction, this series deepens the calm and dreamlike essence of the NUWA brand.
Reference Images for the Atmospheric Billboard
Vector Drawings for the Atmospheric Billboard
Atmospheric Billboard
Cabin Mockup
Poster Series
The poster system expands the visual identity through layered typography, atmospheric imagery, and minimal compositions inspired by futuristic transit advertising and experimental editorial design. Each poster functions as both promotional material and narrative worldbuilding, contributing to the larger universe surrounding the retreat.
Poster Mockups
Event Schedule App
Operating under the assumption that mobile devices still exist in 2122, I designed a speculative scheduling app for attendees. The interface explores early UI/UX thinking through a minimal, calming experience intended to support navigation, scheduling, and event participation throughout the retreat.Under the impressiopn we are still using phones in the year 2122 I created this scheduling app.
Multi Pass
Inspired by the access cards featured in the video game Half-Life, these “Multi Passes” function as the attendee’s primary credential for entering events and accessing retreat spaces. The passes were designed to feel both utilitarian and collectible, extending the identity system into a tactile physical object.
A.I. Mockups
To further visualize the world of NUWA, I created a series of speculative mockups exploring how the identity might exist across physical environments, advertisements, wearable items, and immersive event experiences. These visuals helped bring additional scale and realism to the fictional brand ecosystem.
