Laker Legend Michael Cooper, ready to play!
“This sport is coming at you. Be ready.”
A visual identity designed to move — fast, bold, and unmistakably alive on campus.
A visual identity designed to move — fast, bold, and unmistakably alive on campus.
Cal State LA Pickleball Identity
A dynamic visual system that activates space, signals motion, and invites play.
At Cal State LA, I created a unified visual identity for the university’s new pickleball courts — a campus initiative designed to activate underutilized space and encourage engagement across students, staff, and the broader community. The system needed to inform, invite, and energize.
The design draws inspiration from the internal structure of the paddle itself — specifically, the polymer honeycomb core that enhances control and accuracy. This octagonal geometry became a recurring motif throughout the system, signaling both the sport’s technical side and its forward-thinking energy.
Typography is set in Manuka Black, chosen for its bold presence and clarity at scale. Combined with the university’s refreshed brand colors, the typographic system provides a strong foundation across print, digital, and environmental applications.
To capture the spirit of the game, motion was made visible. Pickleballs appear to burst through the Cal State LA logo, adding dimensionality and emphasizing speed, immediacy, and the physicality of play — a visual cue that this is a sport you can’t ignore. This sport is coming at you—be ready.
The identity was applied across a suite of assets, including signage, pole banners, printed and digital posters, illuminated indoor displays, custom paddles, apparel, and social content — forming a flexible yet cohesive system that invites the campus community to participate and connect.
Sidewalk direction decal sign
Pole Banners Left and Right