NECO 50th Anniversary Celebration

The grandeur and historical architectural details of the New England College of Optometry’s (NECO) Boston Back Bay brownstone were a major consideration in the branding and design elements for their 50 Year Celebration of partnerships with local Community Health Centers. As the partnerships began in the 70’s, the designs were inspired by a mid-century modern aesthetic, with bold streamlined forms, blended with unexpected nods to historic details.

The geometric form of the “50” branding was inspired by the reoccurring theme of circles— the school’s grand spiral staircase, the rotunda and chandelier, school seal, and phoropter machine— and represents holistic care, while the staggered overlap highlights the interconnectedness.

Environmental graphics were sprinkled throughout the event space, including a Welcome Banner that was hung from the central spiral staircase, to a Step & Repeat backdrop for photos. As guests mingled, they could also interact with the life-size triangular “pillars” with statistics and photos of each Community Health Centers.

NECO’s Annual Report, that was published following the event, highlighted a recap of and photos from the 50 Year Celebration. The design of the report builds on the previously created geometric graphic elements, but re-imagines them in a new and fresh way.