Common Orbit

Project Description:
Common Orbit is an original brand and service design concept developed as a capstone project, addressing a gap between two groups experiencing parallel transitions: students navigating uncertainty about their futures, and retirees facing a loss of purpose after leaving the workforce. The concept was validated through interviews with MSU peers, residents at The Springs retirement community, and program directors from Big Brothers Big Sisters and the Befrienders program. The resulting brand spans visual identity, environmental design, print collateral, social media, and a full service touchpoint system, designed to feel welcoming to both audiences simultaneously.

Project Concept:
The name emerged from the idea of a shared sphere of influence, orbit" felt more dynamic than "circle," capturing two people actively pulling each other forward rather than simply overlapping. The visual identity uses a space-inspired color system where warm tones represent students, cool tones represent retirees, and pink serves as the shared middle ground where their worlds meet. A custom connection line was developed to symbolize the moment two people enter each other's orbit, threading consistently through social content, print materials, and environmental graphics as a quiet but meaningful brand marker. The gradient mesh system extends across all touchpoints, from welcome packets and rack cards to staff name badges, merchandise, and the Common Space itself, a dedicated physical environment designed so neither participant ever has to worry about where to meet or feeling out of place. The social media system tells paired stories from both perspectives, giving equal voice to mentor and mentee.