Arianna Shekhani
Hi there, I’m Arianna (she/her)!
I am a senior pursuing a BFA in Communication Design with minors in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Art History at Washington University in St. Louis, in the Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts.
I’m fascinated by the intersection of research and design. A large part of my process involves diving into rabbit holes and uncovering insights and niches that inform the visual storytelling arc each project takes. I am interested in branding systems, research, typography, and art direction.
When I’m not working in an InDesign file, you can find me taking long walks in the park, obsessing over sunsets, and experimenting with nail art!
Resume
03 Eisinga Planetarium Rebranding
03 Eisinga Planetarium Rebranding
Duration: 4 weeks, SP 2025
Type: Branding + Identity
Software & Materials: InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop
Advisor: Becca Leffel-Koren
PROCESS
After conducting visual and contextual research of the Eisinga planetarium, I landed on three conceptual directions that I explored through pencil and digital sketches. Concept 1 drew from the complex parts that make up the planetarium. These iterations referenced the materials used to make the planetarium as well as the parts that compose it. Concept 2 revolved around the architectural components of the planetarium. These iterations were influenced by the architectural features oof the building (Eighteenth-century Dutch house architecture), canal house architecture, and the physical placement of the planetarium on the ceiling of the house. Concept 3 pulls from the astrological nature of the planetarium. I was influenced by things like zodiacs, moon phases, typography used in the planetarium itself, and the astrological panic that occurred at the time. Later, I applied these three directions to business cards, before landing on my final concept after many rounds of peer and faculty feedback. Then, this system was applied to my final business card and poster as well as the wordmark.
DESCRIPTION
For this project, I was tasked with selecting a UNESCO world heritage site, and make it new with a refreshed typographic mark—I chose the Eisinga Planetarium in Franeker, Netherlands. I considered tone, personality for the wordmark, giving it a contemporary voice while staying true to its context, position, and lineage. To explore these variables, I produced three deliverables: a wordmark, business card, and poster that demonstrates the expanded branding system based on the behavior of the typography in the wordmark.
THE FINAL
My wordmark highlights the orbital nature of space and planetariums. I drew inspiration from the pendulum-like motion of the Eisinga planetarium, while also emphasizing the complex parts that make it whole. The placement of the counters of the letters further emphasize the orbital nature. The business card draws on converging, orbital elements as seen in the planetarium itself. Also, the tracked-out letters evokes a sense of zero gravity and space. Lastly, emphasis is placed on the counter of the letters acting as elements in orbit, as seen in the close-up of the "e." For the poster, I expanded on the system I with the wordmark, advertising a solar eclipse viewing event.