NOVA is the most-watched prime time science series on American television. From postcards and bookmarks to coaster-games and laptop stickers, I design eye-catching and informational pieces to promote their excellent work in the field of science education. NOVA’s many branches, like NOVALABS, NOVA Education, Making Stuff, and more, require me to honor the traditional brand, while also providing something fresh considerate to the content at hand. 

The coasters pictured here can be assembled into an “evolution tree”; a makeshift tabletop version of the online interactive resources NOVALABS provides. The coaster projects can be given away in packs at conferences and also used or played with at “Science Cafe” events, and they’re very popular (resulting in more than one bulk reorder of these designs). 

Creating designs for coasters requires technical thinking regarding the final product. Due to the porous material and the way the products are used, the ink sinks in, and fades quickly. So I create layouts that are clear, bright and legible, even with grainy printing.