Buttons

What started as a simple trinket has turned into a lasting legacy. In 2016, West Virginia University (WVU) was preparing to launch a new branding campaign, complete with a secondary tagline and wordmark. Given how popular and beloved the "flying WV" logo is, there was some concern about how the new marks would resonate with our audience. To address this, I proposed the idea of creating a "small series" of buttons to introduce the new marks and tagline, alongside a classic "campus color" button featuring an iconic campus building or symbol. This approach aimed to blend traditional WVU elements with modern updates.

The buttons were presented on WV-shaped cardboard cards, each showcasing a classic icon alongside a new mark. The initial collection quickly expanded—from 13 designs to 36, then to 58, and now there are over 129 buttons and counting. During my time working on this project, I produced over 50,000 buttons. Collectors from far and wide have reached out to share photos of their buttons in various settings.

Sometimes, a button is just a button, but other times, it becomes an icon that represents who we are and what we identify with. These carefully curated collections are personal and reflect the uniqueness of the individuals who collect them.