The Last of Us™ Part II & Remastered | Naughty Dog™ / Sony Interactive Entertainment | 2020 & 2024
Living up to the Expectation… no pressure
The development of The Last of Us™ Part II brought substantial pressure to meet the high storytelling and gaming standards set by Naughty Dog. In navigating the sequel's creation in the late 2010s, we recognized the necessity to evolve the brand identity to match the protagonist's maturation and the more mature storyline. After seven years away from the public eye, it was time to leap forward and establish a new visual identity benchmark.
PS5 Remaster 2024 - Cover and Marque Image
PS4 2020 - Cover and Marque Image
As the overseer of marque imagery design, our goal for the PS4 cover was to capture Ellie's emotional journey without revealing the plot, ensuring players experienced the narrative firsthand.
For the 2024 Remaster, the main artwork was tactically crafted to mirror the Part I remake cover, completing the narrative cycle. This deliberate design choice aimed to bridge the gap of the 7-year hiatus between the stories, allowing both new and returning players to feel the cohesion in the characters' journeys.
Marketing Material
Acting Creative Director and Lead Designer for Naughty Dog’s Marcom Team, collaborating closely with stakeholders and Sony Interactive Entertainment's (SIE) marketing, legal, and partnership teams to create marketing materials for global use.
PS4 | PS4 Pro | PS5 Patch | PS5
In the design of Global Marketing materials, I handled a spectrum of assets and projects, spanning across 6 Game Editions and diverse product offerings. This encompassed magazine cover designs, dynamic themes for PS4, branding for trailers, global Out-Of-Home designs, and the development of multiple marque key arts, including the iconic Duality Night and Day Key Art.
A significant challenge in designing for the sequel was preserving an authentic player experience, which involved embargoing half of the game—specifically, the story of the other protagonist, Abby.
Following the game's June 2020 release, our post-marketing strategy underwent a drastic shift, placing a spotlight on Abby's narrative. Our imagery embraced a more predominant red hue to align with the in-game color story, portraying Abby on equal footing with Ellie. This marked a deliberate shift towards presenting both protagonists equally in all future designs and marketing materials.
Art Directors: Neil Druckmann / John Sweeney Creative Director/Graphic Designer: Joshua Bradley Trailer Editor: Sam Prince 3D Artist: Robby Johnson Artist: Alice Zhang
Partnerships and Product Development
As the lead creative and point of contact for the franchise, I oversee the entire spectrum of brand partnerships and product development.
My role involves collaborating with entities like Mondo for exclusive custom vinyl and posters, and Dark Horse Direct for unique collectible statues. I lead the creative direction by aligning artist selection, treatment, styling, and strategic planning, ensuring vendors have optimal opportunities with the franchise. This journey culminated in co-writing and publishing The Official The Art of The Last of Us Part II with Dark Horse Publishing, offering insights into the brand and game development through the stunning work of concept artists.
Vinyl Artists: Tula Lotay/Dani Pedergast Vinyl Vendor: Mondo Guitar Partnership: Taylor Guitars Statue Vendor: Dark Horse Direct Book Vendor: Dark Horse Publishing
PlayStation 4 Pro Full Suite Line Up
As one of the final titles on the PS4 before transitioning to PS5, we curated a complete set of peripherals and a custom console for the PlayStation suite. Centered around Ellie’s tattoo design, we applied sophisticated treatments to unify the elements. The design incorporated embossing the fern onto the headset's leather and a molded face plate instead of printing. Paired with the Seattle Forest packaging design, this collection became one of the most extensive offerings by PS4 and sold out within 24 hours.
Given the Remaster's arrival just four years after the initial release, our primary design objective was to elevate it to match the design philosophy of Part I's remake. We aimed for a painterly aesthetic juxtaposed with super clean lines and frosted glass, balancing a sense of limited resources with a premium look and feel.
As the Creative Director responsible for establishing brand pillars, I oversaw two graphic designers tasked with creating material for the PS5 version. This spanned from social media support to packaging design and product development for SKUs. Ensuring alignment with the brand pillars and remake treatment was paramount in the output generated by the design team.
When it came to the special editions of the game, I crafted a SKU designed to complement the original game offering in 2020, appealing to ultimate game collectors. This SKU comprised a Steelbook Case, a patch featuring the W.L.F. Factions from Abby’s Jacket, enamel pins of beloved iconography, and, for the first time, collectible Trading Cards from the game. Additionally, we introduced 8 Limited Edition Holographic versions inspired by 90’s trading cards. This special edition sold out within the day of its pre-order announcement.
