united way GTA
Local Leaders List – Brand Redesign
ABOUT LOCAL LEADERS LIST
The Local Leaders List is United Way’s buzz-worthy corporate recognition program, anchored by an annual “Top 100” type of list featuring corporate partners who are leading local change in GTA communities. It is acting as an umbrella for all corporate recognition opportunities such as a celebration event, print and digital ads, email journey, dedicated landing page, freestanding insert in Globe and Mail, and an extensive social media strategy to highlight who made the Local Leaders List. The senior copywriter and I presented the brand story and its personality in front of stakeholders.
MY ROLE
• User/Audience Research and Creative Strategy
• Visual Identity and Brand-Guidelines
• Sketches – Event, Web. Globe&Mail Insert
• Moodboard – Event, Web, Globe&Mail Insert
• Wireframes – Landing Page
• Visual Design – Landing Page, Social Media
• Marketing Campaign
TIMELINE & TOOLS
• 16 weeks (December 2018 – April 2019)
• Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Sketch
CHALLENGE
Create a cohesive program for corporate recognition to show appreciation to strategic and major organizations, drive awareness and relevance, and ultimately enhance donor relationships.
Build brand trust by designing a unique and efficient trust-mark/logo (plus the corresponding tier levels) and a brand identity that stands out, and enhance digital content marketing strategy.
DESIGN PROCESS
VISUAL IDENTITY
I provided the choice of style direction, colour palette, typography, testing in different sizes and environments, and creating an internal and external style guide. I presented the visual identity to stakeholders, and once I had their approval, I designed the moodboard for the recognition event, the experiential marketing, the digital brand campaign, and the Globe and Mail insert.
DEDICATED LANDING PAGE
Following the kick-off meeting, I articulated UX recommendations in the presentation decks for stakeholders and product owners. Next, I presented the design rationale and lo-fi wireframes, and once I had the final approval I designed the mockups. Working closely with the dev team, I designed a mobile-first landing page on the UWGT website featuring a fully searchable list.
BRAND GUIDELINES
I created the brand style guide, a rulebook containing specifications on everything that plays a role in the look and feel of Local Leaders List – everything from typography and colour to tier levels and imagery. It lets everyone know exactly how to present the Local Leaders List to the world. It guides the design for all the content, from social media campaigns and presentations to event collaterals and ads.
MARKETING AND EVENT CAMPAIGN
As the Design Manager, I used an embedded team structure (cross-functional teams) to work for the same purpose (designing all the event collaterals) applying Agile Methodology. This approach improved discussions about constraints and requirements, speeding up the design process. The moodboard and style-tiles that I designed were used in order to achieve a cohesive look and feel of all the visuals, including experiential marketing creative.
GLOBE AND MAIL INSERT
The senior writer and I planned to produce a 12-page, magazine-style free-standing insert in the Globe & Mail with varying-length, digital-friendly recognition profiles with dynamic illustrations and photography, that features the Platinum level partners.
I created a visual concept for all the components, including the cover, the features, and profiles, presented it to the stakeholders, and incorporated their feedback for the final version.
