• Internal interviews

• External interviews

• Competitive analysis

• Final report and discernments

Through the discovery process, we uncovered five key discernments.

Miami Dade College needs to be seen as a philanthropic destination for donors. How might we enable MDC to cut through the noise in this crowded philanthropic market to be a number one destination for giving in the Miami area?

Donor dollars go far at MDC. The success of one student affects both the generation before them and the generation after by introducing financial independence and stability. How could we educate donors about the true impact of each dollar they give?

We need to communicate the magnitude of impact on the Miami community. Since MDC is such an intrinsic part of the Miami community, we need to tell stories about how the college has impacted Miami and its workforce. How might we highlight all the ways a community member is tied to MDC, even though they might not be aware?

MDC alumni need to be reminded of their roots at MDC. Many graduates move on to a 4-year university and tend to think about their most recent school as their alma mater. How can we create a pattern of donating early and keep the relationship strong after they graduate?

No matter the president, it’s always about the students – and the community at large. At the time of discovery, MDC was in a period of transition with a presidential search, and potential donors could see this as a reason against giving. How can we develop messaging centered on the constant through the change: our students and the community we serve?

• Strategy and narrative workshop

• Naming

• Audience profiles

• Purpose statement

• Brand narrative

Igniting dreams for the next 60 years – and beyond.

Our 5-hour strategy and narrative workshop consisted of exercises around brand attributes, audience, and purpose. We also used some time to kick off the naming process with the client.

We left the workshop with four main audience types (alumni, South Florida community, current students, staff, and faculty), five brand attributes (sincere, trusted, dynamic, personal, and authentic), and over 30 purpose statements. We also created a list of desired feelings, nouns, verbs, and categories to think through when coming up with a name for the campaign.

Dream Bold was the chosen name. It’s confident, energetic, and promotes participation. It ties directly to our purpose – funding dreams, changing lives.

• Visual ID workshop

• Custom logotype

• Color palette

• Type hierarchy

• Graphic elements

• Brand mockups

With the complete brand narrative and strategy in our back pocket, we held a day-long visual identity workshop. Together with the client, we all brought visual inspiration that we felt matched the tone and goals of the campaign. We looked at overall brands, typography, color, and imagery.

By the end of the workshop, we have collectively built and agreed on the mood board for the brand and developed a list of questions the brand should answer.

How might we:

• Design a campaign identity that feels like a natural extension and an inevitable evolution of MDC’s brand?

• Create an iconic, distinctive look without relying on new symbols?

• Show what it looks like to be a Dreamstarter?

• Develop a bold system that will stand out loud and proud in Miami’s oversaturated landscape and everywhere else our story will be told?

We took this research back to the studio and dove into sketching. From there, a modular system of shapes emerged from the MDC logo.