Case Study
DREAMS+DUCATS
the summary
Reshaping the future of education and youth empowerment
The Problem
Massing momentum as a driving force in San Diego’s non-profit sector, DREAMS+DUCATS found itself conflicted and constrained by an existing brand that no longer represented the full extent of its value or vision. Moving rapidly into a new landscape of opportunity and its next phase of growth, I joined the DREAMS+DUCATS team to reposition the brand for a more expansive future.
The Challenge
How might we honor purpose, culture, and community to mindfully evolve the DREAMS+DUCATS brand for a new echelon of peers, partners, and potential?
The Solution
Harnessing the inherent power of a broken system to unlock a new premise for partnership, we crafted a global strategy that redefined organizational focus, enriched brand experience, and set the foundation to fundamentally shift San Diego education toward a new cultural context.
Category
Education, Non-Profit, Community
Things We Did
Brand strategy + positioning
Value proposition design
Communication guidelines
Copywriting + messaging
Visual identity system
Website design + development
People Who Helped
Erwin Hines | Creative direction + design
Erik Sena | Copywriting
Ruben Hernandez | Associate Designer
the results
Impacts
Press
the details
Building Context
Paving paths to youth empowerment inside and outside of the classroom, DREAMS+DUCATS experienced accelerated growth and acclaim that inspired its team to elevate and expand its vision. Amidst refining and designing solutions to address bigger challenges and deliver greater value, D+D faced ongoing confusion from new and existing partners who still viewed the organization through a limited lens. With interest mounting and competition intensifying for funding and resources, DREAMS+DUCATS needed to tell a clear, connected story through a compelling, higher-caliber brand.
From the origins of formalized education through current and future landscapes, we explored learning as a broader concept across different regions and eras to better understand its roles and forms. We found that a gradual shift from practical wisdom toward performative standards was, over time, making learning increasingly less relevant to everyday realities. What had been founded as a vehicle for proliferating culture and community was now deficient in both, leaving students, educators, and vital community partners struggling to navigate a stagnant scholastic system.
Driving Change
Recognizing the dormant potential hidden deep beneath layers of disarray, we reprised the system’s roots to recenter DREAMS+DUCATS on the promise of evolving education alongside the ever-developing demands of people and society. Redefined as a bespoke non-profit consultancy, we elevated the organization as a premium partner and unlocked a wider ecosystem of opportunity across education, arts and culture, and community development in the city of San Diego. With our global strategy set, we developed an entirely new identity system and collaborated with the D+D team to activate their new brand platform throughout key physical and digital experiences.
