art without a license

Robin Strelow, a local Colorado designer, worked as a volunteer for CASA, a non-profit organization that trains volunteers to act as child advocates in court custody cases involving abuse and neglect.
Defining the problem:
During her volunteer work she came across CASA’s brochure and noticed it was out of date. It had several different font types and featured only pictures of Caucasian children. Since the county's demographic had shifted in the last decade the overall image of the brochure had to as well. It didn’t meet the organization’s needs for recruitment and funding. The brochure is handed out during a yearly gala to attract new volunteers and gather donations, both corporate and individual. CASA was running out of the old brochures, which created the opportunity for a reassessment.
Aware a new look was needed, Robin was approached to do the redesign. There were no funds available for this project.
Design Strategy:
Robin worked with a marketing business volunteer who help develop new contemporary copy. The aesthetic had changed in the decades since the last brochure was update, from information overload to information distinction based on your organization’s target audience. This was the first time the brochure would be “designed.”
Goals of the brochure:
1. Attract more volunteers
2. Attract more funding
3. Inform public about the work of CASA
4. Create a value statement.
Approach:
1. Integrate diversity into the images.
2. Tighten the body copy to purge unnecessary text.
a. This required a reassessment of the organizations mission and goals.
3. Utilize existing assets such as the website to provide essential information.
4. Inspire confidence in the advocacy process by updating the imagery.
5. Set up a meeting between copywriter, executive, and designer to build a cohesive vision.
Innovating:
Inspiration
Working as a volunteer helped Robin to understand the goals and needs of CASA as well as the value it had within the community. There were many sad stories entering the court system daily. Much of the design came intuitively and as a result of defining the current needs of CASA.
Tough Choices:
With no budget for artwork or photography the Internet was a great resource for free imagery. The new brochure had a sense of competency and seriousness to it. It used white space and new imagery to lighten the message and give the reader room to breathe while conveying a sense of grace to CASA’s mission.
Funny enough there was an issue with one of the photos on the final brochure. It was a picture of a young girl twirling, her arms spread wide. The director felt the girl looked “scary” like she was being crucified. The photo was replaced. There was also some push and pull with the amount of text. This was resolved by using the organization’s assets such as the website, for more detailed information allowing the brochure to gain more white space.
Generating Value:
The design didn’t require a sell because it was a collaborative process integrated throughout the design process. Value was established by the choice of photos and words and their treatment. The new design provided room for the audience to digest and contemplate the issues presented. The professional look established legitimacy as it adopted the current aesthetic common to modern corporations and businesses. In order to be considered, CASA needed to speak the same culturally appropriate visual language as their audience. The new brochure invited comment not because of its lack of adherence to modern design principles but because it seamlessly fits into the modern aesthetic as well as created an indescribable ahh-ness best described by the Japanese expression, “mono no aware.”








Note:
I thoroughly enjoyed interviewing Robin. She gave me an extensive indepth picture of what the design world has been like for her. I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to talk to her. The work she has done has been varied and interesting reflecting the passion she has for design.
"Passion in life feels itself"
Thank You.
Sincerely,
Claudia