Positioning an Established Organization for Their Next Big Expansion

We liked the feel of the existing logo right away. However, legibility at small sizes was an issue, both for the dancer icon and the font. We made subtle changes to the icon and changed the font to improve legibility and create a more modern, techy, fun, and active alignment with the energy of the brand. We also used a gradient in the icon to deepen the relationship to the updated color palette and treatment.

The design system presents the overall positivity of the organization. The color palette was developed to jump off the screen without hurting the eyes of parents. The STEM From Dance team also embraced a bold combination of dark and light backgrounds that have a younger vibe to them than a standard site.

A major component of the color palette is the use of gradients. While the brand has a specific gradient, programs such as Girls Rise Up have their own gradient to connect them to the main brand while feeling unique. An animated background gradient provides subtle movement throughout the site — a nod to movement found in dance and the larger movement to inspire girls to enter STEM careers.

Typography is an important part of the design system, striking the balance between professional and playful while being legible at every size on the site.

Gradients, typography, and animation come together in some areas of the site to create an enhanced interactive experience that intentionally causes site visitors to pause. Subtle and obvious textures are also used to create a 3D perspective to select sections.

The STEM From Dance brand exists as much in the real world as it does online. That meant creating some fun brand extensions, from t-shirts to business cards and even printable letterhead.

The collateral for the STEM From Dance parent brand is more expected and traditional, including items like t-shirts, business cards, and letterhead, while the Girls Rise Up program is so central to the organization that it has its own swag.

The brand elements are complex. Because STEM From Dance is a growing organization, we provided a detailed brand style guide to give current and future creators a toolbox of brand elements to build with. The guide is a How To for the design system that includes instructions for creating and using the gradient text effects, animated backgrounds, and other bespoke elements.

We wrapped up the handoff with a Figma training session — the software that we used to design all of the elements.

The iconography on the site is simple and abstract rather than literal. We wanted them to express general ideas such as Discover, Activate, Connect, and Immersion. This part of the design system allows for a lot of flexibility in how the icons are used and creates a library of icons that can be repurposed as needed.

While we primarily produced digital platforms and assets for SFD, there was a clear need for print pieces as well. It’s always fun for us to create both print and digital components for a long-term growth campaign. In this instance, we designed items for both the primary brand as well as the Girls Rise Up program. One example of this is a STEM From Dance leave-behind 1-pager that includes most of the messaging in one place. This allows for things like flyers to be placed at schools so students can take them home to discuss a STEM From Dance program with their parents.

For Girls Rise Up we created:

STEM From Dance’s brand narrative runs deep. Built on strong values, we used design and succinct copy to illustrate their principles.

We developed the voice and tone of the site by defining the messaging that answered one of the organizations’ most asked questions, “Why STEM & dance?” This core messaging created the foundation upon which all other messaging was built.

As part of our target audience communications strategies, we developed individual pages for each audience. Each page helps site visitors more quickly get to the content they want and get involved with the organization in ways that make the most sense for them.

We chose to be aspirational with messaging by identifying the challenges that STEM From Dance was created to address and clearly explaining to site visitors how their approach addresses these challenges and produces results.

While the copywriting for the site is as succinct as possible, we made conscious decisions about where to place more substantial copy that communicates more in-depth information. Though still not long form, the content structures we used create small content blocks that entice readers to keep moving through these more significant content sections of the site.

When we approached creating a mission statement we felt it was important to put it in context. In doing so we realized that more important than a mission or vision was the overall purpose of the organization. That’s how we found our way to a meaningful mission statement.

In building out the site, we integrated with the Givebutter nonprofit fundraising platform and with Mailchimp for forms. Our development team built the site to deliver the interactive elements of the site (such as filling out forms) as simply as possible while delivering the results to the SFD team in data collection platforms of their choice.

In building out the site, we integrated with the Givebutter nonprofit fundraising platform and with Mailchimp for forms. Our development team built the site to deliver the interactive elements of the site (such as filling out forms) as simply as possible while delivering the results to the SFD team in data collection platforms of their choice.

Interactions such as FAQs are built to minimize how much space they take up on the page while delivering the maximum amount of information. This leads to succinct pages that allow site visitors to easily get the information of most interest to them.

In addition to the interactions that help people get to relevant content, the information architecture uses the ideas of target audience pathways and programs to help people visit the pages on the site they’re most interested in. This allows the site to be as effective as possible for different audiences.

The core services that STEM From Dance offers are their programs. We created a two-fold content strategy for highlighting them. Site visitors can click on the Programs button in the main navigation and get to an overview page that provides overviews of all of the programs. If a visitor already knows what program they’re interested in, hovering over the navigation produces a standard drop down menu that allows them to go straight to a specific program.

Our contribution to STEM From Dance’s fundraising strategy was to provide potential funders with both passive and active information. The Our Approach, Our Story, and Our Team pages provide potential funders with a place to do their own exploration. We also designed components for pitch decks to be used in both virtual and in-person funding discussions.

Email is the primary form of communication between STEM From Dance, the students they serve, and the students’ parents. Because these audiences are different, we created individual email templates to make the messages feel branded and audience specific.

Nonprofits need to market to people where they are. We created a variety of social media assets that give the SFD team a foundation for running branded social media campaigns. In addition to general templates, we created assets for Girls Rise Up, their most popular program.

As part of the new website launch strategy we focused on their recent 10-year anniversary, creating a rollout campaign that looks forward to the next decade of progress. This approach couches the website and visual identity update as one component in their larger vision for the future.