SELFDESIGN

BRANDING | WEBSITE DESIGN

SelfDesign Learning Foundation is the second largest distributed K-12 learning institution in BC. A revised brand identity, communication strategy and public facing website improved the organization’s visibility and outreach. SelfDesign is playing a leading role in the evolution of education in BC Canada, promoting methodologies for passion-based learning and life-long engagement.

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Role

Creative Direction.

Creative Direction, Branding, Communication strategy, Narrative and story development, Site architecture and design.

Why

Funded by the BC Ministry of Education, SelfDesign is the second largest distributed-learning school in BC. Its unique learner-centric approach has been a pioneering new model for K-12 education. The organization’s branding and communications had grown organically over time, and required re-thinking to better meet a growing demand for alternative public education. There was a disconnect between the program offerings and the demonstrated demand. We needed to help the organization better present their philosophy and innovative programs, and to help parents and families better understand their options, supporting them in making informed choices for their child’s education.

How

I put together a team and we developed a communication/design strategy, articulated a project development plan and workflow, and began sharing best practices with SelfDesign. We conducted a thorough analysis of the existing communications and identity, and made core recommendations for shaping a new values-based, user-centric communication culture. We leveraged this paradigm shift to create a clean, outward-looking brand identity and website as well as a clear customer-focused communication strategy, that the organization would be able to build upon.

Result

This was the first project the organization had undertaken that was completed on time and on budget. The resulting work was highly regarded by the board, was welcomed by the administration and was readily adopted by this community-based organization. The project helped galvanize the organization around their external communications. The new brand and website received standing ovations when presented at the annual convention, and they continue to help align and strengthen unity.
SelfDesign Project Summary. An overview of the design process for the Communication, Branding, Identity and Site Design project. (PDF)
Design Review. Outcomes and recommendations from a comprehensive review of SelfDesign's previous communications and identity. (PDF)
A New Identity for SelfDesign. Presentation outlining the rationale and proposal for a new identity. (PDF)
A New website for SelfDesign. Presentation outlining the design parameters for a new consolidated public facing website. (PDF)
Site Mockup. A flat site mockup to test and validate the design direction. (PDF)
The Brand Guide. Guidelines to support the integration of the brand and identity into the organization. (PDF)

OMBU

SOFTWARE DESIGN

Ombu is a cloud-based application for the rapid authoring and sharing of rich-media web experiences. Evolved from field work in building content-driven interactive presentations with clients, Ombu provided a platform and collaborative framework for the creation of compelling interactive stories directly in real-time.

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Role

Project Concept, Creative Director.

Project Ideation, Creative Direction, Team Development and management, Architecture, UX/UI Design.

Why

During the creation of the Walt Disney Concert Hall project, the project team developed a highly adaptive workflow and a series of software workarounds to help validate and develop the WDCH story directly with the client. This allowed us to iterate in real time as we worked with the content and client's expertise. The combination helped us maximize the value of limited face time, and the process proved to be highly successful with the project stakeholders. It revealed to us an opportunity for developing our workarounds into a more robust, formal application framework.

How

Leveraging the experience, we conceived and bootstrapped an application for authoring and distributing rich-media presentations from the cloud within a web browser, creating a collaborative framework for teams to author rich media presentations. A significant feature of the application was embedding a highly customizable and intuitive navigation layer directly within the presentation content itself, allowing end users to experience both the content and navigation together. This seamless detail-in-context approach allowed users to stay oriented, and freed them to engage with and explore the content more deeply.

Result

OMBU has been well received critically, with clients demonstrating its additional value for creating and distributing courseware and online training.
Application Screenshot. Presentation mode.
Application screenshot. Navigation Layer.
Application screenshot. Presentation mode.
Application screenshot. Author mode.

THOUGHTSHARE

SOFTWARE DESIGN

ThoughtShare Communications. Founding member and Director of Design of a software development company that went public with 10M in financing. ThoughtShare produced a series of software products for the knowledge management industry, based on the collaborative use and sharing of user-enriched web content.

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Role

Director of Design.

Software Ideation, Creative Direction, Design Management, Team Development, Information Architecture, UX/UI, Branding, Web Design.

Why

The web was expanding exponentially, yet collaborative use of the growing shared knowledge base was limited. We set out to create a new framework for web-based collaboration, and identified a set of forward-thinking applications targeting the early-stage knowledge management sector.

How

With the participation of researchers at Simon Fraser University, we analyzed cognitive behavior and content aggregation and management in early web use. With our findings, we were able to develop a sophisticated suite of products that addressed collaborative knowledge sharing of web-based content. Adhering to human-centered design principles, the design team was responsible for the UX/UI, collaborated closely with the CTO and IT team to extend the IP into the conception of supporting server-side software, and played a pivotal role in the culture of the organization, including the design of company’s brand and physical workspace.

Result

As a founding member of a tech start-up, we grew the company from a small five-person team to a publicly funded company with 90+ staff. The design team was responsible for generating key software innovation, human-centric application front-end, corporate brand, corporate website and driving innovation through a creative collaborative culture.