College of Engineering
As a top-15 engineering school, Sarah’s graphic design work for the UW-Madison College of Engineering included print and digital pieces that enhanced overall brand reputation while displaying the college’s excellence in research and education.
Branding Initiative
The 2019 marketing plan for the College of Engineering focused heavily on reputation marketing. An integral piece in the planned advocate’s program was a brand standards guide for communicators to use when creating messaging and marketing materials. A four-person marketing committee worked diligently to formalize the college’s brand foundations, brand pillars, and supporting key messages which Sarah then designed into a brand pocket guide.
She expanded on those initial ideas by developing a brand standards guide which offers details about audience messaging, logo usage, color palettes, typography, photography and more. The team also created a web page for colleagues to easily download assets and engage with the marketing and communications teams. Additionally, Sarah led “The Role of the Brand” workshops for key communicators.
Print Publications
With eight academic departments, hundreds of faculty and staff, and nine additional external audiences, it is imperative that communication pieces are designed thoughtfully and cohesively, with key messages in mind. Sarah was responsible for designing the annual 36-page “Perspective” magazine for the college which showcases the thought leadership and research advancements of the faculty, students, and alumni. Additionally, working closely with a science writer on the team and a communication specialist from each department, she created print newsletters bi-annually on the departments’ behalf which were mailed to engineering peers and alumni.
Event Marketing
Sarah’s role supported many advancement-focused events. For over 72 years, the College of Engineering has celebrated its distinguished alumni award recipients at a reception and banquet. For the 2019 event, the team decided to re-message Engineers’ Day into an overarching Homecoming weekend with the intention of appealing to a broader audience. Along with being involved in the strategic planning sessions, Sarah designed the event awareness postcard, award certificates, emails, way-finding signage, and a dinner booklet. Additionally, she was tasked with photographing the tailgate event. Go Bucky!