AF25 Brand Identity & Campaign
Client / Employer
Achievement First
Project Status
Launched
Role
Lead & sole in-house designer
Year
2025
Deliverables
Brand identity and guidelines, campaign toolkit, regional block parties, AF25 Summit event design, social media assets, video creative direction, deck templates, swag, and supporting collateral
Overview
The first campaign of its kind at Achievement First, a full year celebrating the organization’s 25th anniversary through brand identity, a design toolkit, regional block parties, the multi-day AF25 Summit, a campaign video, and a social rollout. As lead and sole in-house designer, owned every part of it, including brand creation, the graphic and pattern system, creative direction of external vendors, and event and swag production across 3 regions.
The Challenge
A campaign this size needed an identity flexible enough for non-designers across the network that still held a high standard at every touchpoint. Planning sessions with leadership, communications, and regional teams defined the audiences. All of it ran under constant timeline pressure, last-minute requests, and complex logistics across multiple budgets and 3 regions.
Key Design Decisions
Design system first. Developed the full AF25 identity before producing a single asset, rather than designing reactively as requests came in. With hundreds of staff executing across 3 regions, cohesion had to be built into the system instead of managed through rounds of feedback.
Toolkit for non-designers. Built a practical self-serve toolkit instead of a traditional brand guidelines document. Guidelines would have been accurate but hard to use, so the toolkit centered on what staff actually needed to do, like posting on social, running a regional event, or sending an email.
Vendor creative direction. Directed the event planning vendor on design standards and reworked deliverables that fell short. Provided graphic assets, feedback, and quality control to the campaign video vendor to keep the video aligned with the AF25 identity.
Outcome
Delivered 20+ touchpoints over a full year, including brand identity, the toolkit, regional block parties, the AF25 Summit across 4 concurrent events, social media, print, video, and swag.
Designed the AF25 Summit experience for 584 attendees, 68 speakers, and 84 sessions, with stage design supporting keynote speakers including Misty Copeland, Geoffrey Canada, Jeff Duncan-Andrade, and AF co-founders Dacia Toll and Doug McCurry.
Distributed the AF25 toolkit to hundreds of staff across NY, CT, and RI, with ongoing access through Homeroom.
Partnered with an external video vendor on a campaign video that carried the AF25 identity into a shareable digital format.
