Community Design Lab is a laboratory context of experimentation and discussion for students in the IMA Program. Students are given the opportunity to engage in a reciprocal partnership with a local community partner. Working in a team-driven environment with a local community partner, students propose, plan, and complete a real-world design project. The course includes reflection, design deliverables, and client presentations throughout the semester. Community Engaged Learning and Local Engagement designated.
During the Fall 2023 semester, Community Design Lab partnered with the Jana Marie Foundation to discuss their overall creative promotion strategy. We visited the location on-site documenting their business and identified future promotional goals and are continuing to work with them into the Spring 2024 semester.
During the Fall 2022 semester, Community Design Lab partnered with the Huntingdon Clifton 5 Cinema to identify their promotion and design strategy. Our goal was to identify their mission as a nonprofit and historical Huntingdon landmark. We visited the location on-site documenting their business and identified future promotional goals.
During the Fall 2021 semester, Community Design Lab partnered with the Huntingdon Dance Academy to identify their branding strategy. The IMA team’s goal was to identify their mission as a nonprofit and a competitive dance company in addition to improving the online presence for the Huntingdon Dance Academy. By creating consistent branding using new logos, videos, social media content, and website the team delivered materials that could be used for marketing and fundraising.
During the Spring 2021 semester, Community Design Lab partnered with Cookies for Caregivers, who’s mission is to spread kindness in the form of freshly baked cookies to lift the spirits of essential workers. The team’s goal as a class was to improve the online presence of Cookies for Caregivers by creating consistent branding using new logos, videos, social media content, and website.
After identifying the scope of the project with the community partner, the student teams organized an online meeting to introduce ideas and discussed the goals of the project with Cookies for Caregiver’s cofounders – Scott and Jeremy. The team then spent time assessing their current print materials, social media pages, and their web presence to further understand their current needs and their branding and marketing strategies.
The team created new logos and branding guidelines, a new website, content for social media posts, and print materials to be used as labels and greeting cards on all Cookies For Caregivers delivery boxes.
Throughout the Fall 2019 semester, Community Design Lab partnered with the Huntingdon County Humane Society who’s mission is to help homeless pets find their loving and forever homes, educate the public about the safety and welfare of animals, and promote responsible pet ownership by having pets spayed and neutered.
The team visited the Huntingdon County Humane Society on-site and discussed the goals of the project with members of the organization. The team spent time assessing their current print materials, social media pages, and their web presence to further understand their current branding and marketing strategies. They then began collaborating with members of the Huntingdon County Human Society to solidify a design style.
The design team created a new visual identity for Huntingdon County Humane Society. This new identity was inspired by the humane society’s goal of creating a welcoming, loving, and calm environment for their animals, as well as portraying a sense of community. The new visual identity included the creation of a new logo, color palette, a new website with sections for volunteers and donations, social media templates, illustrations, photos, merchandise, signage, and other print materials.
The Fall 2018 team partnered with Huntingdon House, Huntingdon House’s mission is to provide support to victims and survivors of domestic violence, while working toward the elimination of domestic violence through education and advocacy within the community.
After identifying the scope of the project with the community partner, the team visited the Huntingdon House offices and met with members of the nonprofit organization to evaluate their current assets, challenges, and opportunities. During this visit the team collected print materials and captured photos of the space to use during the creative process. A key priority was to create a consistent visual identity showcased in print, digital, social, and web platforms.
The team created a new visual identity including a logo and branding guidelines, a new website with sections for volunteers and donors and those seeking services, a social media campaign with images and a detailed posting schedule, print materials including letterhead and brochures to educate the community, and stationery for Huntingdon House employees.
During the Fall 2017 semester, Community Design Lab students partnered with the Huntingdon Community Center. After identifying the scope of the project with the community partner, the team visited the Huntingdon Community Center and met with members of the nonprofit organization to evaluate their current assets, challenges, and opportunities
The design team prioritized research as the first step in the design phase. Materials needed to be bright and colorful to represent the organizations offering to youth in the Huntingdon area. This is where they began collaborating closely with the community partners to identify a style and tone for the final design deliverables. The inspiration for the new identity was focused on sports, education, and community.
The design team created new logo and branding guidelines, a new website with online sign-up and donation forms, and print materials to advertise youth programs held at the community center. The goal was to make signing up for programs at the community center easier, and to spread the word about the community center mission throughout the community.
