Igniting the Freshman Experience:
A Social Media Branding Strategy
OVERVIEW
This project explores my role in leading the brand redesign for Ignite, a summer academic program at Georgia Tech. The goal was to refresh the brand identity, making it more engaging across digital platforms. Through social media strategy, visual storytelling, and interactive content, I aimed to enhance student engagement and program awareness.
Tags
Timeline
Tools
Figma
Illustrator
Notion
Team
E. Rivera-Himmelstein, Stakeholder
Brand Design
Logo Design
Design Strategy
User Interviews
3 months
RESEARCH
Keeping Compliance In Check
Moderated Interviews
To ensure the rebrand aligned with Georgia Tech’s guidelines, I conducted 3 moderated interviews with program stakeholders, including program and communications directors. These discussions provided insights into key compliance requirements for brand alignment. The findings informed design decisions, ensuring the new identity remained authentic and within brand standards.
RESEARCH
How Does It Size Up?
Competitive Analysis
A competitive analysis was conducted to assess how similar academic programs approach branding and engagement. By analyzing visual identities, messaging strategies, and social media presence, I identified gaps and opportunities for Ignite to stand out. These insights helped shape a bold and modern brand that better resonated with prospective students.
IDEATION
If At First You Don't Succeed
The ideation phase involved extensive brainstorming and sketching to explore potential logos, typography, and color palettes. I experimented with various design directions, drawing inspiration from Georgia Tech’s student culture and the play on words of "Ignite". This process helped refine core elements that would later define the final brand identity.
IDEATION
Try & Try Again
Through multiple iterations and feedback sessions with stakeholders, I refined the brand identity to align with Ignite's mission. Various logo concepts, iconography, and visual elements were tested for clarity and appeal. This phase emphasized adaptability to ensure the brand remained flexible for different platforms and marketing needs.
RE-RESEARCH
The Voice of The User
User Testing
To validate design choices, I conducted user testing with students, gathering feedback on clarity, appeal, and recognizability. Participants shared preferences regarding typography, color contrast, and brand perception. These insights directly influenced the final adjustments, ensuring the brand felt welcoming and exciting, but also relevant for incoming students.
IDEATION
In With The New
The final brand identity encapsulates Ignite's spirit through dynamic typography, bold colors, and a modern, scalable logo. This system was designed for consistency across digital and print media, enhancing recognition and engagement. The redesigned identity positions Ignite as a welcoming, fun, and student-centered program.
DELIVERABLES
Final Branding
Brand Design
The rebrand was successfully implemented across social media, digital assets, and promotional materials, leading to increased student engagement. The structured brand system enables seamless content creation, ensuring Ignite maintains a fresh and recognizable presence for future cohorts.
Social Media Strategy
In its Instagram implementation, the branding led to a significant jump in several statistics including impressions, follower and non-follower engagement, and higher Reels content engagement. This shows the impact of the social media strategy efforts.
THE END
Nuggets of Wisdom
This project reinforced two key lessons: one size doesn’t fit all and tell users a story. Traditional UX design follows a structured process, but rebranding required a flexible approach that considered identity, strategy, and emotion. Successful rebranding goes beyond visuals, weaving a compelling narrative that resonates with the audience. Adapting the design process and focusing on storytelling transformed the brand into something both strategic and emotionally engaging.
