Washington State School Directors’ Association

The Washington State School Directors' Association (WSSDA) approached us in the Summer of 2023 with a compelling challenge. They needed to develop and disseminate educational materials on the fundamentals of the school funding system in Washington and the critical role of school directors in advocating for their districts. These materials were intended to be accessible to school directors, educators, policymakers, and the general public.

Our engagement began with a comprehensive brand discovery process. Through stakeholder interviews, surveys, and market analysis, we gained a deep understanding of WSSDA's core values, mission, and differentiators. It became clear that while WSSDA played a vital role in supporting school directors and enhancing educational outcomes, their brand needed to better highlight these strengths and put their mission front and center.

Based on our findings, we executed a brand refresh that emphasized WSSDA's unique value proposition and commitment to educational advocacy. This brand refresh was designed to ensure that both internal and external audiences clearly understood the importance of WSSDA's work and its impact on the educational landscape in Washington. This brand refreshed encompassed both an update to the style guide and to the brand narrative and key messages. 

With the refreshed brand in place, we then turned our focus to developing advocacy-focused educational materials. We created a range of documents designed to elucidate the intricacies of the school funding system and the critical advocacy role of school directors. Our approach involved simplifying dense, technical content to make it accessible and engaging for a broader audience.

Our scope of work included the development of clear and visually appealing topic briefs, and a detailed School Finances FAQ document. We are currently working on a Legislative Representative Toolkit and on New School Director Onboarding Handbook. These materials aim to demystify the complexities of school funding and highlight the pivotal role of school directors in advocating for their districts. 

Through this project, we have also consult on the dissemination of these products. Our efforts have helped ensure that the general public, educators, and policymakers can easily understand and support the vital work being done by school directors in the state of Washington.