Unifying a University Across Two Campuses
Western Illinois University operated across two campuses and a decentralized network of colleges, departments, academic programs and community partners. As part of a university-wide brand transformation, I helped translate institutional research and strategy into a cohesive system that could be adopted across the organization while still supporting distinct audiences and enrollment goals.
The Challenge
Years of decentralized communication had produced inconsistent logos, visual identities and audience experiences across the university. The new brand needed to create stronger institutional recognition while giving hundreds of campus stakeholders practical tools for communicating within one shared system.
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I helped synthesize qualitative and quantitative research into three strategic brand drivers: potential, resilience and perspective. These themes informed the university’s positioning, messaging, voice and visual direction, connecting institutional priorities with the experiences and aspirations of prospective students.
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The positioning framework clarified what the university offered, whom it served, what differentiated the experience and what students could expect to gain from it. This gave enrollment, academic and advancement teams a shared narrative from which to develop audience-specific communication.
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The brand pillars provided a common foundation for university-level communication while allowing colleges, departments and programs to emphasize the aspects most relevant to their audiences. This helped balance institutional consistency with the needs of a complex, decentralized organization.
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I helped translate the university’s positioning into a voice that was loyal, supportive, resilient and encouraging. The resulting guidance gave teams a more consistent way to communicate across recruitment, student experience, alumni engagement and institutional messaging.
Turning Guidelines Into Organizational Adoption
A brand succeeds only when people understand how to use it. I developed templates, asset libraries, departmental identity standards, review processes and training resources that made the brand easier to apply across campus. I also presented to stakeholder groups, supported internal teams and coordinated with licensed vendors to improve consistency across internal and external touchpoints.
Creating a Participatory Brand Movement
I championed the development of a large-scale university “W” sculpture designed to become both a campus landmark and a source of student-generated content. The concept extended the visual identity into the physical environment while giving students, alumni and visitors a recognizable place to express their connection to the university.
WIU BILLBOARDS
WIU BILLBOARDS
Brand Photography - Photography Direction
Photography played a major role in shaping how the university was visually represented across recruitment, marketing, social media, athletics, and institutional communication. I worked closely with photography and videography teams throughout the academic year to plan and direct shoots that aligned with the university’s updated brand identity and storytelling goals.
A major focus of our approach was authenticity. Rather than relying on staged or stock-style imagery, we prioritized real interactions, natural moments, campus life, and genuine student engagement. The goal was to create imagery that felt relatable, human, and reflective of the actual student experience.
I collaborated on creative direction for a wide range of campaigns and photo needs, helping guide shot selection, storytelling themes, seasonal priorities, and overall visual consistency across platforms. Every image included throughout this portfolio featuring WIU was captured by the university’s in-house photography team as part of that collaborative process.
