Overview
Client: District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS)
Industry: Education / Government
Scope: Brand Identity, Illustration, Visual System Design, Internal Communications
The Emery Professional Development Center is an initiative of DCPS aimed at enhancing educator training and support. I was brought on to develop a full identity system that would unify materials, increase program recognition, and reflect the center’s collaborative and growth-focused mission.
The Challenge
DCPS needed a distinct, standalone visual identity for Emery that could complement the existing district brand. The challenge was to create something vibrant and approachable—while maintaining structure and clarity for educators navigating training modules and resources.
Brand Inspiration & Foundation
Knowledge Kin Style
The name Emery informed the brand’s tone—symbolizing power, leadership, and growth. The center functions as DCPS’s primary hub for educator development, so the identity needed to reflect progress, collaboration, and professional advancement.
Typography Psychology
The selected type system blends bold, structured fonts (like Futura Bold and Roboto Condensed) to create visual strength and clarity—ensuring the design commands attention while remaining highly legible across dense training content.
Symbol & Meaning
To visually express growth and leadership, I developed a plant-wrapped “E” icon. This symbolizes personal and professional development—drawing from nature’s association with resilience, care, and collective progress. The logo acts as a visual anchor across all program materials and reinforces the center’s mission.
My Approach
Modular Visual System
I built a scalable, flexible design system for internal-facing content—combining custom iconography, illustrations, and branded slide templates that maintained consistency while allowing for adaptation across multiple programs and teams.
Key contributions included:
Designing a logo system rooted in growth and collaboration
Creating icons and illustrations to simplify educational content
Producing workshop slides, handouts, and wayfinding signage
Building a long-term visual toolkit usable by non-design staff
Results & Outcome
The new identity for the Emery Professional Development Center led to stronger internal recognition and visual consistency across the DCPS network. Educator-facing materials became clearer and more engaging, and the scalable design system allowed non-design staff to easily maintain and adapt branded content.
This project highlights the impact of intentional internal branding—where thoughtful visual systems not only support clarity and usability, but also foster a sense of community and shared growth within an organization.