Brand / Content Strategy -
Parsons BBA Creative Collective

Summer 2020 - Spring 2021

In the summer of 2020 during the height of the pandemic, I was struggling to feel connected with my program and peers. I had transferred schools before sophomore year and had worked to establish a community again. I reached out to a mentor within the Parsons BBA faculty, asking for any leads on work opportunities and if they needed help with any initiatives in the fall, and together we came up with a solution for both. I began to develop a strategy for a community-oriented digital program to be shared through the ParsonsBBA’s instagram account.

One common challenge among students in the Strategic Design and Management program is that it can be hard to explain. Sometimes it’s called one thing (BBA), sometimes another (SDM), it encapsulates many disciplines under one creative process. I knew I wanted to provide content that emphasized clarity and connection. Another important aspect I wanted to address is the even-more nebulous gap between student work and real design strategy in the workplace. I asked these questions of recent graduates, not-so-recent graduates, and professors, and learned an immense amount just by reaching out.

Brief Initial Notes:

• Desire for community-led projects (distinctly not top-down)

• Surplus of Parsons branding (red and black, signature typeface)

• Research areas:

  • How to incentivize participation organically?

  • Is now the time for a new communication channel?

  • How can we meet students where they already are?

  • Analyzing the “cool” factor of social participation

  • Addressing sustainability & longevity of the project

  • “Our community needs a presence beyond remote classes
    - to share ideas and foster connections organically”

Content programming:

• Faculty, industry professionals, admin interviews

• BBA Admin introductions

• Company spotlights

• Necessary social content

• Program / acronym explanation

• Symposium content

• Site link in bio (swipe up capability)

Design Insights:

• The page needs to be either very clean or very committed to flux: a streamlined, sterile aesthetic provides a uniform objectivity - it’s a good backdrop to showcase strong visual work. A commitment to flux, however, means that the page would recognize its changing role for each new semester and its style would tweak accordingly. There are precedents for this in academicXarts world and what comes across is character. If the goal of this initiative is to attach meaning, substance, ideas, faces, and names to the BBA program, the page should lead with character

• Clarity is key (“the medium is the message”)

• It must, at some level, stay minimal & compatible with TNS branding

• Flexible enough for many types of content (events, interviews, challenges, job listings, work highlights, etc.)

Sample Flow:

1. Student finds Instagram (via BBA communication channels)

2. Sees post featuring alumni or faculty (able to put faces to the names)

3. Watches short show or reads a short-form post, is interested, follows

4. Sees actionable post (prompt for questions, challenge, etc.)

5. Engages with community organically & virtually