5-12 Math Summit

Math is essential for student success, providing logical thinking and problem-solving skills. Uncommon Schools hosts an annual summit for math educators to collaborate on innovative teaching methods.

  • Campaign Redesign

    • Campaign messaging

    • Iconography

    • Campaign markup

    • Marketing

Graphic with the hashtag #FIGHTFLU, with the letter 'I' replaced by a syringe icon, on a light blue background.

The Background

Uncommon Schools is a remarkable network of high-performing charter schools on a mission to bridge the achievement gap for students in underserved communities. They achieve this through a rigorous academic program that prepares students for college and equips them for success beyond the classroom. Proficiency in math is critical to their success. Uncommon Schools organizes an annual summit for math educators to ensure excellence in this area. This summit tackles the challenges of math instruction and explores innovative approaches to enhance learning outcomes. Focused on empowering students to think critically and solve complex problems, the summit keeps educators ahead of the curve, arming them with the tools necessary to prepare them for academic and career triumph.

A teacher assists a student during class in a classroom with colorful coats hanging on hooks in the background. Several students are seated at desks, working on assignments.
A teacher standing and pointing at a whiteboard in a classroom, with students seated and facing her. The whiteboard has educational posters and colorful charts.
Two young boys holding up completed tests, smiling, with a smiling male teacher or adult in the middle in a classroom. Background shows other students and classroom setting.
A teacher in a classroom giving a high five to a student. Several students are seated at desks, engaging with the teacher. The classroom is decorated with colorful supplies and storage units.
A smiling female teacher interacting with students in a classroom filled with desks, colorful storage bins, and educational posters.

The Challenge

This year, Uncommon Schools aims to enhance its annual regional Math Summit by creating a cohesive event identity that captures the collaborative spirit of educators dedicated to advancing STEM education. Our goal is to develop a visual and experiential narrative that promotes the sharing of ideas and stories and emphasizes the transformative power of math skills in shaping students' futures. By creating a bold logo and engaging collateral, we aim to establish an atmosphere that encourages innovation, celebrates the importance of math, and empowers educators to lead dynamic workshops that inspire lasting impact.

The Opportunity

We embarked on this journey with a fresh perspective and a burning curiosity to delve into the minds of math educators and discover what initially ignited their passion for mathematics. We brought together the marketing team, math committee, and school operations team for workshops to glean insights into their vision for the Math Summit. Through active listening and collaborative efforts, we crafted a shared vision that resonated with everyone. This ensures that the diverse perspectives and goals inform every decision we make in the design phase of the entire group. This process empowers us to create an event that celebrates the beauty of math, fosters innovation, and sparks enthusiastic participation from all attendees.

A poster on a tiled wall in a subway station encouraging flu vaccination with a message about taking five minutes to show university ID and get vaccinated.

Celebrating the fun of Math + Science

Lately, pop culture's been a fantastic shift towards embracing all things "nerdy" as excellent, accessible, and impactful. With the rise of technology and entertainment, the spotlight is on how math and science shape our world and drive innovation. Inspired by this cultural revolution, our design strategy captures the fun and thrill of mathematics and science. Our goal is to create a visual identity that mirrors the liveliness and significance of STEM in our daily lives, showing that the world would be a lot less colorful and dynamic without these fields. Through engaging and playful design, we want to showcase the transformative power of math and science, making these subjects essential, incredibly exciting, and empowering.

Person holding a sign with the hashtag #FIGHTFLU, partially visible text about health awareness, and a background showing a woman with glasses and a woman with red hair, at a flu awareness event.
A woman holding a sign that says, 'I got the flu shot' with a vaccine syringe graphic, in a room with other people. Behind her are flu awareness posters, including one that says 'Fight Flu.'
Mascot dressed as a lion holding a sign promoting flu prevention with the message 'Take Care of You' and hashtags about fighting flu, in front of a mobile health station.
Smiling man holding a sign that says "I GOT THE FLU SHOT" with a graphic of a syringe and the hashtag #FIGHTFLU, at a health awareness event with other participants in the background.
A woman smiling and holding a sign that says "I GOT THE FLU SHOT" with a syringe illustration. Below, a blue section with yellow text reads "WHO ME? YES YOU," encouraging flu vaccination, with additional information about the benefits of the flu vaccine.
Collection of health awareness posters promoting flu protection, featuring blue backgrounds with vaccine illustrations, event details, and slogans advocating vaccination.

Nerdy x Nature

A smiling man in a white shirt and dark tie sitting at a desk with electronic equipment.
Black and white photograph of an elderly woman smiling, wearing glasses, a patterned scarf, a dark hat, and a dark blazer, sitting on a striped chair.
Black and white portrait of a woman with short, styled hair, glasses, and a collared zip-up sweater with a pin on the collar.

During our brainstorming sessions with the Math Council and marketing team, we developed a plan to honor underrecognized pioneers and influencers in STEM—individuals like artists or celebrities who have made significant contributions to math and science. Like today's tech giants disrupting the status quo, the STEM figures we selected were disruptors of their time, reshaping their fields and influencing the modern world. We have decided to introduce these trailblazers in a series titled "Nerdy by Nature," which will showcase their groundbreaking work and their lasting impact on shaping our world today.

Black and white photograph of a woman in a NASA space suit, smiling, with an American flag patch on her right shoulder and NASA patches on her chest. A NASA logo rocket ship is visible in the background.
White background with bold yellow text stating, 'Take care of you, fight flu'.
Blue square sign with white text reading 'I Got The Flu Shot' and a graphic of a syringe, along with the hashtag '#FightFlu.'
Blue box with a blue and yellow flyer promoting flu shot awareness, with text 'Take care of you, fight flu' and an illustration of a syringe, alongside a hashtag sign with '#FightFlu' on a sticky note.
Black and white portrait of an older man with glasses, a mustache, and a beard, wearing a suit and tie, standing outdoors with a cloudy sky in the background.
Array of buttons and badges with anti-flu vaccine messages, including phrases such as 'I got the flu shot' and '#FightFlu', some displaying vaccines and others showing clock backs.
Graphic with three color backgrounds featuring the message 'Take Care of You Fight Flu,' with a shield, virus, and syringe icons.

Campus-wide Social Engagement

The social engagement strategy utilizes Columbia University's digital platforms to create a tangible impact. The campaign promotes a collective sense of responsibility by producing shareable content showcasing personal stories about vaccination and flu prevention. We can distribute this content through collaboration with different departments and schools across various social channels, raising awareness and sparking community-wide discussions about flu prevention. Our primary objective is to ensure that everyone is informed about where and when they can receive vaccinations, ultimately leading to higher vaccination rates across the campus.

Man smiling and holding a sign that says, 'I GOT THE FLU SHOT' with a large syringe illustration, at an outdoor event with people in the background.
Person dressed as a lion mascot holding a sign that says 'Take Care of #FightFlu' at a stadium marketplace with sports apparel and a truck in the background.
A young woman smiling and holding a blue sign that reads, 'I GOT THE FLU SHOT' with a syringe graphic and hashtag #FIGHTFLU. Behind her, a poster promotes getting a flu shot to fight flu.
Collage of people holding signs promoting flu vaccination, some signs say 'I GOT THE FLU SHOT' and others say 'TAKE CARE OF YOU #FIGHTFLU.'

A New Approach

We revamped Columbia University's communication strategy, developed compelling messaging, and collaborated with multiple departments to emphasize the significance of getting a flu shot. Leveraging Microsoft Suite, we designed customizable templates. We infused the campaign with personal anecdotes of individuals getting vaccinated, adding a human touch to the initiative.

TONE OF VOICE

Youthful, Conversational, Humorous, Upbeat

CAMPAIGN SLOGAN

Take Care of You, Fight Flu

HASHTAG

#fightflu

Three vertical posters providing flu prevention tips in a hallway. The first poster emphasizes taking five minutes to care for yourself with an ID card image. The second poster highlights remembering last flu season with an image of hand sanitizer and tissues. The third poster advises that more protection is better than no protection, with an illustration of hand sanitizer being used.

Humanizing Through Illustrations

The campaign was truly brought to life through the power of illustrations. We used simple, rounded illustrations and icons to weave personal stories and essential information together, capturing the audience's attention and enhancing their understanding. This created a cohesive and memorable identity for the campaign and played a crucial role in driving awareness and inspiring proactive health behaviors.

Line drawing collection of health and safety icons including mask, thermometer, hand sanitizer, hand soap, hand sanitizer pump, thermometer watch, person pointing finger, vaccination, health check, front desk, hand with money, virus, shield, and medical bottle on dark blue background.
Indoor billboard on a beige brick wall promoting COVID-19 precautions with a hand holding an ID card and a large clock, emphasizing taking 5 minutes for health care.

Crafting our Color Palette

We put a lot of thought into choosing our color palette to perfectly complement the Columbia colors and build a dynamic visual identity that's truly one-of-a-kind for our campaign. Our color selection was carefully crafted after studying other health campaigns, and it's designed to look great and be memorable for our messaging.

Color bars in navy blue, light blue, yellow, black, red-orange, white, teal
Smartphone displaying a Columbia University ID card with the text "Take 5 to Take Care" and a message about using a university ID card and a couple of minutes for a health-related task.
Illustration of two hands, one holding an ID card with Columbia University logo, and the other wearing a watch showing time, against a dark blue background.
Illustration of a blood donation box with a hand dropping a syringe into it, alongside text promoting flu shot awareness and health tips, with Columbia Health logo.
Columbia Health reminder about flu prevention, showing a hand throwing tissue in a box of tissues with hand sanitizer and medicines below. The text says "#FBF aka flashback to remember last flu season? It wasn't pretty. Take care of you. Fight flu."
Graphic promoting flu prevention with the message 'Take 5 to Take Care,' emphasizing the importance of showing your university ID and taking a couple of minutes, along with taking care of yourself and fighting flu. Features an illustration of a hand holding a university ID card, a clock, and health icons, with Columbia University and Columbia Health logos.
A Columbia Health flyer with blue and teal colors emphasizing flu awareness. It features large text asking 'Who me?' and with a response 'Yes you.' The flyer provides flu statistics, states adults 18-49 are the largest group affected last year in New York, and urges taking care of yourself and fighting flu. The design includes a stylized illustration of a mitten and a hand, symbols of health and protection.

Community-Driven Vaccine Campaign

We humanized our campaign, leveraging our diverse community to spread the word and share our vaccine stories. Our collective effort brought unity and engagement, leading to a successful campaign that reduced our print materials by 23%, increased social media engagement by 339%, and boosted vaccinations by 15% compared to the previous year. As a result, Columbia Health has updated and expanded the campaign, leading to a 21% increase in vaccinations administered, with 18,057 flu shots in 2022.

339% Increase in social media engagement

10,162 Influenza vaccinations administered

23% Decrease in printed materials

Project Credits

  • Columbia University Health

  • 2018

  • Campaign Redesign

    • Brand Strategy

    • Design System

    • Logo Design

    • Visual Identity

    • Campaign Guidelines

    • Columbia Print Services

    • Columbia Strategic Communications