University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work: Translating social work principles into design language

Purpose

Working with the University of Denver’s Graduate School of Social Work, I developed a consistent sub-brand visual language that existed within the University’s brand ecosystem while maintaining GSSW’s unique identity.

The cornerstone of this identity was a system of fundamental shapes—circle, square, triangle, and diamond—each symbolizing key principles of social work. The circle represents community harmony; the square signifies stability; the triangle embodies growth; and the diamond reflects the value of social workers’ contributions.

This design system allowed me to create a comprehensive suite of assets for GSSW over several years, including: admissions collateral, event materials, digital advertisements, social media and email templates. The result was a cohesive, recognizable brand that connected to GSSW’s mission, while providing flexibility for various applications.

an expansive brand suite

admissions collateral suite

business suite

digital ads

social media templates

event designs

email design

an expansive brand suite

admissions collateral suite business suite digital ads social media templates event designs email design

Establishing meaningful differentiation

My design challenge was creating a distinctive GSSW identity while following University of Denver brand guidelines. I preserved GSSW’s character while maintaining visual cohesion with the university system.

I leveraged DU’s secondary and tertiary colors to create a focused palette that gave GSSW materials their own personality while staying aligned with the university’s identity. The shape system bridged the gap—using DU’s typography and layout principles while introducing visual elements representing social work values.

This sub-branding shows how design can honor institutional guidelines while creating meaningful differentiation.

I had the pleasure of working with Tracey Tassinari for eight years, and she is nothing short of extraordinary. Tracey’s ability to bring clarity to complexity, and to do so with both creativity and precision, is rare. I can’t say enough about what a joy she is to work with.

—Elizabeth O'Hara, Director of Marketing & Communications, Graduate School of Social Work, University of Denver

Admissions Collateral suite

GSSW has a robust admissions strategy that required many different collateral items that all needed to work independently, but also stack nicely when assembled. They needed: