For social change organizations, it's time to think beyond transactional websites and the limits of UX design. Because when the goal is as ambitious as addressing pressing issues like climate change, social justice, or inter-generational poverty, if the lens through which we communicate about them is a website, then the solutions we design are almost certainly going to be website-specific. In this Webinar led by Matthew Schwartz, Founder and Director of Strategy at social change brand strategy and experience design firm, Constructive, you’ll learn: • How brand strategy improves the website design and development process • What the four core strategies are to every website and the roles they play • How to increase collaboration and shared learning across long-term website projects • How to translate organizational strategy into effective online brand experiences

1. Designing a New Way Forward
Nonprofit Branding
in the Digital Age
Designing Online Experiences
That Drive Social Change
Presented May 25, 2016

2. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
First, a Little Bit About Me
Matt
• 20 Years in Branding Interactive Design
• Founder Director of Strategy, Constructive
• Brand Strategy Experience Design Firm
• Exclusive Focus on Social Change Brands
• Located in NYC
• Online: constructive.co, @constr_ctive

3. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
How Will We Be Spending Our Time?
QA QA21
Demystifying
Digital Branding
Process
Tools

4. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
PART 1
Demystifying
Digital
Branding

5. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
PART 1
Demystifying
Digital
Branding
We’ll Be Discussing
• What the Role of a Nonprofit Brand is
• How Brands Create Value
• How Brands Are Experienced
• What Digital Branding Is
• What Experience Design Is
• The Website’s Role in Digital Branding

6. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Though Times are Changing, There is Still
Skepticism of the “B-Word” in the Nonprofit Sector
“We don’t focus on
our brand, we focus
on our grantees.”
“We shouldn’t look
like we spend too much
money on our brand.”
“Our brand is managed
by Communications.
We work on programs.”

7. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Despite this Skepticism,
Every Nonprofit Has a Brand,
Whether They Pay Attention
to It or Not.
The Only Question, Really
is How Actively We Want
to Manage and Cultivate It.

8. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
A Paradigm Shift in How Nonprofit Brands
are Understood Managed
Old School New School
No longer a tool just for fundraising PR, but
a strategic asset focused on mission implementation

9. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
“A brand is a powerful expression of an
organization’s mission and values…that can
help engineer collaborations and partnerships
that will better enable it to fulfill its mission and
deepen its impact…It is a strategic asset central
to the success of the organization itself.”
Christopher Stone
President, Open Society Foundations

10. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Adapted from “Communications Matters”
What’s a Nonprofit Brand Made of?
Relationships
The associations that
increase an organization’s
authority capacity
The combined capital an
organization can invest
to achieve its goals
The sum of an
organization’s earned
perceived credibility
Reputation Resources
B

11. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Identity
Image
Cohesion
Trust
Capacity
Impact
Positioning
Leverage
Repetition
Adapted from “The Brand IDEA”
Organizational Strategy
Statement 2
Internally, a clear brand
builds a stronger sense
of organizational identity,
leading to greater
organizational cohesion,
which translates into
effective decision making
and increased capacity.
Externally, a strong identity
results in a clear image and
aligned reputation, whose
consistency over time
builds greater trust with
audiences, and is leveraged
with greater capacity to
increase social impact.
How Do Nonprofit Brands Work?

12. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
What Currency Do Brands Trade in?
The less tangible the value a brand offers is, the more subjective
the evaluation, and the greater the potential for a disconnect.
Aspirational
Value
Intangible
Value
Tangible
Value

13. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Where is Brand Value Created?
• Brands create value for their audience and for
themselves at the intersection of their goals.
• Audiences evaluate your organization’s value based
on how well it helps them accomplish their goals.
• Audience goals include both transactional ones
and ones related to a person’s sense of identity.
• Nonprofit brands, whose goals can often be long-
term, removed from daily life, and require significant
aspirational value, have unique challenges .
Organizational
Goals
Value
Audience
Goals

14. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
• Design is both a noun and a verb, describing both
a process and its outcome.
• Design is how your organization is understood, it
communicates the promises you make, and indicates
the kinds of experiences people should expect.
• Experiences with your brand are never the same for
any two people.
• The sum of these experiences and the value audiences
find in them determines what they remember you for.
And How Are Brands Experienced?
Design is the Primary
Means Through
Which Your Brand
is Experienced

15. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
“Everyone designs who
advises courses of action
aimed at changing existing
situations into preferred ones.”
Herbert Simon
Nobel Laureate Social Scientist

16. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Experiences Must be Meaningful
to be Valuable
• From tribal associations to religious symbols and
heraldry, brands and identity have been an integral
part of how society functions.
• In modern society, the brands we choose to associate
with are a natural evolution of our desire for meaning
and identity.
• Social change brands have the power to strengthen
meaning identity by bringing people together around
shared mission, values,or specific goals.
The Desire for
Meaning is as Old
as Humankind Itself

17. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Digital Branding is Fundamentally Different
Than Traditional Branding
• Branding in the digital era is no longer about highly
controlled, one-way projections.
• Digital branding is built on participatory engagement
and two-way conversations in which audiences have far
greater control and choice.
• Brand democracy and online dialogue are primary
drivers of digital branding.
• Websites and other digital channels allow audiences
to quickly form and share opinions of the quality
and relevance of an organization.
Digital branding
contains the sum of
all online experiences
brands create

18. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Digital Branding Uses Design to Create Value by Bridging
the Online Gap Between Nonprofits Audiences
Organizational
Goals
Audience
Goals
Digital
Branding

19. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
WWW
Media
Relations
24/7/365
Community
Events
Intranet
Fundraising
Marketing
Systems
Storytelling
CRM
Reporting
Publishing
Tools
Resources
Knowledge
Management

20. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Planning
Strategy Building
Partnerships
Supporting
Grantees
Cultivating
Community
Influencing
Policy
Mobilizing
Audiences
Elevating
Issues
Convening
Stakeholders
Making
Grants
Sharing
Knowledge
Fundraising
Managing
Programs
Delivering
Services Attracting
Talent
Making
Investments
Reporting
Generating
SupportConducting
Events
Creating Social Change is No Small Task!

21. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Planning
Strategy Building
Partnerships
Supporting
Grantees
Cultivating
Community
Influencing
Policy
Mobilizing
Audiences
Elevating
Issues
Convening
Stakeholders
Making
Grants
Sharing
Knowledge
Fundraising
Managing
Programs
Delivering
Services Attracting
Talent
Making
Investments
Reporting
Generating
SupportConducting
Events
Creating Social Change is No Small Task!
Your Website is an Expression of All of This Activity and More.

22. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Demystifying Digital Branding Summary
Nonprofit brands are no longer just
a tool for a fundraising PR, but are
a strategic asset focused on mission
implementation.
Nonprofit brands consist of the
combination of its relationships,
reputation, and resources.
A Nonprofit’s brand strengthens
identity, cohesion, and capacity to
improve its image, build trust, and
increase impact.
Brands are evaluated by the
combination of tangible, intangible, and
aspirational value they create.
Brands create value and meaning at the
intersection of an organization’s goals
and its audiences.
Digital branding is fundamentally
different than traditional branding, and
is built on participation and dialogue
An nonprofit’s website is the hub of its
digital branding
1 4
2
5
3
6
7

23. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
HALFTIME
Let’s Discuss!

24. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
PART 2
Process Tools
We’ll Be Discussing
• The 4 Core Elements of Every Website
• The Inherent Challenges in Website Engagements
• A Process That Can Help Us Overcome Them
• Brand Strategy’s Role in Uniting Our Efforts
• Some Tools Techniques That Can Make
Our Process More Effective

25. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Brand
Strategy
Content
Strategy
Design
Strategy
Technology
Strategy
Every Website is Made of 4 Core Elements
They Are Its 4 Strategic Foundations

26. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Brand
Strategy
Content
Strategy
Design
Strategy
Technology
Strategy
Too Often, Online Brand Experiences
Are Designed by Heavily Siloed Teams

27. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
The Process of Creating Websites
is Often Long Complicated!
WWW

28. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
We Need an Integrated Approach
That Keeps Everyone Pulling
in the Same Direction!

29. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Brand Strategy is a Unifying Force
of Experience Design. When Used
to Drive a Collaborative Website
Process, it Reduces Risk Aligns
Outcomes with Organizational Goals.

30. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
Project
Manager
Content
Strategist
Technology
Strategist
Client
Team
Design
Director
Director of
Strategy
Discovery Strategy
UX Content Strategy
Design Content
Development
QA Deployment
Brand Strategy Creates Common Vision Across Disciplines in a Process That
Emphasizes Direct Access, Collaboration, and Shared Learning Throughout.

31. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
What Tools Techniques Can Help
Improve Our Process and Outcomes?
Brand Strategy
Workshops
Brand Messaging
Framework
User Experience
Research
Stakeholder
Surveys
Interviews
Digital Strategy
Brief
Information
Architecture
Content Audit
Content Strategy
Design Language
System

32. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
TOOLS TECHNIQUES
Stakeholder
Surveys
Interviews
• Provides valuable insights via common questions and
points of departure for each stakeholder to contextualize
broader brand questions within their areas of expertise.
• Creates a safe environment for stakeholders to share
their opinions freely, and for brand strategy leads to then
use them to strengthen collaboration.
• Allows common patterns and differences of opinion to be
identified before collaboration begins, providing strategy
leads the opportunity to frame them effectively.
Individual Insights Provide an Ideal Starting
Point for Collaborative Exploration

33. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
TOOLS TECHNIQUES
Brand Strategy
Workshops
The Foundation of Effective Branding Starts
With Collaborative Discovery
• Creates a valuable opportunity to co-create a clear
understanding of an organization’s value that can then
be translated into experience design.
• Democratizes the branding process across an entire
organization, breaking through traditional operational
silos to create a common vision built on trust.
• Reinforces organizational identity by clarifying mission
around a common vision and shared values that drive
organizational thinking and operations.

34. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
TOOLS TECHNIQUES
Brand Messaging
Framework
• Creates clear, concise language that can be used flexible
across all communications, increasing messaging
consistency and cohesion to different audiences.
• Creates a through-line that connects an organization’s
mission at its highest level through to its operations and
partnerships that help advance it.
• Provides a brand-driven framework for effectively
evaluating digital content and developing content
strategy that is focused on creating value.
A Clear Message Communicates How
Change Happens and Why it Matters

35. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
TOOLS TECHNIQUES
Digital Strategy
Brief
• Provides greater detail than a “creative brief” or “project
brief” to contextualize specific project goals within a big
picture driven by brand.
• Establishes a common vision that is driven by brand
value, and connects challenges, opportunities, audience
needs, the peer/competitive market, and more.
• Clearly details goals for each of the four core disciplines
so that clients and teams better understand what
outcomes they are aiming for, and how they interrelate.
Clear Goals Common Ground Keep Multi-
Disciplinary Teams on the Same Page

36. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
TOOLS TECHNIQUES
User Experience
Research
• Provides insights such as differences between
demographics and audience, and unforeseen barriers
that are not otherwise possible.
• Reduces subjective decision making based on client or
design team preferences by highlighting what online
audiences value most or find most frustrating.
• Helps prioritize time, budget, and effort on developing
features and content that audiences demonstrate having
the greatest interest in.
Working With Real Users Allows Evaluation of
Assumptions Before Execution

37. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
TOOLS TECHNIQUES
Design
Language
System
• Takes a systems-based, responsive approach to flexibly
solve common design problems across a variety of
online touchpoints.
• Address interaction, animation, and more in digital
interfaces to ensure audiences have cohesive brand
experience on all devices and platforms.
Digital Branding Demands More Than
Traditional Brand Standards Deliver

38. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
TOOLS TECHNIQUES
Content Audit
Strategy
• Identifies content goals and gaps—both quantitative
and qualitative—within the broader framework of an
organization’s brand strategy.
• Combines with UX design to help ensure that all content
delivered online is accessible and useful, and that it helps
audiences achieve their goals.
A Roadmap for Creating Meaningful,
Cohesive, Engaging, and Sustainable Content

39. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
TOOLS TECHNIQUES
2-Tier User
Experience
Wireframes
• Quickly focuses everyone on broad buckets of content
interaction so that primary drivers of an organization’s
brand strategy operations can be evaluated.
• Allows more detailed, design- and layout-driven
decisions to be made only after broad goals and
requirements have been agreed upon.
• Provides a creative and technical roadmap for execution
by indicating specific design priorities and layout, and
providing clear functional annotations for development.
A Top-Level Granular Evaluation of How UX
Will Achieve User Audience Goals

40. @constr_ctive / constructive.coNonprofit Branding in the Digital Age
WRAP-UP
Let’s Discuss!

41. Designing a New Way Forward
Thanks, Everyone!
Have questions or want to continue
the discussion? Please get in touch!
Matt Schwartz
matt.schwartz@constructive.co
212-925-6460 xt 124
Web: constructive.co
Twitter: @constr_ctive
Medium: @constructive