What we built, why it worked, and how others can adapt it.
At most complex organizations, communication challenges don’t stem from lack of effort—they stem from a lack of systems. Messaging lives in inboxes. Storytelling is reactive. Visibility depends on who you know, not what’s happening. And while digital tools exist, they’re often disconnected from strategic goals.
That’s where we started—and what we set out to change.
In the fall of 2024, our small Strategy Team was created within our college’s communication office to launch a strategic communications plan for our liberal arts college amidst a digital transformation effort across our university. The aim wasn’t just better content—it was building the systems behind the content, the strategy behind the messaging, and the tools that made it all usable.
Our approach combined systems thinking (to solve for structure, scale, and sustainability) with design thinking (to ensure that everything we built worked for real users). That mix shaped everything—from toolkits and templates to internal platforms and brand storytelling.
Where We Started: Seven Strategic Gaps
Before we built anything, we mapped the pain points. These weren’t just communication quirks—they were institutional frictions:
– Internal communication lacked consistency and structure
– Faculty visibility was limited and uneven
– Research storytelling was episodic, not strategic
– Student recruitment efforts were fragmented across departments
– Community outreach content lacked a system for sharing impact
– Branding was inconsistent across platforms
– And most critically: we had no baseline metrics or shared communication goals
How We Responded: Systems + Design in Every Solution
We didn’t just push out more content. We built infrastructure—communication systems that aligned people, platforms, and priorities. Every solution had two lenses:
– Systems thinking ensured it could scale and integrate
– Design thinking ensured it was intuitive, inclusive, and engaging
Here’s what that looked like in practice:
– Set institutional content goals—for the first time—and aligned them with actual tools
– Created a centralized internal communication hub (with over 1,200 users and 11,000+ views in the first academic year)
– Launched toolkits for recruitment, storytelling, and event promotion—giving departments ready-made, on-brand assets
– Implemented streamlined forms and processes for content collaboration
– Introduced data tracking so we now know which stories we’re telling, and how often
– Saw a clear reduction in redundant communication requests
What We Learned
You can’t transform communication with templates alone. You need structure and empathy. That’s why blending systems thinking with design thinking worked:
– Strategy must be built into your infrastructure—not just in your calendar
– Tools must be easy, adaptable, and made with actual users in mind
– Branding and storytelling need guardrails, but also flexibility
– Measurement doesn’t have to be complex—but it has to be intentional
– Culture change starts with shared language, shared resources, and clarity
Read the full porfolio report.