LOS ANGELES, Calif. (August 6, 2014) – If branding is about keeping promises, there may be no greater promise a brand can make than the hope of a better life.
That is the promise of The Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles and its Family Living Program in West L.A. – and Haley Clark, a third year graphic design student at Woodbury University, understood this commitment when she created the HopeLight Family Living branding campaign for the transitional living program.
Ms. Clark’s comprehensive branding and collateral design was one of three student finalists that was selected from 20 designs to present to The Midnight Mission’s Board of Directors. Her design was chosen as winner and Ms. Clark will now collaborate with The Midnight Mission team to finalize materials for printing.
Since 1992, Woodbury students have enhanced their skills on a non-profit client sponsored project. This year The Midnight Mission was that sponsoring client. Overseen by Associate Professor Cate Roman, M.F.A., the required course provided students with an opportunity to work directly with a non-profit client from the Los Angeles community – in this instance, to employ the tools of branding to address the issue of homelessness.
“The quality of student work escalates each year and this has become quite a competitive course,” Prof. Roman said. “Haley was among some very talented students and we congratulate her for this well-deserved achievement. She is an extremely talented young designer, and this kind of real-world experience is a critical step for her and her classmates as they prepare to enter the graphic design industry. The branding campaign embodies two of the four pillars that support a Woodbury education – design thinking and civic engagement, which is why it’s an especially meaningful collaboration between Woodbury and the Los Angeles community.” Ms. Clark is currently working as an intern at Mattel, Inc. in El Segundo.
Each student developed and presented three names and corresponding logos to The Midnight Mission CEO and executive staff. With a design direction selected for each student, the class devoted the remainder of the semester to developing stationery systems, media kit folders, brochures, newsletters and promotional items. On May 1, each student presented his or her branding system to The Midnight Mission team — President and CEO Larry L. Adamson, Director of Family Housing Ricardo Rosales, Director of Public Affairs Mai Lee, Director of Programs Brandon Beckman, Communications Coordinator Candace Schultz and Chief Development Officer Tami A Philips — in the Saffel Boardroom at Woodbury University.
“Our objective is to remove the financial and housing obstacles these families face and to assist them in rebuilding their lives,” said Ricardo Rosales, Director of the Family Living Program. “As part of that process, it’s vital that participants understand what’s available to them and how they can benefit. That’s where the branding campaign comes in. The creative concepts that the Woodbury design students developed will help our staff reach out, as they address the issues that attribute to homelessness and addiction while focusing on parenting skills, codependency, addiction-related lifestyle disorders and legal, social, financial, educational and vocational deficiencies.”
The Midnight Mission offers a path to self-sufficiency to men, women and children who have lost everything. The organization’s emergency services, 12-step recovery program, job training, education and work programs offer a compassionate bridge to productive lives. The Midnight Mission removes obstacles to self-sufficiency and provides the accountability and structure that people who are experiencing homelessness need to rejoin their communities.
Located in a safe residential area in West Los Angeles, The Midnight’s Family Living complex consists of 11 renovated, fully furnished apartments, community space, parking areas, a laundry room with two washers and dryers and a large outdoor playground, featuring a jungle gym, a basketball court and a picnic area. Initiated in 1994, the program provides transitional housing and a safe environment for 11 families, many of whom are victims of domestic violence and/or have become homeless.
The Family Living Program highlights structure, accountability and opportunity for homeless families. The program places a strong emphasis on achieving self-sufficiency. Many graduates have established successful careers and have even become homeowners, using income saved at The Midnight for a down payment. With the available tools and resources, participating families are given the opportunity to live well, stay connected and help others in the community.
About Woodbury University
Founded in 1884, Woodbury University is one of the oldest institutions of higher education in Southern California. Woodbury offers bachelor’s degrees from the School of Architecture, School of Business, School of Media, Culture & Design, and Institute of Transdisciplinary Studies, along with an MBA program, Master of Architecture (MArch), Master of Science in Architecture (MSArch), and Master of Organizational Leadership. A San Diego campus offers Bachelor of Architecture, Master of Real Estate Development for Architects (MRED), and Master of Science in Architecture, Landscape, and Urbanism degrees. Visit www.woodbury.edu for more information, and Reflections on Excellence, the new twice-monthly blog written by Woodbury University President Luis Maria R. Calingo, Ph.D.
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