Building a Civic Brand Platform: City of Carson Cultural Arts

Challenge & Solution

Challenge —

The Cultural Arts Commission, sponsored by the City of Carson, CA, offers seven thoughtfully curated enrichment programs designed to inspire lifelong learning through the liberal arts. These free community programs are intended to spark creativity, nurture talent, and encourage intellectual growth. However, despite being featured on the city’s website, their full value and impact remain largely unnoticed by the broader local audience.

Solution —

I developed a bold and engaging brand identity that brought new energy to their course offerings. The process began with a marketing strategy tailored to connect with the core audience—Gen Z (ages 11–26)—by tapping into their values, behaviors, and digital habits. Once the strategy was approved by stakeholders, I produced a comprehensive 360° branding document that served as a visual and strategic roadmap, outlining key brand elements and design systems to boost visibility and relevance. I then executed a suite of digital, print, video, and social media assets, ultimately driving a 17–22% increase in client conversion rates.

When I began working with the City of Carson Cultural Arts, the educational arts programs themselves were not the problem. The city already offered seven free enrichment programs led by committed commissioners and instructors. The challenge was visibility, measurement, and long-term sustainability. There was no unified brand identity, minimal digital presence, and no formal system for capturing resident feedback. Without measurable impact, future funding could always be uncertain.

The strategy focused first on positioning. The key differentiator was clear: the programs are free to Carson residents. From there, the brand was built around access, community ownership, and creative growth. The message, “It’s Your Education. It’s Your Community. It’s Your Arts,” reframed the initiative from a city service into something residents could personally connect with.

The identity system reinforced that positioning. The heart-shaped logo symbolizes diverse communities coming together, while orange represents creativity and blue signals trust and civic reliability. The visual language was designed to scale consistently across street banners, print ads, environmental signage, social media, video, and a responsive website.

The most strategic layer of the project was digital infrastructure. The website and mobile prototype allow residents to register for classes, leave feedback, rate programs, and recommend new offerings. That data is delivered directly to commissioners and city stakeholders, transforming marketing into a measurable feedback system. Design, in this case, became a governance tool—helping the city demonstrate impact and make informed funding decisions.

This project ultimately moved Carson Cultural Arts from being a collection of programs to becoming a recognizable civic brand platform. It reflects my belief that design is not simply about creating visuals—it is about building systems that make impact visible and strengthen trust within a community.

(Contact me to view the Carson Cultural Arts marketing strategy.)

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