The Doerr Institute for New Leaders is committed to the early development of leader abilities in young people, and unlike other programs, are not focused on experienced students in leader roles. They help develop all Rice students who want to increase their capacity to lead, no matter how young or inexperienced they might be. While Doerr already had an established identity within the Rice University nomenclature, it lacked a discernable brand that represented this unique opportunity.

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Creatively and conceptually, bold watercolor washes were used to communicate that spark, the essence of leadership, that can be found within each one of us. Hand-drawn linework referenced the variety of experiences and developmental journeys Doerr students take – each student’s path to leadership is unique. And a number of diverse, student silhouettes with key personal highlights were used in the hope that potential participants could see themselves in the representations and think “maybe this is for me too.”

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This branded aesthetic was applied to posters, brochures, ads, stickers, t-shirts, table tents and on wallpaper applied to the entryways of busy campus buildings.