Design Meets Community
Student Collaboration with Family Promise
for Real-World Event Design
2026 // This community-engaged design project brings together students and real-world clients to create meaningful, applied learning experiences. The collaboration with Family Promise of San Joaquin County, a nonprofit organization supporting families experiencing homelessness, focuses on using design as a tool for social impact and community engagement. This is a general education course, and most students come from a variety of different majors with no prior background in design, making the project an accessible introduction to design thinking and visual communication.
As part of the project, students developed creative campaigns for two upcoming Summer 2026 events: a gala fundraiser and a family community festival. Deliverables included print materials, branding systems, and digital advertising content designed for both physical and online platforms. The project emphasized professional practice, including research, concept development, iterative design, and presentation. Students engaged in feedback cycles and learned how to refine their work based on real client needs, brand voice, and communication goals.
Direct interaction with the client allowed students to better understand professional expectations and the role of design in nonprofit communication strategies. The experience strengthened skills in typography, layout, visual hierarchy, color systems, and audience-centered design. Selected student work, approved by Family Promise, will be implemented in real-world promotional campaigns for the upcoming events—turning classroom projects into visible community impact.
»Client:
Family promise of san joaquin
»Presentation at:
The X Space, University of the pacific on April 22, 2026
»Student Contributors:
Tyren Anglin, Stepan Bobrenev, Elektra Caras, Itzyana Guevara, Alyssa Kawabata, Kris Keinys, David Lim, Milena Maiorova, Erin Robertson, Christian Robinson, Rafael Romero, Niki Sharifi, Iliana Sinang, Nathan Tang, Winston Tsai, Hope Van Riesen
