We began our work together by familiarizing ourselves with DJJ’s existing communication and fundraising content and then met with DJJ staff to answer questions that came up. We learned that there are two primary and overlapping audiences: activists who are invested in social justice issues and activists who want to get new folks involved. It was important for the case for support to speak to everyone. That meant balancing the Jewish “why” behind social activism with other motivations for participating in organizing work. The team also lifted up that organizing is about systems change and addressing issues at their root. 

Based on what we’d learned about the organization, we co-created a content outline, drafted the text, and developed two distinct design concepts represented through visual mood boards. One concept portrayed geometric shapes working together harmoniously towards a serene future and the other used hand drawn elements and bold colors to convey collective action and urgency.

We then facilitated a workshop with members of DJJ’s staff, steering committee, and volunteers to inform the tone and visual design of the document. Specifically, we listened to participants’ perspectives on DJJ’s logo and recent branded content to understand the messaging DJJ’s brand should convey and the feelings the brand should evoke, and we gathered feedback on the two design concepts. 

The final case for support shares DJJ’s vision, values, approach, and how to get involved. We incorporated strong headlines, meaningful quotes, and artwork from DJJ’s community layered with hand-painted illustrations of networks to communicate the need for action and connection now as well as a feeling of optimism for the future. DJJ has adapted the colors and typography from the case for support for use in their ongoing communications.