How do you capture the imagination in a printed piece… and prompt action? How do you translate value propositions such as living in the heart of the San Francisco performing arts district, west coast career opportunities, and the feeling of music, into visual storytelling? These were some of the challenges we happily took on when the San Francisco Conservatory of Music (SFCM) tapped us to create a new look for their printed viewbook.
SFCM is working with a new generation to define what it means to be a 21st-century musician. With its newly opened $200+ million building, The Bowes Center, and its innovative alliances SFCM has come a long way since its founding by two pioneering women in 1917. The only accredited music conservatory in northern California, it draws over 450 students from 34 countries to study with with performing faculty in classical, jazz, and technology.
CDA’s design of the 24-page viewbook represented an opportunity to direct the brand toward the conservatory’s exciting, visionary future. The graphic elements we created were leveraged and replicated onto street banners, fundraising event collateral, and digital channels. Special attention was given to guide prospective students to specific pages of SFCM’s website, giving a sense of interactive content and extending the longevity of the printed booklet.
Our process began with numerous leadership conversations including the aspirations for SFCM’s brand. Aligning with the in-house teams’ efforts, we presented multiple concepts for the cover with custom illustrations and designs for key pages. We worked collaboratively to hone the visual story and recommended high-level messaging to their provided content. Our delivered booklet invites prospective students and their families into a memorable slice of life that celebrates the diverse, vibrant craft of music being forged and nurtured at SFCM.
We often hear our team is chosen because of the high quality of our design work and because we do not work in only one sector but across a broad spectrum. We also hear we’re enjoyable to work with! Contact us if you’re curious about how we can partner with you and where your team may need support, whether that involves aspects of strategy, identity and/or experience creations with print, digital or video expertise.
