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MISSION
Heart. Mind. Gut.

Baltimore School for the Arts

Fresh and Future-Forward

We knew that capturing the magic of Baltimore School for the Arts in an identity system was a lofty goal, but it was crucial to reorient the perception of this well-respected institution as a thought-leader in the future of arts education. The school was eager to convey its commitment to preparing students for real-world arts opportunities. It was especially important to leverage their impressive offering of interdisciplinary programming and their state of the art resources. This message was important for prospective students and parents, and an essential step in positioning for the expansion of the school’s donation base. Mission worked closely with staff and supporters to create a logo and identity system that could provide a platform for their strategic plan. Then, we reimagined the school’s online experience: we designed, developed and launched a website that captured the vibrant and energetic spirit of the school, and made updating the community with the latest news and events an easy A for staff. After launching this new online environment, our team set to work overhauling the audition and registration database for the school’s TWIGS after-school art program. We streamlined data input, improved data manipulation tools and enriched the opportunity for data analysis by working closing with the TWIGS staff to understand their process and needs. Now the school has a cohesive set of guidelines to use as they convey their value to the arts community, and a fully customized set of tools to enhance their communication and information management goals.

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Expertise

Identity, Collateral, Environmental, Advertising, Web Design, Development & Integration, Custom CMS

Markets

Arts Organizations, Education

Online HQ

bsfa.org/

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I

Identity System

Modern Vibrancy, Timeless Excellence

The Baltimore School for the Arts identity system is designed to resonate with both educational excellence and the vibrance of the student body, staff and curriculum.

Logo

Style Guide

Color Variants

BSA.001 Logo Variants

A Legacy, Evolved

We combined a bold, bright sans serif type with remnants of the school's older, script-style logo to create a new identity that honors the legacy of the institution while embracing the future with excitement.

Colorways

A bright and flexible color palette, juxtaposed with timeless typefaces, conveys the energy of the blossoming young artist, as well as the high-standards to which the students' work is held.

II

Collateral

Elegance in Purpose

From academic leadership to the tireless development team, student success remains the unwavering purpose. A confident, elegant set of collateral reinforces this purpose and unifies staff across all departments within the school.

Stationery

Apparel

Merchandise

Signage

BSA.003 Collateral Details
BSA.004 Collateral Details
BSA.005 Collateral Details
BSA.003 Collateral Details
BSA.004 Collateral Details
BSA.005 Collateral Details

Stationery Package

Elements colorfully change to make a set of cards for each recipient.

BSA.007 Apparel
BSA.008 Swag
BSA.009 Window Clings
BSA.007 Apparel
BSA.008 Swag
BSA.009 Window Clings

Inspiring students, younger children and the community for a more creative tomorrow

Spreading the enthusiasm of a robust community means creating items that can be worn with pride. From bright, bold colors on apparel to untreated photography of students engaged in what they love, our external collateral items tell a story and rally a sense of pride and unity between alumni, students, parents and staff.

BSA.010 Signage and Banners
BSA.011 Signage and Banners
BSA.010 Signage and Banners
BSA.011 Signage and Banners
III

Environmental Graphics

Creativity from within.

We were excited to create texture and ambiance for the school's common areas by using actual notes and doodles from student notebooks. This choice reflects that the school belongs to students; a safe place for dreams to flourish and ideas to bloom.

Wall Graphics

Interior Design

BSA.012 Environmental Graphics

Our Space

Wall designs were intentionally utilized in common areas to enhance the philosophy that the physical space of the school belongs to the students.

“ ”

This environment is more than walls. It is a spark for creativity and an incubator for abstract thought.

Todd H.  /  Mission CD + BSA Alum

BSA.014 Wall graphic detail shots
BSA.015 Wall graphic detail shots
BSA.014 Wall graphic detail shots
BSA.015 Wall graphic detail shots
IV

User Experience

Embracing Movement & Encouraging Engagement

Direct, digestible content and simple navigation makes it easy for students, parents, alumni and supporters to find information. A robust, easy-to-update online calendar and convenient CTAs keeps visitors engaged with the day-to-day.

Research & Development

Sitemap

User Flow Planning

Wireframing

BSA.016 Sitemap and user flow development
BSA.017 Initial wireframe sketches
BSA.016 Sitemap and user flow development
BSA.017 Initial wireframe sketches
BSA.018 High fidelity wireframes

Dynamic wireframes for unique experiences and a site with a life of its own.

There are a lot of moving parts to the school, including multiple arts departments, so we built a site that showcases everything in an engaging but easily-navigated interface. Floating, modular, puzzle pieces convey a feeling of adaptability and harmony.

BSA.019 Homepage intro section wireframe
BSA.020 Fluid parallaxing content for majors
BSA.021 Integration of dynamic and static content for Alumni grid
BSA.019 Homepage intro section wireframe
BSA.020 Fluid parallaxing content for majors
BSA.021 Integration of dynamic and static content for Alumni grid
V

Site Development

Captivating Content & Device-Neutral Delivery

As an online hub for the latest activities within the bustling community, the website functions as both a news platform and an archive of notable events and alumni. Staff can update the site with ease, 3rd-party integrations are intuitive, and the site displays dynamic elegantly.

Custom CMS

Wordpress Integration

CSS Animations

Parallaxing Content

Custom Frontend Development

BSA.022 Responsive homepage layout
BSA.023 CSS and Scroll Effects

Begin With A Flourish

Scroll-based transitions help the feature section of the site wow visitors from the start.

The energy, excitement and raw talent of the BSA community is equally as compelling on all devices.

Versatility is a non-negotiable when audiences need access to events, deadlines at-home, in the classroom, and on-the-go. Information is easy to find and easy to digest so that those that support the students can stay involved.

BSA.024 Responsive Layouts
BSA.025 Responsive Layouts
BSA.024 Responsive Layouts
BSA.025 Responsive Layouts
V

TWIGS Audition Portal Development

Moving a Traditional Process Forward.

For many students and families, the BSA relationship begins with TWIGS. As a free after school program, funding is crucial to the future of this immensely valuable pillar of Baltimore's arts education landscape. Funding is data-driven and BSA needed a way to identify the obvious success of this program with indisputable figures. We set out to create a tool that not only streamlines the TWIGS audition process for staff and applicants, but also captures and tracks data that will become the basis for future support.

Custom CMS

Wordpress Integration

Custom Frontend Development

BSA.026 On-site Application Portal

GOALS

Better insights into student body
Replace manual, paper-based current setup
Integrate with new site CMS

SOLUTIONS

Dynamic aggregation of user information to Constant Contact
Seamless integration with current website CMS
Tablet-based signup process hosted directly at auditions and other school events
BSA.024 Responsive Layouts
BSA.025 Responsive Layouts
BSA.027 Application Process

More time assessing potential and less time sorting paperwork.

Not only does the custom, core database make reporting easy and adaptable, the external interface is also a breeze to navigate for nervous parents and students registering on their big audition day. Staff also benefit greatly from a streamlined application-to-acceptance tracker that allows them to spend more time assessing potential and less time sorting paperwork.

We love working with Mission because they understand the school's needs and everything they work on turns to gold. From start to finish, every project we have worked on with Mission has been flawless, creative, and most importantly fun!

Carter P.

Foundation Director | Baltimore School for the Arts
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