Applied Learning Communities (ALC)
The Applied Learning Communities (ALC) is a specialized program within the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System (WCWPDS). At WCWDPS, I primarily collaborated with the ALC program to develop conference and training materials, and annual reports, and refresh the program’s brand.
The ALC program launched in 2019. The selected annual topic determines the content for the conference materials. Afterward, annual reports were developed to recap the conference’s impact and were distributed state-wide. Occasionally, there are training conferences for related topics that require their own materials.
Selected pages from the 2022 ALC conference handbook.
2022 | Annual Conference Materials
The 2022 conference dives into the specifics of danger assessment and decision-making at Access.
Design approach: The dense conference materials often rely on charts and tables to organize the information. Making the information digestible, legible, and approachable was essential to the success of these materials.
Outcomes: The playfulness of the concentric circles and layered triangles made the content inviting and visually balanced. Likewise, the contrasting shapes and colors create the sequential order needed for processing the content. Consequently, the visual hierarchy directs the reader’s attention through the various handouts.
Selected pages from the 2021 ALC conference handbook.
2021 | Annual Conference Materials
Introducing the rejuvenated ALC branding, the annual conference explores the reporter’s role in practice.
Design approach: For the multiple forms and charts, a distinguished hierarchical order was necessary. Applying the new ALC design system, color-blocking proved instrumental in establishing visual order per page. This handbook succeeds in its generous white space among the dense text.
Outcomes: By design, the handbook’s clean, structured layout allowed participants to comprehend the information and complete forms without distractions. This year’s conference materials successfully showcased the new ALC style that is playful yet professional.
Selected pages from the 2021 annual reports from the conference.
2021 | Annual Reports
The 2021 ALC conference resulted in two annual reports distributed state-wide to stakeholders.
Design approach: As a synopsis of the annual conference, these reports highlight key takeaways and statistics of the ALC’s progress in 2021. As a top priority, visual presentations of statistics aided in comprehension and visual interest. The report pages further relied on color-blocking and segmented tables/charts to group the information into digestible sections.
Outcome: At a glance, stakeholders could quickly grasp the key statistics. The prioritization of bold statistical graphics made the pages visually appealing and engaging.
2019 | Original ALC Branding
Logo/phrase: The original ALC logo featured brain and heart graphics, aligning with the program phrase, “Bring your heart and mind to the ALCs!”
Color scheme: A predominately tonal teal and blue-green palette with a bright maroon accent color. The colors are bold, contrasting, and demanding. The dichotomy of the colors accurately reflects the logo’s duality of heart and mind.
Design approach: The accentuated icons establish prominent and recognizable branding. Like the color scheme, the design is bold and directs attention around the page. Color is used primarily for visual interest rather than hierarchical purposes. Bold colors and design form a robust branding that is visually engaging and instantly identifies with the ALC program.
Original ALC logo, reports, handbook pages, and program fliers.
2019 | Original ALC Website
Problematic areas: The original site overwhelmed users and was nonintuitive for its intended audience. Returning users located information out of repetition, but users should not relearn the site’s operations during every visit. The site’s various alignment issues produced an unrefined impression. These misalignments devalued the structure the site attempted to offer.
Successes: Implementing organization via accordion folders worked to the site’s advantage. This approach grouped related information that could be expanded or collapsed if the user chose to do so. With so much information on the site, the accordion folders compartmentalized the files, providing order and consistency to the site.
2021 | New ALC Branding
Logo/phrase: The new ALC logo accentuates the program’s collective community aspect, aligning with the refreshed phrase, “Let’s connect and reflect at the ALCs!”
Color scheme: Including blue, various teals, and green, the analogous color palette evokes the harmonious synergy of a group achieving the same goal. The color scheme is calming, balanced, and unified, further embracing the logo’s intentions.
Design approach: The visual rebranding establishes a polished and professional tone for the ALC program. Compartmentalizing the dense content was essential for constructing a structured layout that was digestible rather than daunting. Color-blocking and deliberate white space allowed the design to breathe, bolstering the necessary visual hierarchy.
New ALC logo, reports, handbook pages, and program fliers.
2022 | New ALC Website
Solutions: The revitalized site is intuitive, inviting, and functional for all users. New and returning users benefit from the immediately accessible curriculum materials located atop the page. The reinstated accordion folder system provides order and stability. Resolving the misalignments, the site now corresponds to the program’s polished and professional tone.
Successes: Recapping the program’s intentions, the introductory video sets an inviting and engaging tone for the site. Like the ALC handbooks, separating content via color-blocking adds variety to the page rather than a continuous scroll of white. Through text and logos, the footer succinctly expresses the ALC’s affiliation with other programs.
Selected pages from the 2021 Safety Service Providers Training and informational event flyer.
2021 | Safety Service Provider Training
This supplementary handbook guided the training and remains a reference for specialists during their practice.
Icon: A Safety Service Provider cares for, prevents, and shields children from danger. The central logo embodies these positional objectives in a concise, concrete manner with the shield and arms hugging the heart.
Color: With its calming effect, the green undertones of the pastel mint balance the contrasting red. The bright red accent color recalls the red=danger association central to this training. Borrowed from the ALC color scheme, the various blues affiliate this training with the program. The mint and red distinguish this training from the program’s annual materials.
Design approach: Establishing hierarchy and chunking related content were instrumental for legible and visually engaging page layouts. The various tables and forms relied on alignment and color-blocking to differentiate related content.
Selected pages from the 2020 ALC conference handbook and annual reports.
2020 | Annual Materials
The 2020 ALC conference revolved around Covid-19, with the curriculum changing as rapidly as life in a pandemic.
Color: Applying color psychology, the various blues evoked tranquility and calmness. The monochromatic color scheme provided further calmness as the tones worked together, instead of being agitating and contrasting colors that compete for page dominance.
Design approach: The page designs sought composure and equanimity during unprecedented times. Segmenting the dense pandemic-related information, each page felt manageable to read and comprehend. Implementing a clear hierarchical order, the content became digestible as key information was summarized and highlighted per page.