OneCDC – Enterprise Visual Identity System
Key Points
- Unified creative direction across 10+ divisions under the OneCDC platform and “Protecting Health. Improving Lives.
- Developed a scalable enterprise style system spanning color, typography, iconography, photography, and layout governance.
- Introduced a flexible “lens” motif to frame real-world impact stories and clarify CDC’s role.
- Adopted across traditional and digital channels with senior leadership endorsement.
Details below
Challenge
Senior leadership sought visual support to more clearly communicate the agency’s impact through real-world use cases. Staff morale was strained following COVID, and public perception required recalibration. The objective was to unify messaging, highlight measurable outcomes, and rebuild trust, without undertaking a full rebrand. The solution needed to function across divisions, scale enterprise-wide, and provide practical tools communicators could implement immediately.
It wasn’t just a campaign—it was an operational shift toward clarity, consistency, and trust.
Strategy & Process
We convened a cross-divisional creative leadership team for a highly collaborative initiative. Through structured working sessions and focused design sprints, we explored and refined multiple directions before aligning on a unifying platform: OneCDC.
We developed a comprehensive style system to scale across divisions, including defined color palettes, typography standards, iconography, photography direction, and layout structures. Central to the system was a “lens” motif — a subtle framing device symbolizing focus, expertise, rapid response, and compassion. Used consistently, it helped audiences visually identify CDC’s role within complex public health narratives. The result was not just a campaign, but a usable enterprise framework.
Impact
Senior leadership formally endorsed the platform, and adoption extended across digital and traditional channels. The unified visual language gave communicators a repeatable structure for presenting real outcomes with clarity and credibility. Internally, the system re-centered mission and strengthened alignment across divisions. Externally, it contributed to more consistent, human-centered storytelling at scale.
Why I Included This
This project reflects system-level creative leadership — aligning multiple divisions under a shared visual framework while translating strategy into practical, scalable tools. It demonstrates how thoughtful brand governance can strengthen clarity, cohesion, and trust across a complex enterprise.
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