CASE STUDY:
Expanding Reach and Awareness for IIRP

Project Focus:

Brand Identity, Website Design, Digital Design Systems, Digital Marketing

Design Firm:

Up&Up Agency

Role:

Sr. Digital Art Director

OVERVIEW

The International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP) is the global leader in providing education, training, and research regarding the science of relationships and community. While the Institute held a strong reputation within K-12 education, they sought to expand their footprint into new sectors, including higher education, organizational leadership, and social health sectors.

As the Senior Digital Art Director, I led the creative development of a comprehensive new brand platform and digital ecosystem. The project scope included defining a new brand identity and messaging strategy, creating a suite of digital marketing assets, and designing a modular website system for WordPress to help the IIRP bridge the gap between academic theory and public understanding.

CHALLENGES

The Terminology Barrier.

The primary obstacle was that "Restorative Practices" is an unfamiliar term to the general public. While potential students were actively searching for the outcomes of the program—such as conflict resolution and community building—they lacked the terminology to identify the IIRP as the solution.

Diluted Meaning.

Early insights revealed that the term "restorative" had become diluted and difficult to define in the marketplace. The challenge was to move the brand away from vague academic jargon and toward a clear, benefits-driven message that resonated with people looking to improve their personal and professional environments.

SOLUTIONS

Our brand strategy team implemented a category-defining strategy that repositioned IIRP. The focus was shifted from simply stating what the IIRP is to emphasizing what the IIRP enables: the transformative power of restorative practices in communities.

Brand Platform & Identity

Our team developed a Compassionate Leader brand persona, built on the core promise to "teach humans how to successfully connect, coexist and care for each other." The creative direction I established powerfully communicated connection: split-face photography symbolized the individual's link to the community, while the concentric circles graphic represented the ability to effect real change, radiating outward.

The Big Idea: "Affecting Real Change." We linked the academic degree directly to the human desire to make a difference.

Creative Contribution: I created and championed one of the core campaign phrases: 'Restoring the Future.' The phrase was adopted by the client and integrated into all high-level messaging and key assets.

Digital Marketing Campaign

As part of the marketing team’s strategy, I designed the creative elements for a full-funnel digital strategy. This approach was engineered to capture high-intent audiences by targeting the outcomes of restorative practices rather than just the specific term.

Creative Assets: The ad creative focused on high-level aspirations, such as "Restoring the Future" and "Affecting Real Change" (fig.89).

Targeting: The campaigns targeted users searching for broad terms about conflict resolution and guided them toward specific IIRP graduate programs.

fig. 89

Website and Digital Design System

As the Senior Digital Art Director, I led the complete overhaul of the IIRP's .edu homepage (fig. 117) by designing a new layout and developing a modular digital design system for WordPress. This system ensures that the new brand identity and messaging are reflected consistently across all pages.

The strategic focus was on the user experience: The homepage immediately validates the user's intent with the compelling headline: 'You want to make a difference. Restorative practices will teach you how.' The visual hierarchy employs clean lines and clear calls to action to effortlessly guide visitors toward key areas, including Graduate Programs, Professional Development, and Integrated Services.

fig. 117

OUTCOMES

The strategy was centered on expanding opportunities, which led to significant traffic and engagement. Conversions included requesting more information, scheduling calls with admission counselors, and booking visits.

15.5 Million total impressions.
57K total clicks.
1,800+ total conversions.

CONCLUSION

Through a strategic brand overhaul and a user-centric digital design system, we transformed the IIRP's message, moving it beyond academic concepts and into a powerful, accessible narrative. By translating the benefits of restorative practices into the desire for "Affecting Real Change", we helped the IIRP solidify its position as the leader in the field and achieve its goal of raising awareness for its graduate programs across new sectors.

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