Strategic Planning & Understanding the “Why”

Over the past two weeks, our workflow has felt especially organized. We have been working off structured schedules for graphics and broader marketing initiatives, which has helped me better understand not just what we are posting, but why we are posting it. Instead of approaching each graphic as a standalone design, I have started thinking more intentionally about the purpose, whether that goal is ticket promotion, engagement, sponsorship visibility, or overall brand awareness.

Fan Engagement Graphics

One of the projects I worked on was creating walk-up song graphics for softball and baseball. These posts are a great example of engagement-driven content. They allow fans to connect with players on a more personal level. I also created a broadcasting graphic to clearly communicate where fans could watch games. This graphic will hopefully help drive viewership. 

Learning That Not Every Graphic Is Needed

I spent several hours creating variations of a “This Weekend in Stetson Athletics” graphic. I experimented with layout, spacing, and color balance to make it visually strong and informative. After reviewing it with my supervisor, he decided the graphic was ultimately unnecessary. At first, it was slightly frustrating because of the time invested. However, it was an important lesson in efficiency and strategy. Not every idea, even if well-designed, aligns with the overall marketing plan, and the number of posts and information being pushed at once needs to be balanced. 

Template Designs Across Spring Sports

One of the larger projects over these two weeks was creating schedule graphics for all spring sports. It was time-consuming but manageable because I was able to build off the lacrosse schedule template I had already created. Adjusting layouts, sport-specific colors, and details while maintaining brand consistency. This project reinforced the importance of creating adaptable templates. When working within an athletics department that supports multiple teams, efficiency and consistency go hand in hand.

Conclusion

Weeks 4 and 5 helped me grow in areas beyond just design skills. I strengthened my understanding of strategic planning, sponsor integration, template content systems, and evaluating the necessity of content before investing time into it. I am beginning to think more like a digital marketer within collegiate athletics, rather than just a graphic designer.