New Westminster School District: Strategic Report
Project Info
Year
Type
Roles
Tools
Overview
New Westminster Schools partnered with Roots & Rivers Consulting to shape its 2025–2030 Strategic Plan through a deeply collaborative process. Guided by a commitment to inclusive engagement, over 350 students, families, staff, and community partners contributed insights—resulting in a shared vision designed to drive meaningful, lasting change. This report is both a culmination of that work and a tool to help keep the district team aligned with its priorities through 2030.
Challenge
New Westminster School District wanted their 2025–2030 strategic plan to feel grounded, accessible, and inspiring—reflecting the voices of the communities they serve. But their existing visual identity posed challenges: filters over imagery reduced clarity, and previous reports struggled with legibility, particularly where text overlapped images. At the same time, alignment with the existing brand was important to maintain recognition and cohesion.They also requested a one-page teaser that would distill the full plan into a format easy to circulate with staff and partners.
Goals
- Improve Readability + Accessibility
- Maintain brand alignment, without visual clutter
- Bring the community in
Concept
Community at the Center
This design uses thoughtful photography, accessible layout, and narrative structure to reflect the strategic priorities of NWSD—while making the community feel seen, heard, and included in the journey.
Approach
- Main Report:
A balanced layout alternating between content-rich white pages and calming color-blocked sections in “jade,” “sky,” and “ocean.” Key content areas are introduced with inner covers in brand colors, giving readers natural pause points. Photography was treated as cut-outs or full-bleed panels, designed to avoid text overlap while connecting spreads visually. Shapes and imagery echoed the waves/circles in the NWSD logo—without repeating them directly—adding subtle cohesion. - One-Pager Teaser:
A concise, high-impact piece designed for internal sharing and stakeholder previews. Featuring value icons, brand colors, and an intentionally unconventional layout (with a left-aligned call-to-action link to grab attention).
Results
The final designs offer a clear, engaging layout that communicates NWSD’s strategic vision while centering the voices of their community. With improved legibility, cohesive visual storytelling, and thoughtful brand alignment, the project provides a strong foundation for communicating their priorities—internally and externally.
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