Who Are We?
DC+FOCUS
DC+FOCUS
DESIGN CONSORTIUM
Spring Class of 2026
The Design Consortium (DC) is a collaborative student–faculty studio built on an engaged, participatory approach to design. In this setting, students and faculty work alongside community members, organizations, schools, and local activists to advance shared communication and public engagement goals. Rather than positioning designers as service providers, the model emphasizes equal partnership, where meaningful outcomes are shaped through collective effort. This approach values the knowledge and perspectives each participant contributes, recognizing them as essential to both the process and its outcomes. The framework is embedded within the Graphic Design program at Express Newark.
Within this structure, design students collaborate with faculty to assess partners’ communication needs and challenges, develop thoughtful strategies, and propose design solutions for implementation.
OUR MISSION
FOCUS
(Hispanic Center for Community Development)
FOCUS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Newark that provides community social services and human development programs to residents of Essex County. The organization is dedicated to strengthening communities and improving quality of life by offering resources and opportunities that help individuals and families become self-sufficient.
FOCUS primarily serves Newark’s Hispanic population, reflecting the broader demographics of New Jersey, which has one of the largest Latino populations in the United States. Through its adult and human development programs, as well as its children and family services, FOCUS supports a diverse community: approximately 48% of clients identify as Hispanic, 42% as African American, 9% as Caucasian, and 1% as other ethnic backgrounds.
This semester, the Design Consortium is partnering with the FOCUS Hispanic Center for Community Development in Newark to support its work serving the local Hispanic community. FOCUS provides high-quality, community-centered services, and this collaboration aims to help expand its reach while strengthening long-term sustainability.
Through this partnership, the DC team will work with FOCUS to better define and communicate its full range of services to both community members and potential funders. This may involve updating its visual identity, improving presentation materials, and developing a more organized and effective website. Overall, the goal is to increase awareness, improve access to services, and support FOCUS in building stronger financial stability through clearer communication and outreach.
Current Identity
Primary
Website
New Visual Exploration
Refine
Visual system refinement. Organizing, optimizing and modernizing existing brand elements.
New Horizon
Evolve
Subtle updates to the core icon/logo and extending overall visual system (font, palette & visual elements).
Abraso
Reframe
Reimagining the brand expression. Transforming core elements or visualizing new ones for a new conceptual directionfor the brand.
Victoria
Victoria
This concept initially began with reimagining the burst of sun rays in the current logo with softer, more abstracted forms. With further development, symbols such as an infinity knot and a bridge came into play, as they spoke to unity, intersectionality, and outreach, all of which FOCUS encompasses.
The final logo is a simplified version of this sketch, which reinforces the concept of a horizon by using a Victoria amazonica (a water lily native to South America) sitting on rippled water (which takes the form of an infinity symbol). This treatment not only maintains its original meaning but brings in movement, highlighting FOCUS as a proactive organization.
Applications
