School of Visual Arts

BARNARD COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY

Belleville High School

Governors School of Public Issues

Programmes Director

Firsthand (formerly Nucleus Impact)

Co-faculty for the Brand Physics course (Spring): In this course, students work with a real client to deliver on a particular creative or strategic assignment, beginning with the project brief and concluding with final deliverables. With our support, the class exercises research skills and creative and strategic thinking while learning a large variety of branding frameworks. Students also deliver presentations to the client at key progress points, ultimately delivering in-market strategies.

Teaching Faculty

— Design and conduct primary research to test hypotheses and prototypes in order to establish a body of actionable insights 
— Define the critical elements that lead to emotional and functional binding among critical audiences to the defined challenge, entity, product, or brand
— Collaborate on the development of brand tools, strategies, and positioning recommendations
— Building capacity through workshop facilitation, masterclasses on effective messaging, and leveraging brand tools and frameworks to advance the work of experts, both industry and impact

Clients include: Crane, UNICEF [across many projects], Joe Torre Safe at Home, AMC, Frutero, UNDP, Nested Bean, Ploughshares, MacArthur Foundation, ELN, PSR, CSR, Nutrafol, End Violence Partnership

www.thenucleusgroup.com

The Nucleus Group

Director of Strategy

Conducting category and culture audit and employing qualitative research methods to inform client’s brand positioning around the topic of allergies

Nucleus Strategy

Freelance Brand Strategist

— Concept, present, and execute all in-house design, spanning social media, events, brand presentations, grants, and web-based content
— Lead creative projects by managing calendars, collaborating with multidisciplinary teams, and contributing to all outreach strategies 
— Manage creative partnerships by presenting project briefs, owning feedback, ensuring timely deliverables, and working to reduce costs
— Align creative strategy with cross-channel communication goals to develop meaningful campaigns and copy
— Spearhead brainstorms and progress meetings for creative projects 
— Surface and articulate audience insights to inform campaign strategy

Ubuntu Pathways

Creative Lead

— Responsible for in-house design across multiple platforms and developing creative briefs for 3rd party vendors to address design needs and expectations
— Liaise with 3rd party technology and design vendors to ensure that deliverable are consistent with our branding 
— Assists with larger communication and marketing strategies including but not limited to social media, Medium, press and partner relationships
— Maintain and curate print and digital media across all platforms as needed (photography, video, etc.)
— Led in-house creative and design execution across all offices
— Guided strategic rationale for all creative decisions in rebrand process based on external research and internal analysis
— Translated fundraising strategies into creative concepts

Branding & Design Coordinator

In their 11th year of incredible growth, I, along with a talented team of four designers and in collaboration with Debbie Millman at the School of Visual Arts, had the unique opportunity to redesign the visual identity of the Joyful Heart Foundation. 

— Conducted a thorough creative and strategic audit that provided design inspiration and informed the brand positioning. 
— Developing a refreshed visual brand architecture to be implemented across all the brand and marketing collateral
— Created detailed brand guidelines for design communications
— Wrote adjoining copy to launch the new brand with the ultimate goal of empowering survivors and stakeholders while inspiring wider support and awareness
— Lead client presentations at key deliverable stages and other major progress points

Joyful Heart Foundation

Creative Strategist, Copy Writer

- Was responsible for in-house design across multiple platforms (website, social media, events, fundraising campaigns, all internal and external pitch decks, etc.)
- Managed projects with 3rd party vendors to ensure on-time deliverables and quality 
- Developed larger social media strategy and executed any necessary writing and design 
- Maintained and curated print and digital media across all platforms as needed (photography, video, etc.)

Marketing & Communications Coordinator

External Relations Assistant

- Conducting thorough research in order to keep site content up-to-date and the department up-to-speed (including internet, library database, and publication research)
- Assisting with writing/editing summaries, reports, and articles on important events
- Drafting informational memos for interdepartmental use

Shazeeda Bhola