Your Money: Earn It. Protect It!
Client
City of Gaithersburg Community Services
Services
Branding
Graphic Design
A 7-session financial literacy program designed to teach youth how to earn, grow, and manage money effectively. To incentivize participation, participants who completed all sessions received $250 deposited into their bank accounts.
Overview
The City of Gaithersburg, under its Bank on Gaithersburg initiative, partnered with local nonprofits (Housing Initiative Partnership, Montgomery College, Interfaith Works, and more) to launch an innovative financial literacy program for youth, named “Xtreme Finances.” The program began with a high-energy Orientation/Launch Event, featuring arrow tag, food, a DJ, and giveaways.
I was responsible for developing the complete branding and marketing materials for Xtreme Finances. My goal was to create a cohesive and engaging visual identity that resonated with the program’s target audience—youth seeking fun and interactive learning experiences.
Design Concept
The visual aesthetic for Xtreme Finances combined a grungy texture with vibrant colors to capture the energy and enthusiasm of the youth audience. Moreover, the green color palette reinforced the concept of money. Altogether, the branding conveyed a sense of action, excitement, and financial empowerment, making the program approachable and engaging.
Challenges
One of the key challenges was ensuring the materials appealed to a diverse group of young people while maintaining clarity about the program’s educational focus. Additionally, designing a functional badge that served as both a scorecard and an appealing keepsake required innovative thinking.
Solutions
Youth-Focused Design: The grungy yet vibrant aesthetic, paired with bold typography and dynamic imagery, ensured the materials stood out and resonated with the audience.
Functional Design: The badge was designed with clear markers for punching holes after each session, providing a sense of progression and achievement.
Cohesive Branding: All materials maintained a consistent visual language, reinforcing the program’s identity and making it easily recognizable.
Deliverables
To support this financial literacy program for youth and engage participants, I designed the following materials:
Logo: A dynamic logo featuring an “X” as a targeting point with an arrow catching a dollar bill. This design symbolized the program’s themes of targeting financial success and launching toward goals.
Postcard: Eye-catching promotional material sent to potential participants, providing key details about the program and its benefits.
Posters: Grungy yet vibrant designs placed in community centers, schools, and other youth-centric spaces to capture attention.
Certificate: A celebratory certificate awarded to participants upon program completion, reinforcing their achievement.
T-Shirt: Custom-branded apparel designed to build camaraderie and serve as a wearable advertisement.
Badge/Score Card: A functional and creative badge that doubled as a scorecard, allowing participants to track their attendance by punching a hole for each session attended.
Results
The “Xtreme Finances” financial literacy program for youth successfully engaged the demographic, with strong participation in the Orientation/Launch Event and high retention rates across the 7 sessions. Additionally, feedback from participants highlighted the appealing visuals and interactive elements as key factors in their engagement.
