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Closer Than You Think™
Closer Than You Think™ is a statewide campaign created for Colorado University and Colorado State University to better connect rural students and families with real, accessible pathways to higher education. Many rural communities feel disconnected from college opportunities, and this campaign set out to close that gap.
The Challenge
Our challenge was to build a brand identity and campaign system that could speak to multiple audiences, live across dozens of media channels, and feel genuinely reflective of Colorado’s communities. The visuals needed to be bold enough to cut through statewide media saturation, but flexible enough to adapt to social, OOH, digital, broadcast, and hyper-targeted messaging.
We weren’t just designing a campaign…we were reimagining how higher education could show up for rural Colorado.
Art Direction
A major part of my role was leading the art direction across all creative partners. I worked closely with internal teams, partner agencies, and our client stakeholders to shape a visual language that felt human, energetic, and culturally sensitive.
We wanted to push the needle on how colleges communicate. So we moved away from generic academic imagery and toward something that felt personal, hopeful, and rooted in real communities.
My Role:
Creative Direction & UI/UX Lead
• Directed visual identity and campaign art direction
• Concepted and led creation of the central mosaic artwork
• Oversaw design for broadcast, OTT, digital, and social assets
• Designed campaign website and guided UX strategy
• Collaborated with partner agencies to maintain consistency
• Led brand guideline development and systemization
The Mosaic
A Central Storytelling Device
The heart of the campaign was a custom mosaic artwork I conceptualized and directed.
It needed to embody the diversity of Colorado — geographically, culturally, and academically — while also serving as a flexible visual system.
Each fragment of the mosaic could stand alone in different placements, allowing us to tailor messages to specific communities without losing the unified story.
This single piece became a storytelling engine:
• A canvas for individual narratives
• A symbol of statewide connection
• A flexible asset for digital, print, and broadcast
• A visual identity that was unmistakably ours
It gave the campaign cohesion and emotion, something families could see themselves in.
Video Assets and Animation
For our broadcast, OTT, and CCTV deliverables, I directed the process of bringing the mosaic to life through animation.
This wasn’t just motion for motion’s sake, every transition and movement was designed to guide viewers through opportunities available to them.
We paired the visuals with carefully cast voiceovers that brought warmth and relatability to the story. These voices became the emotional anchor of the campaign.
Take a look at the video work that didn’t feel like an ad, but an invitation. ———————————————————>
Various Digital Media and Social Assets
Brand Identity
I led the creation of comprehensive brand guidelines to ensure consistency across every touchpoint — from typography and color to mosaic usage, photography, and campaign tone.
This work required tight, thoughtful collaboration across several teams:
• Hispanidad
• The internal Human-centered design team
• Friends Of Mine (creative partners)
Our launch in December 2023 was seamless and coordinated, setting the foundation for a multi-phase statewide campaign.
Closer Than You Think. org
CloserThanYouThink.org serves as the central digital hub for the campaign. I wanted to create a place where colleges across Colorado could come together to support rural students and families. The goal was to create a resource that makes the journey to higher education feel less overwhelming and far more approachable.
I designed the site to simplify complex information like financial aid, scholarships, and next steps, bringing everything into one clear, navigable experience. By organizing tools and resources in a way that feels intuitive and supportive, the webpage helps demystify the application process and gives families a more confident starting point.
At its core, the site reflects the heart of the campaign: breaking down barriers, expanding access, and making college feel within reach for every student, no matter where they live.
Results
The initial 8-week statewide campaign delivered:
• 20M+ quantifiable impressions (excluding terrestrial radio)
• Clear conversion paths for all four target cohorts
• Strong alignment between research and performance metrics
• A validated strategy that informed Phase 2
• Increased investment and stakeholder participation
This campaign created momentum and renewed confidence in how Colorado communicates college access.
