Teamwork Makes the Dream Work - Student Affairs Creative Unit

TEAMWORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK

Creating + Managing In-House Creative Agencies

@RyersonSA

THIS IS SA CREATIVE

Bailey ParnellDonica WillisHamza KhanLucas GobertTesni EllisTroy Murray

WE’RE NEW IN TOWN.I ALSO THINK WE’RE THE ONLY ONES IN

TOWN...

LEARNING OUTCOMESYou’ll understand the importance of an Innovation Unit to meet the complex challenges of tomorrow’s students.

You’ll understand how #RyersonSA was successful in creating an Innovation Unit.

You’ll learn how to structure, support, and sustain an Innovation Unit at your respective organization.

CHANGING LANDSCAPE

Teehan+Lax (Facebook)Jet Cooper (Shopify)Behance (Adobe)Fjord (Accenture)80/20 (Square)The list goes on...

STUDENTS ARE CHANGING

More technologyMore accessMore optionsMore distractions

In the face of all of this, how can we earn their attention, trust & loyalty?

BUT HIGHER ED ISN’T...

Despite the evolving behaviours and expectations of our students, we continue to under-resource our marketing & communications efforts.

Doing things the way they’ve been done is a horrible reason to keep doing it.We need something good + different.

The next step.

iUNIT

INNOVATION UNIT

What is it?

DEMYSTIFYING IT

Creativity = The ability to make connections between seemingly disparate points.

Innovation = The ability to create value in a new (and exciting) way.

IN-HOUSE CREATIVE AGENCY

“We’re an in-house agency that offers a combination of strategy, design, technology and advertising services to clients. We are creative and expert-led. We’re made up primarily of creative professionals, and are strongly defined by values. We know who we are, and that is very important to growing as a team. Identity helps us understand what you we’re good at, where we create value and where we are headed.”

#RYERSONSA“Good + Different”

WHY?

User Experience is how you treat your students. Are we supporting recruitment? Retention? Evangelism?

WE BELIEVE IN CHANGE

Our constant focus on change has made it a value of #RyersonSA.

But it wasn’t easy...

CREATIVITY VS. INNOVATION

EVERYTHING IS AWESOME!

PHASE 1: BUY-IN

CommitteesAuditsConsolidation

PHASE 2: SKUNKWORKS

If at first you aren’t supported, do it anyways.

PHASE 3: TROJAN HORSEWe were originally called the “innovation” unit.A budget is reflection of an organization’s priorities.A small group of us knew that this was important.

SANFORD’S THEORY

The power of constraints + RyersonSA’s support.

THE STRUCTURE OF A CREATIVE TEAM

Positions, Hiring, Retention, etc.

GRAPHICS & WEB DESIGNHi, I’m Donica Willis.

My superpower is Recalibration.

Here’s what I do:

● All things creative from web to print● Transform ideas into visual masterpieces

This is how my work supports the portfolio:

● I help RyersonSA ensure visual materials are communicating effectively & consistently to students & other audiences.

DIGITAL COMMUNITY/STORYTELLINGHi, I’m Tesni Ellis.

My superpower is Empathy.

Here’s what I do:

● @RUStudentLife studentlife.ryerson.ca● Story seeking, facilitation, and encouragement● Coordinate, publish, and disseminate SA’s student-facing

communications and promotions● Work with and learn from students

This is how my work supports the portfolio:

● Cultivating a sense of digital community on (and beyond) campus● Ensuring students know what SA does and how and why we’re here for them

CONTENT + COMMUNICATIONSHi, I’m Lucas Gobert.

My superpower is Energy.

Here’s what I do:

● RyersonStudentAffairs.com● Editing + Content Strategy● Teach / Support Storytelling

This is how my work supports the portfolio:

● I encourage colleagues to share their work/stories on the blog.● I ensure that #RyersonSA’s text is clean & clear.● I help colleagues think about the stories in their work, and how to share them.

SPONSORSHIP + FUNDRAISINGHi, I’m Troy Murray.

My superpower is Grit.

Here’s what I do:● Sponsorship● Fundraising

This is how my work supports the portfolio:● $$$

DIGITAL MARKETING + PR Hi, I’m Bailey Parnell.

My superpower is Ingenuity.

Here’s what I do:

● Campaign creation + management● Marketing + PR● Teaching + idea sharing

This is how my work supports the portfolio:

● I connect students & staff to their communities● I tell the stories of RUSL & #RyersonSA● I raise the competencies of #RyersonSA staff & students

COORDINATORHi, I’m Hamza Khan.

My superpower is Harmonizer.

Here’s what I do:● Workflow + Prioritization● Politicking + Shit Insulating● Systems + Innovation

This is how my work supports the portfolio:● I help chart the course + stay on track.● I secure + allocate resources.● I remove obstacles from the team’s way.

COMMUNITY: STUDENTSRU Student Life

COMMUNITY: STAFF#RyersonSA

WHAT DO WE DO

FULL SERVICE

“These agencies excel at executing on complex projects where many disciplines are required. These are often the largest and most profitable organizations within creative services. While they have all four service categories, it is often the advertising component that leads the business and most projects serve larger campaigns or a marketing goal.” - Playground Inc.

DELIVERABLESSTRATEGY● CONSULTING● PLANNING● RESEARCH

DESIGN● VISUAL● USER EXPERIENCE● PHOTOGRAPHY &

VIDEOGRAPHY

TECHNOLOGY● EDUCATION● DEVELOPMENT● SYSTEMS

ADVERTISING● PROMOTIONAL● PUBLIC RELATIONS● MARKETING

HOW WE WORK

HolacracyCloud-ComputingProject ManagementSprintsFun

WHAT WE’VE DONECASE STUDIES

TESNI

#ENDSH

TROY

RBC MONEY SMART

BAILEY

#ROADTORYERSON

DONICA

REBRANDING

LUCAS

5 DIRECTORS, 5 DAYS

HAMZA

@RYERSONSA

YOU NEED AN INNOVATION UNIT

You’re going to risk losing students without one.

Q&A

1. What were you doing before SA Creative?2. What is the most challenging part of SA Creative?3. What are you doing to prepare for the Class of

2019?4. What does student affairs look like in 2020?

CHECKLIST

ChallengeResourcesStructureCapacity

THANK YOU!@RyersonSA