2025 CSDC Conference
Branding & Design
An evolved, place-based conference identity for California’s leading Charter advocacy organization—building on the momentum of 2024 and bringing a fresh wave of creativity to Palm Springs.
- Strategy
- Marketing
- Messaging
- Creative Direction
- Branding
The Challenge
The annual CSDC (Charter Schools Development Center) Conference gathers Charter leaders from across California for three days of professional development, networking, and inspiration. Following the success of the 2024 Sacramento identity, the CSDC team partnered with Five Acres again to extend the design system into a new visual experience for 2025—one that celebrated the desert setting of Palm Springs while maintaining brand continuity and scalability for years to come.
Our Solution
Five Acres expanded upon the foundational design system created in 2024, introducing a fresh color palette, refined iconography, and a new event logo and logomark inspired by the ripple effect of collaboration and growth within the Charter community. The refreshed identity was seamlessly integrated across print, digital, and environmental applications, balancing consistency with renewal.
In parallel, we reimagined the event website from the ground up—beginning with new wireframes, user flows, and a UI framework designed to improve navigation, highlight conference content, and make annual reskinning faster and more cost-efficient.
Final Primary Logos
Brand Guidelines
The 2025 identity system was designed to evolve the previous year’s foundation—retaining core structural elements while introducing new energy through color, iconography, and motion. The new logo mark, a stylized leaf drawn from CSDC’s main brand, symbolizes the ripple effect of collaboration and shared growth that defines the Charter movement.
A warm, sun-soaked palette reflects Palm Springs’ landscape and mid-century charm, while the grid system and typography preserve consistency and clarity across print and digital environments. The result: a brand that feels both timeless and timely—professional yet full of life.
Place-based Iconography
The 2025 identity expands the illustrative system to feature custom icons and graphic motifs inspired by Palm Springs’ landscape and architecture—palm fronds, desert blooms, mid-century patterns, and the soft geometry of the surrounding mountains.
Each illustration was designed to integrate seamlessly into CSDC’s modular grid system, allowing for easy composition and cross-medium consistency. The result is a cohesive, location-inspired library that visually celebrates each year’s host city while maintaining CSDC’s recognizable brand foundation.
Sample graphics designed to be mixed, matched, and stacked in grids
A modern and scalable website template
To make annual updates more efficient, Five Acres rebuilt the CSDC Conference website from scratch—starting with wireframes and UX strategy before moving into a refined, modern UI.
The result is a flexible, modular website framework that can be easily reskinned for future conferences without starting over. The mobile-first design prioritizes accessibility, readability, and strong visual storytelling, featuring human-centered imagery, bold typography, and the expanded 2025 color system. This evolution ensures that each new conference feels fresh and engaging, while the foundation remains strategic, scalable, and easy to manage year over year.
Desktop and Mobile Website Homepage
Signage and Wayfinding
Notebook and Water Bottle Swag Items
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