Cait Dyche

Across workshops, workrooms, and the wilds of the web, I design environments where knowledge becomes participatory, usable, and meaningful to the communities it serves.

I bridge the gap between complex research and community impact, designing content and learning frameworks that turn static information into collective understanding and action.

I care deeply about clarity, connection, and building things that people can actually use.

And if we have a few laughs in the process, even better ;)

Photo by Steve A Johnson on Pexels

Case Study:

NJICS

New Jersey Institute for Community Schools

Foundational Brand & Communication Infrastructure

The Challenge

As a newly established state institute, NJICS lacked a centralized digital identity and a formalized method for stakeholder engagement. To fulfill its mission of supporting community school initiatives across New Jersey, the organization required a "zero-to-one" infrastructure launch. The primary obstacles included:

  • Information Fragmentation: Vital institute insights and legislative updates existed in silos without a public-facing "source of truth."
  • Engagement Gaps: No recurring mechanism existed to keep state-wide stakeholders (educators, policymakers, and community leaders) aligned with the institute’s progress.
  • Resource Accessibility: High-value research and guidance documents needed a secure, professional dissemination pipeline that didn't rely on complex web architecture.
  • Brand Ambiguity: As a new entity, the institute needed a visual and narrative identity that communicated professional authority and community-centric values.

The Solution

I designed and deployed a "lean infrastructure" toolkit to serve as the institute’s primary engagement engine. BBy prioritizing identity architecture and communication funnels, I ensured immediate institutional credibility:

    IDENTITY ARCHITECTURE

    Developed a cohesive visual language and narrative tone that balanced policy authority with community accessibility. This included establishing the visual "look and feel" for the inaugural digital presence.

    MODULAR COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS

    Engineered the "NJICS Newsletter" from the ground up. I designed reusable templates for recurring content pillars, such as "Mapping Momentum" and "NJ Happenings," ensuring a consistent brand experience across all distributions.

    A long-form vertical screenshot of the inaugural NJICS newsletter. The design features a professional blue and red color palette, a clean layout with clear section headers like 'Institute Insights' and 'Mapping Momentum,' and a mix of group photography and data visualizations.
    The Inaugural Blueprint. A ground-up design featuring modular content blocks and a unified visual identity. This foundational communication system was architected to bridge the gap between internal institute research and state-wide stakeholder engagement.

    STRATEGIC NARRATIVE TRANSLATION

    Acted as a strategic partner to shape the outreach strategy, synthesizing dense institute research into accessible, high-impact narratives for diverse stakeholder groups.

    A zoomed-in screenshot from the NJICS newsletter's 'National Moves' section. It features a blue-bordered callout box and a 'Key Findings' bulleted list summarizing academic growth and equity impact data from the Learning Policy Institute. The layout uses bold typography and clear hierarchy to make research data accessible.
    Strategic Narrative Translation. An excerpt from Issue 02 illustrating the synthesis of complex research. By distilling a major California study into a "Key Findings" framework, this design provides stakeholders with immediate, data-driven evidence to support local advocacy and policy initiatives.

    The Impact

    The implementation of this digital infrastructure transformed NJICS from an internal concept into a visible, authoritative state resource:

    SUSTAINABLE HAND-OFF

    By building modular, template-based systems, I provided the institute with a sustainable framework they can maintain with minimal technical overhead as their mission expands.

    INSTITUTIONAL CREDIBILITY

    Neutralized 'new entity' ambiguity by delivering a polished, professional brand presence that allowed the Institute to participate in high-level policy discussions with immediate visual and narrative authority.

    EFFICIENT KNOWLEDGE FLOW

    Established a direct "Resource-to-Stakeholder" pipeline, ensuring that critical policy and educational documents were distributed and tracked effectively.