The Problem

United Way of San Diego County (UWSD) faced a critical problem: effectively communicating its mission, programs, and impact to the diverse people and organizations in its community. The team recognized that misunderstanding or lack of awareness about “who we are, what we do, and who we help” hindered engagement and support. To address this, UWSD needed a process that would clarify its message, enhance its connection with the community, and create actionable insights to drive better engagement.

The problem statement guiding the initiative was:

“How might the United Way San Diego best communicate who we are, what we do, and who we help to the people in the community?”

The Process

Design Thinking was selected for this initiative because of its ability to address complex, human-centered challenges. This methodology allowed UWSD to align its mission with community needs by prioritizing empathy, collaboration, and actionable results.

Empathize

UWSD focused on understanding how the community perceives its mission and role.

• Research: Analyzed reviews, comments, and data to assess community perceptions.
• Surveys: Collected insights on community expectations for UWSD’s role.
• Focus Groups & Interviews: Engaged stakeholders (leaders, managers, parents, and influencers) to explore perceptions, unmet needs, and opportunities for collaboration.
• Personas: Created detailed audience profiles to guide messaging and engagement efforts.

Deliverables:

• Community Insights Report: Highlighted perceptions, gaps, and opportunities for greater impact.
• Audience Personas: Provided a framework for targeted messaging and program development.
• Strategic Communication Themes: Established early messaging priorities around collaboration, equity, and transformation.

Define

• Synthesized findings from the empathize phase into actionable problem statements.
• Focused on understanding audience segments like “cause-conscious families” and their unique needs, behaviors, and motivations.
• Identified gaps in community awareness and engagement.

Ideate

• Facilitated brainstorming sessions to generate creative communication ideas.
• Prioritized solutions that highlighted UWSD’s strengths in collaboration and resource alignment.

Prototype

• Developed initial communication strategies, including messaging frameworks and visual designs.
• Drafted a unifying theme: “United Way of San Diego County strengthens our community when we align with partners and leverage our resources to resolve inequities and transform the lives of children, young adults, and families.”

Test

• Conducted feedback sessions with stakeholders to refine messaging.
• Ensured the solutions addressed gaps in perception and strengthened connections with the community.

Share

• Presented the results at a United Way Community Breakfast, highlighting the personas and insights developed.
• Showcased the unifying theme with a powerful video titled “Align, Leverage, Transform.”

The Solution

Through this structured process, UWSD developed a deeper understanding of its community and refined its communication strategies. The unifying theme—“United Way of San Diego County strengthens our community when we align with partners and leverage our resources to resolve inequities and transform the lives of children, young adults, and families”—became the cornerstone of their messaging, reinforcing their mission and purpose.

The Results

• Clearer Communication: Developed messaging frameworks that effectively communicated UWSD’s identity and impact.
• Comprehensive Community Profiles: Created detailed personas that informed strategic decision-making.
• Increased Engagement: Improved alignment between community needs and UWSD’s programs, fostering stronger relationships and support.
• Empowered Team: Fostered a culture of collaboration and creativity among UWSD staff, enabling ongoing innovation.

This case study illustrates how Design Thinking empowered UWSD to clarify its message, strengthen relationships, and better serve its community by addressing its core challenge in a structured, creative, and human-centered way.