About DK Holland
My Background
In 2001 I switched gears, from focusing on promoting commercial businesses, to working with socially progressive organizations. I had been a designer, creative director, teacher, strategist, and writer for over 35 years when I realized how dramatically our branding process impacted the bottomline of my ‘for profit’ clients and that this knowledge could potentially improve the world.
Going forward, I decided to help those organizations reposition to have a more positive impact on our future. My book, Branding for Nonprofits, is meant to help all organizations – large and small – staff, consultants and boards – and designers – understand how effective branding works and how to work together to strengthen a growing organization and its programs.
My clients include
Annie E Casey Foundation/Baltimore
A Brooklyn Family Place/New York City
Brooklyn Friends School/New York City
Colorado Historical Society/Denver
Communities for Learning/Long Island communitiesforlearning.org
Community Markets/Ossining
Morningside Center for Teaching Social Responsibility/New York City morningsidecenter.org
Organization Development Networkodnetwork.org
Literacy Assistance Center/New York City lacnyc.org
Nature Discovery Center/Houston
Sisters of Charity of New York/New York City scny.org
The Cloud Institute for Sustainability Education/New York City
Visionserve Alliance/St Louis
Warnke Community Consulting/New York City warnkecc.com
In addition I headed the re-branding of the Alliance for Nonprofit Governance, now called Governance Matters governancematters.org.
Until 2001, I was a partner at the Pushpin Group, the internationally acclaimed design firm, with renowned designer Seymour Chwast. At Pushpin, I directed the design of such award-winning children’s licensing programs as Mattel’s Barbie, Dr. Seuss, and Marc Brown’s Arthur, as well as developed the branding for the latter two properties. I developed a structure and methodology with my teams that, while protecting the property’s integrity, assisted in remarkable (often astronomical) increases in sales for each brand. I also directed major projects for Citicorp, Bear Stearns and Mattel while at Pushpin and at prior firms, Ross Culbert Holland & Lavery (New York City) and Gorilla Graphics (San Francisco).
I also worked with several socially progressive clients during this time, including: Ben Cohen’s Priorities Campaign (Business Leaders for Sensible Priorities), the Bowery Residents Committee, and institutions including Pratt Institute, and the Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
I am no stranger to the inner workings of social causes. Over the course of 35 years, in addition to having them as clients, I have been a founder, served as an executive director and as a board member as well as chairperson of several nonprofits determined to effect change in New York and California.
Now, more than ever, social causes need to compete for the public’s attention so their message is clearly understood, respected and embraced. To accomplish this, the best tools and tactics of big well-branded businesses must be applied to the business of nonprofits.
My Soapbox
I am the author, editor and/or art director of a dozen books (and many articles) on packaging, marketing and branding (see my Books & Articles tab).
In 1990, working with Fred Friendly and a team of top (volunteer) graphic designers, I raised the funds for and produced an ethics and business practice panel discussion, resulting in videos, as well as an ethics game called “Where Do You Draw the Line,” for the AIGA. Later I traveled around the country playing the game with groups of designers.
In 2002, I hosted an informal conversation series based on my CA Magazine column “Design Issues” and subsequent book of the same name (see DK’s Books & Articles) at the Smithsonian Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum and Aquent. I returned to the Museum in 2006 for an evening called EGO during which I interviewed three National Design Medalists (Paula Scher, Stefan Sagmeister, and Michael Rock).
I have traveled nationally and internationally as a public speaker over the last 30 years.
I have conducted a series of workshops for The Foundation Center, the Arts and Business Council and Echoing Green on developing effective brand identities using strategies that foster sustainability for social causes. And back in my ‘for profit’ days I also conducted seminars for the design managers of both IBM (Pacific Rim/Hong Kong) and Hallmark Cards on how to successfully work with designers, ethics and the Copyright Law.
I Judge
I have served as a judge in many design competitions including, The New York Art Directors Club, AIGA, Applied Arts and The Webby Awards (The International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences), Sappi: Ideas that Matter, and The Idealist.
I Profess, therefore I Teach
From 1992-95, I served as an adjunct professor in the Masters Communication Design Program at Pratt Institute. In 1995, I was named the University of Kansas’s Hallmark professor of design and was made the head of the Hallmark Design Symposium at KU. I teach in various programs in the US and abroad including Syracuse University and Elisava School of Design (Barcelona). Courses are usually based on Design Issues, my CA column, or my book, Branding for Nonprofits.
I’m on Board
I have volunteered on boards including Goverance Matters and Green Map, which I helped re-brand; The Hill, the journal of Fort Greene, Clinton Hill and Wallabout, which I co-founded in 1983 and The Greene Hill Food Co-op which is currently organized. I am working with Base Design to establish the brand identity of the Co-op.
I Have Been Honored
In 1999, I was awarded the Walter Hortens Award for Outstanding Achievement in Professional Practice from the Graphic Artists Guild. I have been listed in Who’s Who of American Women since 1978 and Who’s Who in the West since 1980. And I’m included in Richard Saul Wurman’s Who’s Really Who: The 1000 Most Creative Minds in America.
I Have Been Educated
I am a 1970 graduate of Parsons School of Design and The New School.
My Personal Life
I live in historic Fort Greene, Brooklyn in an early 1800s tanner’s shop that was given an Italianate exterior in 1855. I have since appropriately restored it to a loft-like environment while maintaining the historic exterior. It is also home to Walt Whitman, my American cocker spaniel and Frida Kahlo, my tabby cat, and three red and white Koi named A, B and C.
Where I Belong
I am a member of New York Technical Assistance Professionals (NYTAP) and the AIGA. I was a founding member of the Dalai Lama Foundation. I’ve been a member of TED and I have attended its conferences since 1995 ted.com
I am also a convinced Friend – an active member of the Brooklyn Monthly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends (Quaker) in downtown Brooklyn– brooklynmeeting.org.