Centre for Humanitarian Leadership
The Centre for Humanitarian Leadership, also known as CHL, is an organisation that is working on transforming the humanitarian sector long term. This is done by developing and improving leadership in the humanitarian system through their core values: integrity, collaboration, innovation and excellence.
Being partnered with Deakin University and Save the Children, as well as collaborating with global organisations like World Vision, USAID and Action Contre La Faim (Action Against Hunger), CHL brings a variety of people together - from humanitarians to academics and students/graduates. This allows for a transformative practice and leadership excellence.
CHL offers courses for senior humanitarian practitioners to extend their knowledge of the field with the focus of transformation. The courses include the Graduate Certificate of Humanitarian Leadership (GCHL), which is offered in both English and French (Diplôme d’Études Supérieures en Leadership Humanitaire), and the Masters of Humanitarian Assistance. These are delivered with the help of Deakin’s course and assessment structure.
Background
I interned with the organisation for two months as a graphic designer and created a communications pack to promote the French course, Diplôme d’Études Supérieures en Leadership Humanitaire (translates to Graduate Certificate of Humanitarian Leadership). With there being an English and French version of the course, there were two variations of each deliverable.
I liaised with the Communications Advisor throughout the duration of the internship, who reviewed the collateral I designed and provided feedback where necessary.
During this time, I also did the typesetting for their monthly newsletter, The Humanitarian Leader.
Communications Pack
The communications pack consists of flyers, posters for NGOs and events, email signatures and social media posts for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. In addition, I created block ads and banner ads to promote the course on Devex. With there being an English and French version of the course, there were two variations of each deliverable created unless otherwise requested.
Alongside this, I designed a PowerPoint presentation template for conferences, Zoom backgrounds for hosts and a letterhead to use to thank participants for their attendance.
Flyer
The purpose of the flyer is to promote the course offered by Centre for Humanitarian Leadership. It gives individuals something to take away to learn more about the course, provide more information and ultimately, encourage research and enrolment.
Target Audience
From the given brief, the intended target audience for this course was senior humanitarians (aged 30-60) looking to become the best leader they can be by sharing their experience. It was important to consider other applicants as well like government and CFA.
The tone is serious, progressive, accessible and respectable.
Design Approach
CHL’s brand identity and values were carefully incorporated into each collateral element to reflect their integrity and transformative approach.
The flyers were originally set up to a Deakin template, where the text was illegible and there was little to no representation of CHL’s branding. With the courses being targeted at a senior audience, it was important to consider the legibility of the content to ensure it was easy to read and interpret, whilst clearly identifying CHL as the organiser of the courses.
The addition of the jellies not only provide a clearer identification of the organiser, but they also give each piece of collateral a pop of colour whilst presenting a fresh and modern look and feel.
Email Signatures
The email signature combines professionalism with strong visual branding while promoting the Graduate Certificate of Humanitarian Leadership course. The “Learn more” button serves as a clear call-to-action, encouraging recipients to access additional information. Partner logos and the Centre’s values reinforce credibility and strengthen brand identity.
The signature is presented in both English (bottom) and French (right) to ensure accessibility for diverse audiences.
Social Media Posts
A variety of social media post templates were created to support different types of content while maintaining the brand’s look and feel. Each variation is flexible, allowing elements to be adapted to suit specific content while preserving visual consistency. This approach ensures key messages are communicated clearly and remain visually engaging for audiences across social media platforms.
Colour
CHL’s colour palette combines vibrant accent colours with neutral tones to create a modern and professional visual identity. The palette supports clear visual hierarchy and contrast, improving legibility and accessibility across materials. Accent colours highlight key information, while neutral tones provide balance and maintain visual consistency across communications.
Typography
CHL’s typography uses a geometric sans-serif typeface that reinforces the organisation’s contemporary and professional identity and reinforces strong readability and legibility across all materials.Variations in weight are used to establish clear hierarchy, allowing headings, key messages and supporting text to be communicated in a structured and accessible way.
Devex Banner Ad & Block Ad
The banner and block ads were designed for placement on Devex to promote the monthly newsletter. Using bold typography and CHL’s colour palette, the designs aim to capture attention while reinforcing the organisation’s visual identity. Like the email signatures, both ads incorporate call-to-action buttons to increase engagement and encourage users to click through to the newsletter.
Zoom Background
The Zoom background was designed to prominently include the CHL logo, ensuring participants can easily identify the organisation the speaker represents. A clear division between the CHL logo and partner logos helps prevent confusion and maintains distinction between the organisation and its collaborators.
Title Page 1
Title Page 1 (Purple)
Title Page 2
Title Page 2 (Purple)
Title Page 3
Title Page 3 (Purple)
Standard Heading/Page
Agenda Page
Topic Page
Heading and Image Page
Heading and Image Page 2
Heading and Image Page 3
Heading with Text Box
Heading with Two Text Boxes
Heading with Four Text Boxes
Text Box and Image
Two Text Boxes and Two Images
Technical Skills
Utilised Adobe InDesign for typesetting, newsletter production and accurate layout management.
Applied Adobe Photoshop for detailed image editing, photo retouching, and visual preparation.
Delivered professional, branded conference visuals through Microsoft PowerPoint, creating consistent and engaging presentation templates.
Designed optimised graphics through social media asset design, adapting content to specifications for Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Ensured high production standards by applying file preparation skills for print and digital publishing, meeting technical specifications and export requirements.
Professional Skills
Applied cross-cultural communication to coordinate English- and French-language materials, ensuring clarity and consistency across multilingual audiences.
Delivered targeted outcomes through audience-focused design, creating campaigns tailored to senior humanitarians and government representatives.
Developed a communications pack, demonstrating strong project management by meeting deadlines across multiple print and digital deliverables.
Ensured accuracy and professionalism by applying attention to detail in proofreading, typesetting and formatting.
Responded effectively to diverse creative needs and feedback, showcasing adaptability across promotional campaigns, presentations and newsletters.
Ensured consistent organisation of design files and assets, allowing a seamless handover at the end of the internship.
Design Skills
Produced The Humanitarian Leader monthly newsletter through editorial design, applying typesetting for a polished and professional publication.
Developed campaign visuals by applying graphic and campaign design, including flyers, posters, banners, and social media graphics that reinforced CHL’s brand identity.
Elevated CHL’s professional presence with presentation design, creating branded PowerPoint templates and Zoom backgrounds for conferences and virtual events.
Strengthened marketing efforts through marketing collateral design, delivering branded email signatures, block ads and banner ads suitable for platforms such as Devex, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Maintained visual consistency across all materials, aligning designs with CHL’s brand style guide and values, while remaining flexible for varied formats.
Enhanced visual impact of campaigns by applying photo editing and retouching, preparing high-quality imagery for newsletters and promotional assets.