About
philos = love
sophia = wisdom
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And thus philosophie studio was born: out of love for the quest of wisdom, and passion for higher learning.
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philosophie is a creative design + strategy studio with deep expertise in higher education and capital fundraising campaigns & galas. The creative brain behind it is a multi-award-winning designer with 15 years of experience designing for billion-dollar level fundraising campaigns, and exquisite galas for most valued donors. Based in Canada working for a large, globally top-ranking university (that has produced Prime Ministers, Supreme Court leaders, CEOs and business leaders, and political & social justice warriors, among others), her designs have also themed the events for their key international markets including London, Hong Kong, Silicon Valley, Shanghai, Tokyo and New York.
Multi-billion-dollar-level fundraising and top-tier galas are our sweet spot. But our vibrant, luxe aesthetic would also be perfect for adjacent industries and market sectors. We would love to get to know you better!
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At philosophie, we design campaigns and premium galas: for campaign launch, donor recognition, product launch, engagement, and milestone celebrations. From the key art to the luxe invitations to interactive digital exhibits, to stage themes, branded ambiance, and advertising, we design to inspire joy and generosity.
Capabilities Stack
Design
Interactive
Illustration
Stage & Ambiance
Motion (Animation)
Exhibits
What can we create together?
With a multidisciplinary, multichannel design partner
to help you bring your visions to life
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Recognition & Celebration Galas:
Milestones, recognition, tribute. From luxe invitations to stage themes to interactive digital galleries, exhibit design and branded ambiance.
Souvenir gifts and awards, too.
Design for key communications and experiential touchpoints.
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Campaign Launch:
Communications and advertising (print, out-of-home, digital billboards, interactive HTML5 banner ads), launch gala design, priority projects showcase (physical and interactive digital), brochure website, catalogue website (for highlighting priority projects), campaign brand activations
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Donor & Investor Presentations and Virtual Summits:
Fundraising communications, Investor Day events, donor and investor decks, financial and impact reporting, virtual stage and summits.
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Product Launch or Unveiling:
Example: new, state-of-the-art donor-funded research centre, program, or venue. Communications, advertising, milestone achievement gala design (including invitation, stage, exhibit, ambiance, brochure website)
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TED Talks style Conferences:
Highlighting achievement and donor impact LIVE! on the big stage through the stories and works of: outstanding scholars, researchers, alumni, and even engaged donors themselves. Conference design, including key art visual identity, invitations, collaterals, stage, speaker presentations, brochure website, social media, and advertising including HTML5 interactive digital banner ads.
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Strategy Sessions:
Including discovery, customer journey mapping, impact narratives, customer (donor) experience design, brand strategy (specifically for the purposes of fundraising), roadmap, implementation
Cases from adjacent industries and market sectors welcome
Not from higher ed advancement?
I'd still like to meet you!
Contact me to discuss how the philosophie advantage translates to your industry
Multi-billion-dollar level fundraising and galas is my sweet spot. But my vibrant, luxe aesthetic also lends well to other kinds of sophisticated events. I also design for corporate events, conferences, award galas, travel & tourism destination showcases, art & film exhibits, and progressive fashion shows. Get in touch to discuss how the philosophie advantage translates to your industry. I'd be thrilled to meet you!
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If you are a non-profit or startup with significantly tighter budgets but interested in working together, please initiate a conversation nonetheless! If budget is the only issue but all the other conditions exist to create beautifully designed experiences with impact, I might be able to help you in some way. Please get in touch to initiate a conversation.
(I would be looking for things like the mission, the leadership, the organization's culture, the potential impact I could make, the personalities of the decision-makers and stakeholders, the value that your project will add to my business portfolio, and the motivation for change that warrants a big design involvement.)
The philosophie advantage:
What I can bring to your projects
01.
An integrative point of view: Insights from my advanced business education in innovation & entrepreneurship, and in strategic foresight.
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These insights can be invaluable to widening our "sphere of vision", thus enriching our understanding of the problem space. This can help build the fundraising case and make it more compelling. It applies to any communication strategy involving your highest value clients.
02.
15 years of experience designing for fundraising and events, sharpened by learnings from some of the best leaders and professionals in advancement, events, and communications
I have worked on complex, multi-year projects end to end, from blueprint to fruition: From drafts, proposals & pitch decks to product launch celebrations (with media coverage), then recognition of impact on real lives a few years after (and beyond). Witnessing dreams come true is one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.
03.
My award-winning, multidisciplinary skills stack in communication, design, illustration, animation, interactive, and visual storytelling lends well to bringing fundraising visions to life. I want to help you make your vision visible, tangible, and compelling.
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Experience working on projects with big stakes, where the highest levels of the organization's leadership are involved (including the president, execs, and deans)
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Professionalism, sophistication, and discretion: I understand the stakes and the need for absolute confidentiality on game-changing projects like these
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Love of lifelong learning for its own sake. Passion for higher education and generative social impact, and the desire to be at the forefront of designing their emergent futures
Hi!
My name is
Marie Fe del Rosario
Chief Designer-Strategist,
philosophie studio
Futures, Foresight, Fundraising:
The story of my "accidental niche" as designer
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From this valuable niche, I have a vision on how I can apply my frameworks and translate the impact to other industries. Contact me to discuss!
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What I love about fundraising is that at its heart, it is a stubbornly optimistic, futures-visioning act. It's imaginative and creative. It's believing in the future so much that you are inviting others to invest in your vision. And you are helping steer the allocation of wealth in society, towards something that you believe is generative and worthy.
As a designer, I love being a partner in envisioning and designing those futures!
(And witnessing them become real, coming to fruition in their concrete, tangible forms after many years of strategic, collaborative work -- it has been one of the most rewarding parts of my job. Investing in higher education is one of the most effective ways to see ripples of impact in real lives and transform a generation.)
I am fascinated by the dynamic intrapreneurial initiatives within universities. Many of them are so innovative and ambitious that they require special care as you build the case and prepare the pitch for funding. To me, the process is similar to developing an innovative new product that solves an intractable problem, and pitching that to investors. It's values-driven. It's exciting!
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I'd be pleased to collaborate on the fundraising communications for such projects, particularly in the development of visually engaging pitch decks, visualizations & mock-ups, and interactive prototypes. (My award-winning skills stack in communication, design, illustration, animation, interactive, and visual storytelling lends well to bringing visions to life!) I want to help make your vision visible and compelling.
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And as the donor journey progresses, I would also love to help you create joyous experiences around that vision. It's my ethos when I design fundraising galas. Because the other thing I appreciate about fundraising: that gratitude is always embedded in every act. And galas, to me, embody some of the most divine forms of gratitude.
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Every gem I have collected from my professional journey, I am confident I can apply and design for impact in other market sectors and industries. I look forward to exploring how I can help!
Testimonials
What advancement & marketing communication leaders say
about Marie Fe's designs and impact
“I am incredibly impressed. It is visually stunning and well integrated throughout all phases of branding and design. I appreciate the cultural sensitivity that went into creating the design and the opportunity to engage this community. I was inspired...and love the model that was developed by UBC. ”
As Lead Designer for Development Communications and Engagement at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada, philosophie Founder & Chief Marie Fe del Rosario's recent work in the advancement sector has won international, prestigious awards including the CASE Circle of Excellence Grand Gold, CASE Circle of Excellence Gold, and the highest honour bestowed each year across all categories: the Virginia Carter Smith Grand Crystal Award.
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At philosophie, we are on a mission to:
design the emerging futures of higher education and other sectors celebrating the art of human achievement
Mission & Vision
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...through:
visually inspiring, strategically crafted
fundraising communications and gala experiences
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...because:
we care strongly about using our talents to enable the advancement of the next great centres of learning & transformative cultural experiences
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...which would then enable them to better generate the advanced knowledge, and drive the social-economic wealth and values
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...needed to solve the wicked challenges of today and tomorrow.
