The ban.do Planner
Editorial Direction, Content and Communication Strategy, Copy
I crafted the voice of ban.do’s bestselling and most complex product from beginning to end, working closely with Creative, Product, and a diverse community of artists to merge visuals with words. Then, in collaboration with Marketing, Sales, Social, and Growth, I built a playbook for communication strategy that continues to inform choices today.
The PRODUCT
Can a paper planner feel like a cheerleader, teacher, and community all at once? That was the idea, proven to be true by a passionate fan base of repeat customers.
Each year’s planner came in a variety of cover choices and sizes so customers could pick the one they most connected with. Planners went beyond taste into identity—making it essential that the voice resonated as widely and authentically as possible.
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We hope this planner brings you joy and gives you tools to navigate through the times that aren’t so joyful.
The planner opened with a letter written from the perspective of the ban.do team to share the thought and intention behind the product.
Every month followed a theme like optimism, vulnerability, courage, and strength, to support the customer in feeling and doing their best.
I wrote on-theme prompts to open and close each month, and encouragement and ideas to try throughout, ranging from practical (“Take one thing off your calendar” to whimsical (“Stop and say hi to a dog”).
A few more compliments within the themes of joy, resilience, and trust, illustrated by Maddy Nye.
To add more interaction and personality to the planner, I concepted and crafted special features—like the flowchart “Should I go to this party?” illustrated by Bijou Karman (above) and a Free Moods flier (below) illustrated by Kristen Barnhart.
FOUNDATIONAL STRATEGY
The ban.do planner was in its second year when I was hired to shape content and communication, and I collaborated across teams to lead a full-court press of excitement and buy-in. I highlighted artists, designed email flows for special VIP access, and wrote and directed videos, press releases, sales guides, captions, and tweets.
Each planner featured artwork by a diverse community of global artists, and I was an enthusiastic voice for featuring them early on. Profiles like this one on Maddy Nye laid the groundwork for series on social.
Is it possible for an audience get hyped about a planner? Turns out: very much so. I produced and directed a hype video (above) on a budget, pulling from my network of freelance creative talent and casting the ban.do team—convincing even the shyest members to join in.
A few years later in the land of TikTok, the hype continues.
Through detailed customer research, we discovered that the planners were directly tied to a sense of ownership and belonging. And so the VIP list was born: an invitation to be a part of the feedback process and the first to know about new releases and updates. Customers not only said yes; they quickly became impassioned spokespeople.
I wrote and guided all communication touchpoints, adjusting the strategy to fit detailed press releases and tongue-in-cheek tweets—and ultimately passed the mic to customers, who began to organically do it for us.
