Phunktions Dance Company first originated at the University of Maryland-College Park in 2003, as a co-ed, choreography organization that focuses on the appreciation of hip-hop culture. Since then, we have grown to become a team integrated among others throughout the DMV. We are a team that primarily focuses on fusing a variety of dance styles together to create a versatile style of movement.

Like many organizations, the company took a hit in 2020, especially due to the in-person necessity of dancing in community. When I joined the team in 2021, there were less members, competitions were shut down, performances and workshops all done in masks.

Designed visual brand identity and website

Created flyers and promotes all events and other team promotional events

Maintained YouTube channel and Instagram

Recorded and shared footage of company classes, showcases, competitions, fundraisers, and more

Create a notable brand design and unique style to the team’s name

Have a stronger social media and on-campus presence

Fairly represent the dance talent and livelihood of team members

Increase traction to workshops, events, and auditions

In terms of brand design, there was not much of a precedent besides the logo. The logo was made long before I had joined the team, and at first I found it hard to work with, but then realized its complexities had strength. Being black-and-white, I was not restricted to any color scheme. It felt classic and almost old-school. So I used that as the seed for the entire brand and feel.

Following the team’s Instagram(@phunktionsumd) for many years, I had always thought of Phunktions as a dance workshop host due to the lack of online content showcasing the team itself. Through a deep dive on the Internet, I found that there was a rich history of over ten years of performances and company classes from raw and brash hip-hop to fine artistic competition sets. This is a history that deserved to be honored. How can our team LOOK like a team? How do we take our stand as the “premier hip hop dance company” at UMD?

Due to our active social media presence, showing off old performances every week and the current faces leading the team, we had an unprecedented number of people attending our auditions for the fall of 2023.

Our team is commonly known in the local dance community for our weekly free drop-in dance classes that have been running for over 5 years. Therefore, it is important that each workshop is properly marketed to the public.

After years of not posting YouTube content, our marketing team brought back weekly company class video recordings.

The original website was made on weebly and in much need of an update- both in terms of visual appearance and information. Using the same baseline categories, I created a simple interactive and engaging landing page that attracts newcomers to get involved with the team.

View webpage here!

Updated Instagram, Youtube, Discord, and Tiktok highlighting the strengths, talent, and community within the team.

Merchandise sold to 80+ people fundraising over $1.5k for the company.

Increased attendance at auditions and company classes.

Over 44k accounts reached through Instagram and 242% more engagement.

A combined total of over 10 thousand views on Youtube and Tiktok.

Dance is a medium that requires constant community engagement to flourish. Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, which led to a decline in attendance and a temporary dip in the team's popularity, I recognized the emergence of a new generation eager to connect through dance. Embracing this enthusiasm, I directed my efforts towards leveraging the mass market appeal of dance. By placing trust in the collective excitement for dance, I was able to channel my creativity into producing vibrant and captivating content, ultimately drawing in individuals who shared a genuine interest in the art form.