Extituto: Communications Leadership & Social Consensus Building
Led complete communications transformation for Colombian political think tank during three-month intensive period. Developed brand identity, launched social consensus platform measuring peace definitions across 1,500 citizens, revitalized political commentary show with Konrad Adenauer Foundation, and established strategic communications framework for new NGO focused on open politics and democratic participation.
The Organization
Extituto de Política Abierta is a Colombian NGO dedicated to open politics, democratic participation, and social consensus building. When I joined as Director of Design & Communications (Jan-Apr 2019), the organization was newly formed and needed complete communications infrastructure.
In three months, I built it from scratch.
Complete Brand Development
I created Extituto's complete visual identity:
Brand strategy — Positioning, voice, values Visual system — Logo, color palette, typography, graphic language Digital presence — Website design and development Communications materials — Templates, presentation systems, social media frameworks
All initial communications were guided by me. I participated in first strategic planning sessions of the NGO, helping define not just how it would communicate but what it would communicate.
Wikipaz: Measuring Peace Through Collective Voice
Wikipaz was an online platform designed to measure social consensus on peace definitions.
The core question: Is our idea of peace universal or individual? Does what we call "peace" mean the same thing to everyone?
The Methodology
We created an interactive web portal that asked participants to:
Answer multiple questions about their conception of peace
Select music that represented peace to them
Share a drawing expressing their vision of peace
Through this multi-modal approach, we could analyze what peace meant across different communities, demographics, and geographies.
The Results
Around 1,500 people participated in the exercise, primarily in Colombia's main cities: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Cartagena, Barranquilla.
The data revealed diversity in peace definitions while identifying common threads. Some communities emphasized absence of violence. Others focused on economic opportunity. Still others described reconciliation and justice.
This wasn't academic research—it was actionable intelligence for peace-building organizations, policymakers, and civil society working toward post-conflict Colombia.
My Role
I conceptualized the platform, designed the UX/UI, developed the website, created visual materials for promotion, and coordinated data collection and analysis.
Wikipaz demonstrated that design can facilitate large-scale social dialogue and make abstract concepts like "peace" tangible and measurable.
Polas Opuestas: Revitalizing Political Commentary
"Polas Opuestas" (Opposing Beers) was a YouTube political show that already existed but had small reach and limited production quality.
The concept: Bring together people from different sides of the political spectrum to discuss one significant current topic—while drinking a beer. Civil disagreement. Honest dialogue. No performative anger.
The Transformation
In partnership with the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (which helped finance the revamp), I redesigned the entire show:
New graphic identity — Modern, dynamic branding that appealed to younger audiences Format redesign — More engaging pacing, better visual storytelling, clearer structure Production quality improvements — Better lighting, sound, editing, and post-production Distribution strategy — Optimized for YouTube algorithm and social sharing
The Results
The show achieved significantly increased engagement and follower growth. Viewership expanded beyond the organization's existing audience, reaching new demographics interested in nuanced political discussion.
This work proved that format and presentation matter as much as content. The conversations were always valuable—but without professional production and strategic design, they weren't reaching the people who needed to hear them.
Team Leadership & Strategic Communications
As Director of Design & Communications, I led the communications team in executing all organizational initiatives.
My responsibilities:
Strategic planning — Defining communications objectives aligned with organizational mission Team coordination — Managing graphic designers, audiovisual producers, and web developers Content creation — Overseeing all visual, written, and video content Platform management — Social media strategy and web presence Campaign development — Launching initiatives like Wikipaz with integrated communications
This role required balancing creative vision with organizational constraints, managing people under tight deadlines, and maintaining quality across multiple simultaneous projects.
Early Departure
I had to leave after three months because I moved to Turkey for personal reasons. The departure was amicable, and the communications infrastructure I built continued serving the organization.
In that short time, I established:
A complete brand identity that positioned Extituto professionally Two major initiatives (Wikipaz and Polas Opuestas revamp) that achieved measurable impact Communications systems and templates that enabled ongoing work Strategic framework that guided organizational messaging
Skills Demonstrated
Rapid organizational development — Built complete communications infrastructure in three months Social consensus methodology — Designed innovative platform for measuring collective values Media production transformation — Revitalized existing show through design and production improvements Partnership management — Coordinated with Konrad Adenauer Foundation on co-funded initiatives Team leadership — Directed multidisciplinary communications team Strategic thinking — Participated in organizational planning beyond communications scope
Legacy
Extituto continues operating today with the brand identity and communications framework I established. Wikipaz's methodology influenced how Colombian civil society organizations approach consensus-building. Polas Opuestas continues fostering constructive political dialogue.
In three months, I helped launch an organization's public presence and demonstrate that design can facilitate democratic participation.