Digital resources are available to current Penn students.
Using a resource does not provide production-studio or equipment access; those opportunities follow the eligibility and confirmation rules on the Studio Reservations & Equipment page.
Use these resources to...
Clarify the venture
Define the problem, audience, value proposition, positioning, or message hierarchy before developing market-facing language or visuals.
Understand the audience
Organize customer, user, buyer, partner, or stakeholder evidence so the communication reflects a real need, context, and decision
Plan a campaign
Translate an objective into an audience, offer, channel role, content sequence, call to action, timeline, and measurement plan
Direct the creative work
Create a usable brief, establish criteria, collect references, assign roles, and structure feedback before design or production begins
Prepare a production
Build the script, shot list, interview guide, participant plan, permissions, file workflow, and handoff needed for an efficient session
Strengthen the collaboration
Clarify venture context, contributor scope, decision rights, deliverables, feedback, and impact so founders and joiners can work together effectively
Resource Collections
- Brand Architecture Blueprint
- Brand Clarity Diagnostic
- Decision Filter Template
Audience and Market Strategy
Coming Soon
Content and Campaign Strategy
Coming Soon
Design and Creative Direction
Coming Soon
Production and Post-Production
Coming Soon
Choose a starting path
Start with the audience, problem, value proposition, and message hierarchy. Leave with the inputs needed to explain the idea, test assumptions, and brief collaborators.
VIP or early-stage venture
Use customer insight, positioning, message, and experiment-planning resources to turn program learning into clearer market tests and venture communications.
VIP-X or growing venture
Use positioning, campaign, content-priority, creative-brief, and production-planning resources to prepare for milestones, advising conversations, launch activity, and eligible studio work.
Food Innovation Lab participant
Use audience, product-story, packaging-message, content, photography-planning, and feedback resources to connect the product experience with a clearer market narrative.
Joiner (designer, marketer, storyteller, or producer)
Start with the venture context, creative brief, role scope, decision rights, feedback plan, and impact reflection. Leave with stronger collaboration practices and clearer evidence of contribution.
Suggest a Resource or Report an Issue
Tell the DDS team when you cannot find the resource you need, a link or file does not work, instructions are unclear, the content appears outdated, or an accessibility barrier prevents use.
Guided educational support
DDS provides access, orientation, and workflow guidance within the approved session. It is not an on-demand agency, unrestricted equipment rental service, guaranteed production crew, or substitute for the venture's own strategy and preparation.
Availability
Equipment, accessories, software, room configurations, staffing, and reservation capacity may change. The reservation confirmation is the source of truth for the approved location, time, participants, equipment, scope, and preparation requirements.
FAQ
Book a focused session, bring the work or decision in front of you, and leave with feedback you can put into practice.
Who can use DDS Digital Resources?
Current Penn students may use the DDS resource library. Individual assets may carry additional access instructions based on the platform or approved audience. Alumni and industry experts are invited to contribute through the reviewed contributor pathway; contribution does not create student-service or studio access.
Is there a fee to use the resources?
DDS programming and resources are provided without a participation fee to eligible users. A resource may reference software, platforms, materials, or services that have separate costs; any such requirement should be identified before the user opens or begins the resource.
Do I need to be in VIP, VIP-X, or the Food Innovation Lab?
No. Digital resources are available to current Penn students, including founders, joiners, and explorers. Program tags show where a resource may be especially useful; they do not limit access unless the individual resource expressly states otherwise.
Does completing a resource give me access to the production studio or equipment?
No. Digital resources can help a team prepare, but studio reservations and equipment use remain subject to the eligibility, training, review, and confirmation requirements on the Studio Reservations & Equipment page. Current access is limited to eligible ventures.
Where should I start?
Begin with the decision you need to make. Use the decision finder or recommended pathway to select one relevant framework, complete it with the evidence you have, identify remaining assumptions, and convert the output into a specific next action.
Can I use a resource with my venture team or student organization?
Yes, when the resource's access and reuse instructions allow it. Keep the original context and attribution, protect confidential or personal information, and avoid reposting or distributing the file outside the permitted audience. Each participant remains responsible for how the material is adapted and used.
Can I edit, copy, or adapt a template?
Follow the instructions on the individual resource. When duplication or download is permitted, adapt the working copy to your venture rather than changing the master. Preserve required attribution and do not imply that Venture Lab has approved the resulting strategy, message, design, or asset.
What formats are available?
Depending on the resource, formats may include HTML guidance, worksheets, templates, checklists, examples, slide or spreadsheet tools, and captioned recordings with transcripts. Each resource card should identify the format, estimated completion time, software requirement, and accessibility information before opening.
Are recordings available for every workshop or event?
No. A recording is published only when the session has been captured, the necessary permissions are documented, the content remains useful, and captions, transcript, description, attribution, ownership, and review requirements have been met.
What should I do if a resource is outdated, broken, or inaccessible?
Use the Suggest or Report a Resource form and identify the item, problem, decision you were trying to make, and any relevant timing or accessibility need. The DDS team will route the issue to the appropriate owner for review.
Can I request a new topic or resource?
Yes. Submit the student need, decision or task, intended audience, program or venture-stage context, and the format that would be useful. Suggestions inform the editorial backlog but do not guarantee production or a specific publication date.
Can an alumnus or industry expert contribute a resource?
Yes. Alumni and aligned experts may propose a practical framework, focused learning asset, case-based example, or review contribution. Every proposal is evaluated for instructional value, originality, permissions, accessibility, conflicts, maintenance capacity, and University requirements before any commitment or publication.
Can DDS review my completed resource?
Creative Office Hours may provide targeted educational feedback when the user brings the completed framework, relevant evidence, and a specific question. The appointment does not certify the work, replace professional advice, or guarantee a particular business, creative, or production outcome.
How can I request an accessibility accommodation?
Use the accessibility or accommodation field in the relevant form or follow the contact instructions on the resource page. Report inaccessible files, controls, captions, transcripts, contrast, reading order, or instructions as early as possible so the team can coordinate an appropriate alternative or correction.
Help Penn founders produce with greater confidence.
Help founders and joiners make stronger brand, marketing, creative, and production decisions by contributing practical knowledge that can be taught, applied, reviewed, and maintained.
Contribute a practical framework
Propose a worksheet, checklist, template, decision guide, or annotated example based on a recurring challenge in professional practice.
Record a focused learning asset
Share a short, approved lesson, demonstration, case discussion, or expert explanation that can be paired with a clear learning objective and next action
Review or strengthen an existing resource
Offer subject-matter feedback that improves accuracy, usability, accessibility, relevance, examples, or instructional design within a defined review process.
Digital Design Studio | Room 422
Lights. Camera. Action. COMING SOON.
The current DDS lineup includes 4K cameras, lighting setups, podcasting microphones, and editing software for approved photography, video, audio, and post-production activity.
The current DDS lineup includes 4K cameras, lighting setups, podcasting microphones, and editing software for approved photography, video, audio, and post-production activity.
Digital Design Studio | Creative Office Hours
Bring a completed resource (and a specific decision) to Creative Office Hours!
Get focused, one-on-one feedback on a brand, design, content, product-marketing, or production-planning question through Digital Design Studio office hours.
Get focused, one-on-one feedback on a brand, design, content, product-marketing, or production-planning question through Digital Design Studio office hours.
DDS resources are learning tools designed to strengthen reasoning, collaboration, and preparation.
They are not a substitute for customer evidence, professional advice, program requirements, or the user's responsibility for the final decision and output. Templates and examples should be tailored to the venture, audience, objective, channel, and stage. Do not treat sample language, visuals, data, or scenarios as approved copy for direct reuse.
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