Access and Fit
Access
Open to current Penn students with valid Penn ID and PennKey unless an individual event states otherwise.
Experience
No prior design, marketing, or production experience is required for introductory sessions.
Format
Sessions may include workshops, demonstrations, critiques, studio events, and expert-led conversations.
Learning Tracks
Brand clarity
Define the core idea, audience, value proposition, and message behind a venture.
Customer and market communication
Translate customer insight into positioning, campaign priorities, and useful content.
Visual identity and design literacy
Learn how visual systems create consistency, recognition, and trust.
Content and storytelling
Plan stories, channels, formats, and calls to action that support a clear objective.
Creative production
Build foundational skills in photography, video, audio, lighting, and production planning.
Upcoming Workshops
Thursday, September 17 • 12 PM - 1 PM
Learn why strong brands begin with clear structure (not logos, colors, or marketing assets) and build a practical blueprint for explaining
Learn why strong brands begin with clear structure (not logos, colors, or marketing assets) and build a practical blueprint for explaining
Thursday, October 15 • 12 PM - 1 PM
Identify where your message breaks down, why audiences misread your work, and how to close the gap between intention and understanding
Identify where your message breaks down, why audiences misread your work, and how to close the gap between intention and understanding
Thursday, November 19 • 12 PM - 1 PM
Identify where your message breaks down, why audiences misread your work, and how to close the gap between intention and understanding
Identify where your message breaks down, why audiences misread your work, and how to close the gap between intention and understanding
Andre Vaseghi: The Master Architect of Brand Narrative
Andre Vaseghi is a brand architect and the founder of an independent branding and design practice established in 2017. Recognized by the Art Directors Club of New York as a Master Brand Architect, he works with founders and leadership teams at the intersection of strategy, language, and identity.
His work centers on a single problem: the gap between the value a founder creates and their ability to communicate it clearly, whether through language, strategy, or design.
Andre serves as an Expert-in-Residence at The Wharton School, where he leads The Architecture of Story, an eight-session founder curriculum built on the premise that clarity is structural. It precedes design. It gives design meaning. Founders who work with Andre develop the articulation, positioning, and communication confidence that holds up in investor meetings, customer conversations, and the everyday work of building experiences people understand.
He operates from the conviction that the world does not suffer from a shortage of good ideas. It suffers from a shortage of understandable ones.
His work centers on a single problem: the gap between the value a founder creates and their ability to communicate it clearly, whether through language, strategy, or design.
Andre serves as an Expert-in-Residence at The Wharton School, where he leads The Architecture of Story, an eight-session founder curriculum built on the premise that clarity is structural. It precedes design. It gives design meaning. Founders who work with Andre develop the articulation, positioning, and communication confidence that holds up in investor meetings, customer conversations, and the everyday work of building experiences people understand.
He operates from the conviction that the world does not suffer from a shortage of good ideas. It suffers from a shortage of understandable ones.
Share what you know. Help Penn founders move forward.
Turn your experience into an applied learning opportunity for Penn students building ventures and creative careers. Contribute in the format that best fits your expertise and availability—teach a focused workshop, guide an expert panel, or offer direct feedback during office hours.
Host a workshop
Teach a practical framework, process, or skill that students can apply to a current venture, brand, marketing, design, content, storytelling, or production challenge.
Lead a panel
Bring alumni and industry perspectives into conversation around real decisions, lessons learned, emerging practices, and the realities of building in the field.
Hold office hours
Provide focused one-on-one or small-group guidance that helps student founders and joiners clarify a question, strengthen their work, and identify a concrete next step.
FAQ
Explore the current workshop calendar and choose the session that best aligns with the capability, venture challenge, or creative skill you want to develop next.
Who is eligible to attend DDS workshops and events?
DDS workshops and events are generally open to current Penn students unless an individual event listing identifies a more specific audience, program affiliation, or capacity requirement. Participation in an open workshop does not automatically provide access to the production studio, reservable equipment, or other services with separate eligibility and onboarding requirements.
Are there prerequisites or experience requirements?
Most introductory workshops do not require prior design, marketing, production, or startup experience. Each event listing will identify the session level, intended audience, required preparation, and any tools or knowledge participants should have before registering.
How do I register for a workshop?
Select View Upcoming Workshops, open the event that best matches your goal, and complete the registration process on the event page. The confirmation message will provide the date, time, location or virtual access details, and any preparation instructions.
What happens if a workshop is full?
Join the waitlist when that option is available. If space opens, the registration platform or DDS event team will send instructions for claiming the available seat. A waitlist entry does not guarantee admission, so review the event communication before attending.
How do I cancel my registration?
Use the cancellation link or instructions in your registration confirmation as soon as you know you cannot attend. Releasing the reservation promptly allows the next eligible participant to receive the space.
What materials or equipment should I bring?
Follow the preparation guidance on the individual event page. Depending on the workshop, participants may be asked to bring a laptop, a venture idea, current brand or marketing materials, a draft asset, or a specific question. If nothing is listed, no advance materials are required.
Will the workshop be recorded or will materials be shared afterward?
Recordings are available only for selected sessions when speaker, participant, and content permissions allow. When appropriate, registered participants may receive slides, worksheets, templates, checklists, or links to related DDS resources after the session.
How can I request an accessibility accommodation?
Follow the accessibility or accommodation instructions on the event page or registration form. Submit the request as early as possible so the event team has adequate time to coordinate support.
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