I began volunteering for the Loudoun County Humane Society back around July after attending an interest meeting one evening. The presentation was centered around the society's mission and what services they provide the community which included fostering, adoption events, food donations, trap-spay-neuter services and so much more.
It only took about 5 minutes for me to decide I was going to sign up as a volunteer, though I wasn't quite sure where I would be best of service. It wasn't until towards the end of the presentation that the woman leading started to describe the hole in their marketing department. After checking out some of their promotional products, printed material, and social media presence, I knew they needed my help.
As a designer, this kind of thing really hits home for me. I hate seeing such wonderful causes and businesses who have these incredible missions, products and ideas not thrive because their marketing material is, excuse my french, shitty. It's actually incredible how driven people are to do things based on the way something is presented, i.e. marketing. One ugly flyer or messy social post can skew the brand altogether and make it seem unprofessional.
My first task as a volunteer freelance designer at the Humane Society was to create a variety of Facebook event cover pages. This is second nature to me. There really is only one big rule to making an attractive event graphic and that's simplicity. There shouldn't be too much going on, no crazy fonts, busy images or a variety of colors. The look should be on brand and pleasing to the eye without overwhelming the viewer. With that being said, one thing was very clear, they really needed some help with this.
My first task as a volunteer freelance designer at the Humane Society was to create a variety of Facebook event cover pages. This is second nature to me. There really is only one big rule to making an attractive event graphic and that's simplicity. There shouldn't be too much going on, no crazy fonts, busy images or a variety of colors. The look should be on brand and pleasing to the eye without overwhelming the viewer.
After proving my abilities via Facebook event graphics, I was then asked to take on the Society's biggest event of the year—the Tails, Ales, N' Wine Fall Festival and Fundraiser.
I was beyond thrilled to help out, especially after seeing their save the date cards which consisted of a few logos and an overload of text scrunched on a tiny 4x6 card. I was basically handed all of the information they had and given the freedom to run with it.
I will say it is very rare that designers are given this freedom. It's typical for clients to have a vision in their heads already or a direction they want to follow, but this creative project was entirely my own. The scope of the project included several posters, a save the date card, a facebook event cover photo, a fence banner and a simplified logo for wine glasses. Here is what I came up with:
After a few rounds of edits and final approval, my design started to take shape. It wasn't until the day of the actual event that I was able to actually see my designs come to life. There's no better feeling as a creative than to see something that once only existed in your head, turn into something real and tangible. That feeling of accomplishment makes the entire process worth it all.
The event was a huge success and we received thousands of dollars in donations that day. I was also taking photos throughout the event and have uploaded them to the Humane Society's Facebook page. Feel free to check them out here.
If you are interested in donating to the Humane Society of Loudoun County you can do so by clicking the link below. Every dollar counts. Seriously. Just one donated blanket or pound of cat food can make a huge difference. Thank you for helping out all our furry friends and being a voice for the voiceless.
