Every year, a local nonprofit, Diversity Kansas, holds an event called the Walk for Unity that promotes diversity in the workplace by raising funds with a big community walkathon. The concept for this poster is sweet and simple: a bunch of shoes of different shapes, styles and sizes, tied together by the laces to walk together. We supported the posters by tying actual shoes together and leaving them in high traffic areas, with sidewalk chalk messages scrawled alongside them.
This project means a lot to me because I initially concepted it when I was still in college and interning at my agency, and a few years later I was finally able to sell it through, get it produced and ultimately see it be published in Graphic Design USA's 2009 awards annual. Even cooler: Diversity Kansas saw an increase of 87 percent in attendance over the previous year, with more than 1,500 people participating.
Kansas Food Bank: Newspaper ads
Here's a series we did for our local food bank to encourage people to donate kid-friendly foods for the holidays. It's a time when many underprivileged children who are on break from school don't receive proper nutrition, since they're not getting the free breakfasts and lunches that they'd usually have at school.
Cereal, peanut butter and pudding were three particular items that the food bank really needed more of, since kids can eat them without any preparation. We played off of well-known brand names to illustrate the needed products and worked them into the headlines for extra impact.
Lose the Training Wheels: Brochure
Lose the Training Wheels is a program that teaches developmentally-challenged children how to ride bikes. They needed a brochure that explained to potential donors and participants how the program works, but in a way that told a bigger story about the impact they can make.
Our strategy centered on the idea that for these kids, learning how to ride a bike isn't just about having fun — it's about developing a sense of accomplishment and independence. From improved social interaction skills, to becoming more engaged in their schoolwork, to independence in their daily routines, these kids will be better prepared to move forward in life after they've gained the confidence that this program can give them.
