#CLOSErikers
#CLOSErikers was a New York City-based advocacy campaign dedicated to closing Rikers Island. The campaign was led by JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA), in partnership with a. coalition of over 100 non-profit organizations around the city.
Soon after joining JLUSA, one of my first projects was to create branding, printed materials, and development for the #CLOSErikers campaign — all of which was completed within my first two weeks on the team. The campaign officially launched April 14th, 2016.
Branding
Under the direction of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA) Founder Glenn E. Martin, the logo & branding of the campaign was to to remain close to JLUSA’s signature magenta color and fonts. The logo was to be something simple, but impactful.
I drafted a couple of logos that centered around the island. However, with the campaign itself as essentially a hashtag, I decided to design something that incorporated this concept. This final version was loved and accepted as the official logo of the campaign.
Website
After finalizing the logo, I developed a WordPress website detailing the campaign, the tragic history that fueled its creation, and the various ways for the community to support the movement. Tasks included:
- Customizing a responsive, parallax-based Wordpress template
- Including the approved logo, as well as creating other engaging graphics to bolster the blog’s identity
- Integrating SEO methods and keywords to drive traffic and boost Google search results
- Integrating social media outlets (e.g. widgets, automated updates to Twitter and Facebook, commenting system)
- Organizing the back-end of the site to easily allow authors and editors (previously unfamiliar with WordPress) to post content
Photography
In addition to designing various graphics and printed materials, I handled photography at many #CLOSErikers events.
