What was the problem?

One thing that is important to us is knowing the signs of behavioral stress and how to help those behaviors. For example, recognizing signs of stress in cats/dogs and how to de-escalate the situation.

When I asked the RHSPCA what issue was most important to them, they identified behavioral stress awareness as a key priority. This insight shaped the direction of my campaign, focusing on educating pet owners about recognizing stress signals in animals to prevent shelter returns and improve animal welfare.

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The Creative Process.

Design is never a straight line, so you have to learn to love the process. Every creator has a unique journey. Here’s a glimpse into mine!

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Brainstorming

• Back and forth with Madison Spiess at the RHSPCA to find the primary goal
• Develop a list of ways to move the viewer through the content

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Target Audience

• Pet owners within the Harrisonburg community

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Research

• Reviewed RHSPCA’s existing branding and social media presence
• Studied common behavioral stress indicators in pets
• Analyzed social media engagement trends for animal welfare organizations

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Insights

• Most accidents happen because people cannot read stress signals in pets
• Posts with flowing graphics and clear visuals tend to keep audiences engaged for longer
• Educational content must be visually appealing and easy to digest

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‍Creative Approach

Since this campaign was for a real organization, I made sure to incorporate RHSPCA’s fonts, colors, and branding elements to maintain consistency. At the same time, I introduced my own graphic style to make the posts visually dynamic and engaging. Flowing shapes and clean layouts were chosen to keep the audience’s attention and make educational content easy to digest.

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Visuals

• Sketching: I started with rough sketches to map out the structure of each carousel post, creating multiple versions and layouts.
• Image Selection: To create authenticity, I combined stock images with my original photography taken at the shelter. This mix added a personal touch to the design.
• Graphics: Custom illustrations and flowing graphic elements were added to reinforce the theme of movement, helping guide the viewer’s eye through the content.
• Typography & Color: RHSPCA’s brand fonts and color palette were integrated to ensure brand recognition while maintaining a friendly, educational tone.

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‍Feedback and Changes

After the first draft, we had a class critique session. I used the feedback from my peers to make improvements and finalize the design. This included refining visuals and adjusting content for clarity.