Recognize & Respond Campaign
Recognize & Respond is an educational campaign developed for the Ferris State University community to promote awareness of dating and domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking—and to provide guidance on how to safely and effectively intervene.
Project Overview
Collaborating with a team of three designers, I helped develop the visual identity and messaging system for the Recognize & Respond campaign. Our client, the Anti-Violence Alliance at Ferris State University, focuses on teaching bystander intervention strategies through on-campus presentations and events. When crafting the campaign brand, we carefully considered cultural sensitivity, representation, and inclusivity to ensure the messaging resonated effectively across the university community.
Key Messaging
We began by developing a core message to introduce the key tactics taught in the bystander intervention curriculum. Through collaborative discussions and refinement, we identified three primary messages to guide the campaign’s communication strategy. Based on these, we created and presented multiple visual identity concepts to the client, each aligned with one of the key messages.
Key Message 1:
Recognize & Respond
Recognize & Respond
Individuals must learn to recognize the signs of inappropriate conduct and be empowered to respond in a way that enacts change and prevents similar future situations.
Key Message 2:
Shoulder to Shoulder
Shoulder to Shoulder
Individuals must link together to combat inappropriate behavior that could lead to further, much more harmful actions.
Key Message 3:
Find the Courage
Find the Courage
In a world where many people easily ignore inappropriate behavior, individuals need to stand up, be courageous, and be prosocial bystanders.
Recognize & Respond
The Anti-Violence Alliance selected “Recognize & Respond” as the campaign title, as it most effectively captured the core message of the bystander intervention curriculum. To ensure the language was accurate and inclusive, our team collaborated with subject matter experts to deepen our understanding of appropriate terminology and to intentionally avoid victim-blaming language.
Visual Identity
With a clear understanding of the campaign’s key messages, our team moved into the visual design phase, iterating on multiple identity concepts. Our goal was to create a system that could effectively communicate example scenarios, demonstrate appropriate response methods, and provide users with direct access to relevant resources.
The Anti-Violence Alliance responded strongly to the concept centered around the question “Now what?”—a prompt designed to encourage the audience to reflect on how they might respond in challenging situations. They were also drawn to the use of hand-drawn illustrations, which offered flexibility in representation and helped communicate the campaign’s message with authenticity and empathy.
Illustrations
In this phase, I took on the role of illustrator, creating custom visuals to support the campaign’s visual identity. Using photo references sourced from stock imagery and students, I developed hand-drawn illustrations in Procreate and refined the style through multiple iterations based on team and client feedback.
Illustration Library
Diversity and representation were key priorities for this campaign. To ensure inclusivity across all materials, I developed an illustration library featuring a diverse range of individuals that could be applied consistently across campaign touchpoints.
Campaign Pieces
With the illustration style finalized, our team moved into the production phase, applying the visuals across a variety of campaign materials. We designed posters, social media graphics, stickers, buttons, mirror clings, magnets, and an interactive display for use at campus tabling events.
Webpage
Each campaign touchpoint directed users to a dedicated webpage that expanded on the principles of bystander intervention. The site provided detailed information about intervention methods, situational examples, and access to additional resources. I designed and developed the webpage with interactive elements that encouraged users to actively engage with the content and reflect on how they might respond in real-world scenarios.
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