Gallery ~ Schools
I was delighted to serve as the on-staff graphic designer for New Mexico School for the Blind & Visually Impaired for 16.5 years (remote work for about half of that time.) I served departments all across the school, developing an array of materials for in-house clients to help support the school's over-arching missions. My project-territory included general collateral & program-specific materials, branding for special events (both student-centric and public), greeting cards, publication-design, and fundraising support-materials. Here is a sampling from my time with the school (with a few pieces developed for other schools sprinkled in as well.)
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Program Information
Various materials: safety posters for the classroom / lab; initial designs for trifold brochures; and finalized bookmark & poster promoting the school's fantastic science program.
Cover designs for the Transportation department's yearly travel calendar, sent to families.
Collateral for the school's ongoing statewide Shaken Baby Prevention initiative: starter designs for the entire project; promotional car-magnets; and finalized poster with attached rack-card holder.
A variety of materials developed to promote the school library's various reading initiatives (for students and staff.)
Materials developed in support of the school's IRC department (which provides materials to students & school-districts all across the state): logo development & flyer for "NM-VI Count" database project; reminder postcards; and little booklet for use by school districts around the state.
Materials developed for the national Babies Count project (innovative database project involving babies who are visually impaired or at-risk): initial flyer designs, alongside the finalized flyer & lapel-button.
Logo development for an "outside" project-partner, the Council of Schools for the Blind. Shown here are some of the initial designs based on client's preferences... followed by the final logo.
A variety of initial (rough) designs for a mural to be used in the school's Food Services dining room... along with the finalized design, shown in its highly-visible spot, just behind the serving-line / salad bar in the cafeteria.
A variety of poster & mural-designs for use by the school's Food Services department.
An array of designs to help promote the (in-house) school's relatively-new Innovations Department.
Development and finalization of a logo for use by the school's Communication in Action program.
For use by the school's Birth-to-Three Baby Program: a half-fold booklet with helpful information about how best to fit eyeglasses to very young children; and a diploma design for graduates from the program.
Materials developed for the school's ongoing student program, "Character Counts", which encourages & rewards good community-behavior: designs for "money", and finalized greeting card, "money", and poster.
An array of designs in support of the school's Transition Program (for students moving from a school setting into "the world"): designs for various school-year and summertime programs.
Various materials for the school's preschool program: meeting flyer for parents; posters to be hung in the preschool's library on a long-term basis; sticker design; and some t-shirt designs.
General Collateral Materials
Custom-printed golden-foil-logo pocket folder which can be used to present an assortment of collateral materials for the school's various programs; used with legislative folks and various VIPs.
Offering several over-arching programs, the blind school needs to be able to offer "info en masse" as well as separate program information for certain targeted audiences. This color-coded array of trifolds to represent the school's "core" programs fits both needs (effective used singularly or all together.) Also shown is the template for all staff's business cards.
A variety of "give-away" items developed over the years and printed by off-site vendors: license plates for staff (morale-boosters); stickers for various programs (little happies for students & staff); and designs for glasses-cleaning-cloths (final design at the far right) to be given to VIPs.
A variety of pieces designed specifically to "talk to" State Legislators, used during times they've gathered on campus, or used when the school was approaching legislative funding-bodies to request special funds for campus improvements or the like.
Some sample covers from yearly handbooks for students & staff.
A 2-sided piece with student-quotes about their favorite things (used with parents of incoming students, project-partners, etc.); and a promotional trifold brochure designed for the middle school located on nearby Holloman Air Force Base.
Various pieces developed to attract potential employees to the school; attract professionals "into the field" as a whole; and brochures intended for local school districts who may need the blind school's services.
A trifold brochure developed for the public school district's IS&T department (promoting the technological advances at the district); and a recruitment piece for an open job at the blind school.
A series of large vinyl banners designed to be used long-range at various off-site conferences & events (color-coded to match the "core" trifold for each program); and a trifold briefly covering the school's historical entanglement with Elizabeth Garrett.
Collateral to promote the school's volunteer program.
For a time during the pandemic, students shifted to a remote learning model; various supplementary "morale-boosting" materials were posted online or printed & sent out, to communicate with parents, students, and staff.
A collection of greeting cards designed for the school; including a "thank-you" for a hot air balloon visit to the campus; some rough designs for possible thank-you cards; and an in memoriam card design showing a much-loved statue located on the school's main campus.
Series of whimsical & colorful thank-you cards for use by the school's Innovations Department (to thank fundraising donors & project-partners.) Cards were designed to be an extravagant 11x17" page, printed on both sides and then folded into thirds.
Beginning with my first or second year with the school, we started sending out yearly holiday cards, including a plastic brailled sticker-overlay on the interior. Yearly cards hover around 1,200-1,700 mailed out.
Special Events & Holidays
Promotional materials for a building dedication after an extensive renovation. Whimsical paint-swirl poster, flyer, and simple half-fold program booklet.
Materials developed for a high-profile event held at New Mexico's Legislative "Roundhouse", highlighting the school's Innovations Department. Shown here are initial designs, plus final program-booklet and cloisonne pin.
Designs for the Innovations Dept's yearly Innovations Fair event (held at 2 campuses, and / or presented remotely.) Shown here are posters and program booklets from past events.
Designs for a variety of Science Program events open to students across the state.
Designs for a variety of Science Program events open to students across the state; branding is reflective of each year's focus (space-sciences, robotics, eclipse, etc.) Each event gets posters, flyers, and certificates for students.
Branding to promote the school's yearly Braille Challenge event (regional event, hosted locally, with students in attendance from all across the state.)
"Golden Bear" (mascot) branded materials, in support of the school's Homecoming festivities (which includes athletic students from other states): program booklet, poster, thank-you card, and name badges.
Materials to promote an every-morning movement program for all students; as well as a multi-state tournament for the sport of goalball.
Materials based on each graduating class's chosen theme; for each year's event, there are posters, signage, invitations, and a program.
Preschool graduation is a big deal, too! Here are some designs from years-past (posters & invitation-cards.)
Designs from the preschool's yearly Fall Carnival (Halloween); and grand opening of the new preschool building in Albuquerque (including my hand-drawn ladybug graphic.)
Branded materials to promote a variety of preschool events: pancake breakfast, family science night, dedication of a donated sensory "light room", and springtime egg hunt.
Branded materials to promote the residential campus's yearly Family Weekend Event (open to parents of current students, and used as a recruitment event, too.)
The school's residential campus hosts a variety of special luncheons each year for students, staff, and special guests: Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Valentine's Day.
The residential campus hosts a variety of holiday-time winter events for students, staff, and the community-at-large: among these are the Holiday Sampler (in which the students prepare & serve festive snacks for student & staff alike); and the Luminaria Walk, which is open to the general public.
In conjunction with New Mexico's Centennial, the school hosted "Neighbors Day"; open to the public, it was a celebration of the school's long history. Shown here are poster, lapel-pins, and my hand-drawn New-Mexico-themed coloring book for children to enjoy.
Different themes every year, for the school's Prom festivities. Collateral includes invitations, posters, flyers, and sometimes decorative elements to be used during the event.
An array of designs in support of yearly Talent Shows, showcasing student performances.
Designs for a variety of yearly student performance-events: Talent Show, Winter Program, Veteran's Day event, and Spring Performances.
Designed for the Grand Opening of a new building: poster, table-top card, lapel-pin, and a giveaway item I brainstormed & assembled (small clear plastic paint buckets with color-changing LEDs & candy inside... used as decoration, then given as thank-yous to students & attendees.)
Branding for Transition Fair events, held in conjunction with many partners in the local community (geared toward students transitioning from school into "the world").
Starter & final design for Career Day held at the school, to help students explore options for their futures.
For many years, the school hosted a very popular Halloween event (for the public), complete with old-timey games for children & a haunted house. Shown here is my ghost-themed branding used for several years... and then my fresh batty-brand: posters, "ghost bucks" & "bat bucks", and free snack tickets for volunteers.
The Halloween Event included many activities for children of all ages... and I designed the signage for each one.
My branding for a variety of Halloween events at the school (dance for the students, pumpkin carving, and trunk-or-treat.)
Occasionally, the school's "Staff Activities Committee" (morale-boosting group) organizes & hosts an event primarily intended for staff; here are some of my designs in support of the staff Christmas Luncheon, Spring Fling (snackfest), and the occasional retirement shindig.
In celebration of a statewide law created years ago, the school works with a few national organizations to host a yearly "White Cane Day Walk", open to any interested folks in the community. Imagery hints at the autumn foliage around town & on campus, which walkers enjoy on their way to the speaking-portion of the event.
Foundation and Fundraising
The school's Foundation obtained & hosted a high-profile holiday event in Albuquerque, for the public to attend; I developed the event-branding (early designs shown at left, with finalized design shown at right, in promotional flyer-form.)
My branding design was used within many pieces for advance promotion, and on-site during the multi-day event. Shown here are certificates, thank-you cards, lapel stickers, and tickets for attendees. Additionally, there were directional signs, table-top signs... plus info signs for ticket prices, competitive categories, winners, etc.
When the school was the beneficiary of the prestigious NM Governors' Ball (fundraiser), I developed the branding materials around that year's theme of "Emerald City." Collateral included invitations, posters, flyers, on-site signage, program-booklet, thank-you cards, etc. (Early designs at top; some finals at bottom.)
Some years ago, the school's Foundation was re-energized, and needed a new brand.... Here are some of the development pieces, along with their final logo.
Branding developed for the Foundation's yearly Night Golf fundraising event; shown here are promotional poster, event signage, and half-fold program.
Initial design-development for an intended public fundraiser in Albuquerque (goalball, which is a sport developed for folks who are blind / visually impaired).... Although the event didn't take place as initially planned, you never know!
An idea I brainstormed & developed for the Superintendent: tiny soapstone bears (a nod to the school's bear mascot) which I crafted into happy little southwest-themed talismen, branded with a gold-plated logoed tag. For several years, these were used by the Superintendent as-needed to thank VIPs / donors / project-partners.
Fundraising flyer and thank-you card used by the Innovations Department at the school.
Information for the public about the school's special Eyeglasses Fund; and a search for additional Foundation Board Members.
Design-development for various promotional pieces for use by the school's Foundation.
An array of thank-you email headers developed for the school's Foundation to use as part of seasonal promotional campaigns.
Promotional materials developed for the Superintendent's Fund (separate from the Foundation and separate from the operational funds of the school.)
A variety of designs developed for the preschool program's holiday card fundraiser (final card shown at the far right.)
Cards designed for the Staff Activity Committee's fundraising events (holiday greeting cards, and seasonal note-cards); and branding for a non-profit support activity one of the school's classes was involved with, in the wider community.
Conferences & Training Events
Branding for the yearly conference of the NM-AER Group (New Mexico Association for the Education & Rehabilitation for the Blind & Visually Impaired.) Shown here is design-development for one year's chosen "catch phrase" ... plus the final visual brand used on the printed program-booklet. Each year, the event typically includes matching posters, flyers, program booklet, and nametags.
Branding developed for a staff training of a new kind of Braille protocol (UEB.) The braille dots lent themselves nicely to a friendly little caterpillar.
Collateral materials developed in support of a statewide conference about literacy: bookmark, poster, nametag, and program booklet.
Branding developed for the school's yearly "Vision Bee" conference... Some years, the keynote speaker's theme suggests a particular image that can be used to brand the event... while other years (when the core topic is a bit more abstract), some sort of stylized bumble-bee graphic is used to brand things.
More branding for various years' Vision Bee events; some of which were themed after the keynote topic.
A variety of materials used on the school's two campuses, to promote safety topics; a 90-some--page booklet (including blueprints & evacuation plans); and a series of half-page safety sheets to cover a variety of emergency situations, built to be hung at the door of each classroom.
Branding developed to promote a yearly Preschool Symposium hosted by the school's Albuquerque campus.
Various materials developed for the school's IS&T Department, and for the public school district's Technology Department, in support of ongoing initiatives of awareness & tech-training.