For this project, I created Safe Haven Paws Rescue (a fictitious charity) to help dogs and cats get the care they need and find the homes they deserve. I took the photos myself because I wanted the images to feel personal and authentic. The campaign aimed to show the comfort an animal can feel when it has a safe place to belong.
The campaign includes a poster, a brochure, a print ad, a Facebook post, an Instagram ad, and a billboard concept. Each has a different layout, but the same message, colors, photos, and donation ask.
Developing the Campaign Message
I started with the concept that every dog and every cat should have a safe home. “Belong” was the tagline I went with, and “Every paw deserves a place to call home” was the slogan. “Belong” links the images to the charity’s purpose without needing further explanation.
I looked at Best Friend Animal Society and the Humane Rescue Alliance to see how animal charities go about communicating their mission and how they want you to get involved. That was what led me to pick donations as my main call to action. The brochure also talks about fostering, adoption, volunteering, and simply sharing important information, so there are several ways for people to get involved.
I wanted the campaign to feel hopeful. Instead of creating fictional rescue stories for my pets, I used their photographs to represent the care and connection the nonprofit would work towards providing.
Choosing Colors and Creating the Logo
I went with dark green, sage green, cream, and charcoal. Dark green gives the designs a strong opener; sage and cream provide a softer feel. Using those colors throughout the templates gives it a sense of continuity and helps the viewer to know that they are all part of the same campaign.
For the logo, I combined a roof and chimney with a very simple cat silhouette. The roof represents shelter, and the ears and whiskers clearly indicate it’s a cat. I drew it in Illustrator using the Pen and Curvature tools to control the paths and curves and get the shape just right.
The logo is vector, so I can resize it for different uses while keeping crisp edges. I used Adorn Condensed Sans for the charity name as I felt it complemented the simple line drawing.
Making Typography Part of the Story
Typography helped me establish visual hierarchy. “BELONG” is the largest text in most pieces because it’s the key message. The supporting slogan comes after that, then the call to action and the rest of the supporting information.
For the body copy, I used Minion Variable Concept, using its bold weight for headers to create a clear visual hierarchy.
I also thought about how much time someone might spend with each piece. The billboard uses minimal wording, while the brochure has sections that explain the nonprofit’s mission. This keeps the content appropriate for each format.
Editing Photographs and Building the Layouts
I edited the photos in Photoshop using the Camera Raw settings to adjust brightness. Highlights, shadows, and contrast. I also adjusted clarity and green tones to match the photos to my color palette.
For certain designs, I varied the opacity so the text would stand out against the images. That let me balance contrast and legibility while keeping the animals visible.
To assemble the campaign in InDesign, I went to File > Place to import the Photoshop photos and Illustrator logo, then adjusted their frames and crops within the templates. I positioned the text and images to create a clear reading flow.
I used alignment to organize the layouts, and proximity to group related information. I repeated the logo, tagline, colors, and donation prompts to maintain consistency. I also considered negative space so the designs didn’t feel too crowded and had room to breathe.
References
Castle, — Julie, & Officer, B. F. C. E. (n.d.). Homepage. Best Friends Animal Society. https://bestfriends.org/?form=FUNLJQZPGEN&gclid=e0b4e8d399bf1a9042fb821fbfaa364f&gclsrc=3p.ds&msclkid=e0b4e8d399bf1a9042fb821fbfaa364f
Humane Rescue Alliance. Humane Rescue Alliance – Pet Adoption and Training Services. (n.d.-b). https://www.humanerescuealliance.org/
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