The poster I have created is focused on the problem of street cats, as only in the United States there is an estimated range of stray cats up to 70 million, and yearly about 3.5 million are abandoned or lost. This issue is very personal to me, as all cats we had in our household throughout my life were street cats that we had found, and most of them were in awful condition and required surgery, and long rehabilitation process at veterinary clinics. 

When working on this poster, I focused on creating more cartoony stylised designs rather than realistic image of kittens to awake feelings of compassion and empathy, and attract the attention of a larger audience. 

The poster lists the ASPCA’s contact information, as well as their social media. Please consider checking out their website to find information about making donations, or other ways you can help. Thank you for your attention.

 

LGBT youth seriously contemplate suicide at almost three times the rate of heterosexual youth and are almost five times as likely to have attempted suicide compared to heterosexual youth.

 

The concept for my poster is assistance directed towards LGBT youth that are in the closet/unable to come out. Many friends of mine have struggled with depression/internalized homophobia while they were in the closet so I wanted to dedicate my poster to them and people like them and say that you don't have 
to go through this journey alone and that there are resources out there to assist you.

 

You can find more information and donate at www.thetrevorproject.org

 

In my poster, I have illustrated the rough shape of the Amazon rainforest into the likeness of tree rings. The tree rings decrease in size and increase in cracks are representative of the slow but sure historical decline of the Amazon and ultimately of all forests and rainforests around the world. The slogan “History rings change” is double entendre on both how history shows us what has changed in our environment, climate, and current state of biodiversity and how we should direct our attention and efforts towards what we can do to change the state of the world we live in.

 

 I represent two organizations, WeForest and the Rainforest Action Network. Both organizations core values are the restoration, preservation, and protection of wildlife, people, the climate, and the world’s forests and jungles.

For more information please go to: www.weforest.org and www.ran.org

There are many levels of postpartum depression like insomnia, loss of appetite, anxiety and fear, feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness, difficulty bonding with the baby and lack of interest in the baby, some may even begin to have thoughts of hurting herself and/or the baby, and they may have hallucinations or try to hurt themselves or their baby. Women of every culture, age, income level and race can develop postpartum depression. Untreated, postpartum depression may last months or longer and those who experience postpartum depression are at greater risk of developing major depression later in life.

My intention with this poster is to begin to create a safer environment for new mothers following their birthing experience, especially those who may not feel the true extent of their worth after delivering a baby and to demonstrate that this chemical imbalance is not anyone's fault, and is much more common than people know. 

Research on this topic isn’t as plentiful as other mental illnesses, probably because of the stigma still attached to postpartum depression, and posters, flyers, and infographics didn’t exactly capture my attention as profoundly as the information available. Therefore I wanted to bring a completely different and clarified perspective and hopefully dispel the shame that many women experience. However, I also wanted to keep the design as simple as possible with the hope that it can speak to all of those women who are suffering in silence and shame.

And to those who may 
be suffering...

You are not alone;

you are not to feel ashamed;

you are not to blame. 

Help is available. 

You will feel better.

Thank you.

 

Approximately 6.5 million companion animals enter U.S. animal shelters nationwide every year. According to Shelter Animals Count, each year, approximately 1.5 million shelter animals are euthanized (670,000 dogs and 860,000 cats). 

 

I've always loved animals. This passion has brought me to make this poster for the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Their mission is "to provide effective means for the prevention of cruelty to animals throughout the United States."

 

The poster features an illustrated dog rescued from abuse; observers remark that the dog is in a tough situation. The dog paws surrounded by darkness stylistically represents animals' suffering. I created this poster to show that animals need our help.

 

To learn more & donate go to:

www.aspca.org

 

They embed women into tech, and tech into non-profits by helping aspiring female technologists from underrepresented backgrounds to develop their coding skills. From there, these technologists help
non-profits that lack technology resources. So, the <WIT> Project brings together a team of female technology students to help their non-profit partners implement the software solutions they need. It’s a win-win. Their mission is to make tech inclusive for everyone. 

 

My design is meant to show the underrepresentation of women in tech and reflect the Wit Project’s mission of tech inclusivity. In what appears to be a “boys’ club,” the female graphic is shattering the glass ceiling and empowering herself. 

 

To learn more or donate, please visit thewitproject.com

 

And I have this great opportunity 
to be able to show off what I've been working on for my pre-press and print production class’ Posters for a Cause project.

 

The topic that I chose to tackle for this project is about people with eating disorders and those who 
are going through anorexia.

 

Eating disorders are a type of illness, they can range from psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits. Eating disorders are not character flaws 
or choices. Individuals don't choose to have an eating disorder. You also can't tell whether a person has an eating disorder just by looking at their appearance.

I chose this topic because I believe this is an issue that most people don't take seriously because it's more than just someone doesn't want to eat. That person is going through a physical and mental struggle, and I believe we shouldn't just ignore that, instead I feel we need to do whatever we can to help support that person to overcome whatever struggle they are going through, both mentally and physically.

So in order to get that message across I designed a poster that conveys the struggle that someone goes through mentally while having an eating disorder. I also added a small but positive message to it 
to let everyone know that they are not alone, there are people ready 
to help. 

The organization that I chose was The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, or ANAD for short. 
ANAD is the original non-profit organization dedicated to the prevention and alleviation of 
eating disorders (since 1976). ANAD focuses on prevention, education and helping those who are struggling to find treatment 
and support. ANAD has a helpline, school outreach programs, national awareness events, online discussion forums, prevention programs, and support groups across the nation.

If you would like to know more and help support my cause, please visit ANAD’s website at https://anad.org. They have tons of information and they also have a donation section. If you would like to, please donate. It would be greatly appreciated. 

I’m a professor of graphic design 

at Pratt Institute in the Associate Degrees department.

In partnership with the Grand Central Library, I’d like to welcome you to the 8th edition of the Posters for a Cause exhibition “Empowered, by Design”

Posters For a Cause is a project that cultivates an environment 

in which advocacy and social responsibility can thrive through creative messaging, and where by, utilizing skills learned in class, 

each student is tasked with designing a poster that conveys strong, compelling messaging to raise awareness and funds for a cause of their choice. 

 

This project offers a way to engage each student with the specific objectives of the course-work so that they want to take ownership of the assignment, as well as embrace the idea of creating strong messages to generate action from the viewer. I also want students to understand how powerful they can be as designers, and the responsibility that goes with that power. With the Posters For a Cause project they are able to look beyond themselves to create social change and to influence and inspire others to do the same, while acquiring the skills and knowledge they need to be successful graphic designers.

 

In normal times Posters for 

a Cause exhibitions hang at the 
NY Public Library, Grand Central branch in Manhattan, but due to Covid-19 restrictions still in place, we bring this semester’s show and presentations to you virtually with hopes to hang the show at the library very soon. That said, 
moving forward we will incorporate a virtual exhibition component 
to future physical Posters for 
a Cause exhibitions.

Empowered, by Design will be 
in session from April 23 through 
June 4, 2021, and I hope you will look through each of these important works of art and design. that my students have created, choose your favorite and make 
a donation to the organization affiliated with the designer’s cause. The library will feature a poster per week on their social media with each designer’s information, a video presentation presentation, and donation information for the remainder of the show.

 

For more information please go to: https://www.facebook.com/

Thanks to Pratt Institute, and the Grand Central Library, for their continued support, and thanks
to all of you for stopping by.