CreateAThon is the annual event held by USC’s School of Journalism and Mass Communications that surrounds creating as much content as possible for various non-profits in the Carolina area. Students apply to be accepted into the event to work for the 7 non-profits that are also accepted through an application process of their own. Once accepted, you are assigned to a team and show up to the J School to pull an all nighter. All of the teams work for over 24 hours straight on creating deliverables and strategy that is requested, and sometimes not requested, by the non-profit through a creative brief. This year I was assigned to the Walt’s Waltz team, a non-profit focused on ending stigma surrounding mental health and encouraging conversation about it in daily environments, such as businesses, restaurants, schools, etc.

Our main goal as a team was to encompass the founder’s passion into the brand. Susan Crooks, the founder, was specifically looking for life to be brought to the brand through updating their documents, posters, and other printable items to gift organizations with once they pledge to being a stigma-free environment. My main task on the team was creating an animation, as shown above, even though they didn’t ask for one. I had a feeling that the organization would feel moved through seeing their butterfly mascot actually fly, showing that rising above struggle and continuing to fly through hard times is possible. So, with some encouragement from my mentor, I spent the middle of the night designing and completing the animation above. When we presented the final project, Susan was moved to tears over seeing the butterfly take off!

Along with the animation, my team and I also created postcards, posters, a window cling, packaging, social media posts, a website mockup, and web improvement strategy. We completed the event, 27 hours after it began, with presenting our deliverables and process behind the designs to Susan herself. My team was also awarded Best of Show for best deliverables. View examples below, along with pictures of my team working and presenting!