Design

Thanks for checking out some highlights of my work! In my role of Senior Designer at Sanky Communications, I collaborated with diverse nonprofits and talented colleagues to produce effective campaigns that helped generate donations for and engagement with important causes. Let me talk you through a few examples now.

ONE AWARD-WINNING ANGLE: A COLORFUL TONE

This campaign won a DMFA (Direct Marketing Fundraising Association) award for Best Digital Renewal. Barely-concealed profanity (with a Giving Tuesday heart in place of “u”) cleverly signals that the organization shares their audience’s values of realness and justice in a climate of pernicious political attacks on LGBTQ+ people.

The idea came from a brainstorming session among Copywriters and Designers, with the final concept being a punch-up of one of my suggestions.

Examples from a fundraising campaign for GLAAD that incorporates a Giving Tuesday heart in place of "u" for a four-letter swear word. The campaign's slogan is "Give a F-U-C-K."

GIVING TUESDAY CAMPAIGN FOR GLAAD, 2024

ANOTHER SUCCESSFUL STRATEGY: FUN AND GAMES

This design won an IAC (Internet Advertising Competition) award for Best Nonprofit Email. It led off a summer campaign for Citymeals on Wheels with a new format for the organization, a multiple-choice trivia graphic.

An animated email for Citymeals that asks which borough the organization delivers the most to.

SUMMER CULTIVATION EMAIL FOR CITYMEALS, 2023

Clicking any answer would lead to the following landing page/donation form, with the header revealing the correct response and the subheader briefly telling Citymeals’ story. Now engaged, the user feels inspired to continue scrolling and make a donation.

The landing page that a user would go to after clicking on the corresponding email. The header reveals the answer to the question "Which borough does Citymeals deliver the most meals to?" (Manhattan

SUMMER LANDING PAGE/DONATION FORM FOR CITYMEALS, 2023

ONE MORE ACCLAIMED APPROACH: THE NEWS CONVEYED INVENTIVELY

This set of images won a Best Nonprofit Social Media Campaign IAC award. It consists of evergreen paid media posts that aimed to convert website visitors, social media fans, and people in affinity groups into donors. The campaign focuses on events in the news (e.g. drag bans and Ron DeSantis’ Don’t Say Gay bill) since people invested in advocacy often give in response to such topics.

An array of paid media images for GLAAD based off of current events like the "Don't Say Gay" law in Florida.

EVERGREEN PAID MEDIA CAMPAIGN FOR GLAAD, 2024

CULTIVATING AN AUDIENCE THROUGH STORY

One of the most technically complicated projects I’ve worked on to date was this landing page for North Shore Animal League. The page tells the story of a cat named Cream Soda, who was found injured on the streets of Queens and now lives happily ever after thanks to the efforts of this organization. The Copywriter and I wanted to create a cultivation approach that felt like a storybook, which seemed like the perfect opportunity to apply some heartstring-tugging illustrations.

Hero area of a North Shore Animal League landing page that features a zoom-in of a cat named Cream Soda as the user scrolls down.

SNIPPETS OF A CULTIVATION LANDING PAGE FOR NORTH SHORE ANIMAL LEAGUE, 2025

Technical challenges included adjusting the timing of fade-ins/fade-outs, translating the desktop layout to a mobile one, and figuring out how the circular cat icon would travel along the path. The Web Developer and I envisioned it moving along the curve, but given time and budget constraints, we needed to move it in a straight line.

STREAMLINING ACTION THROUGH DESIGN

An essential part of a successful fundraising campaign is making it as easy as possible to donate. Once a user gets to the donation page, familiar imagery and styling reinforces the brand, and a clear UI streamlines the giving process.

Donation form for Joslin Diabetes that allows a user to help fund diabetes research.

DONATION FORM FOR JOSLIN DIABETES, 2020

CREATING COHESION BETWEEN DIGITAL AND PRINT

Campaigns could comprise print and/or digital components, and I operated on both sides. The examples below are from Humane Society Silicon Valley, with similar imagery being adapted across different channels for consistency.

Example of the integration of print and digital designs for Humane Society Silicon Valley, with similar color schemes and imagery.

INTEGRATED APRIL APPEAL FOR HSSV, 2024

ENGAGING AN AUDIENCE THROUGH THE MAIL

Here’s a highlight of a full suite of print materials related to a single campaign, featuring everything that would fit into an outer envelope. Often I’d work on more visual deliverables like inserts or brochures, but I’d also occasionally step in for relatively standardized tasks like flowing in copy for letters.

Here, the other print components were created by a Production Designer, who applied the gradient background and text styling that I originated to create cohesion amongst all of the deliverables.

The front and back of a print insert for GLAAD. The front features ways that the org amplifies LGBTQ concerns, and the back underscores a match.

Print components for GLAAD Pride campaign including a reply, an outer envelope, a CRE, and a letter.

PRINT SUITE FOR GLAAD’S PRIDE CAMPAIGN, 2023

CATCHING A USER’S ATTENTION VIA VISUAL EMAILS

I created numerous email designs throughout the year. In addition to simpler designs, I’d make what we called “visual emails” that were generally taller and included more eye-catching elements. These took more planning and time, but visual emails constituted a way to reinforce an organization’s identity and engage the audience.

VISUAL EMAIL FOR GLAAD’S SPIRIT DAY CAMPAIGN, 2023

A visual email for Habitat for Humanity.

VISUAL EMAIL FOR HABITAT FOR HUMANITY GREATER SAN FRANCISCO’S FALL CAMPAIGN, 2023

VISUAL EMAIL FOR SAFE HORIZON’S SEPTEMBER APPEAL CAMPAIGN, 2021

A visual email for FCC that features a spinning globe animation in the header and reasons to donate for Earth Month in the middle.

VISUAL EMAIL FOR FCC’S APRIL APPEAL CAMPAIGN, 2024

CREATING VISUAL SPARK AND CHARACTER THROUGH ANIMATION AND ILLUSTRATION

I started at Sanky with strong illustration skills, but a few years into my employment, I also delved into After Effects and animation principles and began incorporating motion more and more into projects.

Stylized illustrated dog and cat with little hearts to give character and charm to a Valentine's Day call to action.

ILLUSTRATED CALL TO ACTION FOR HUMANE SOCIETY SILICON VALLEY, 2023

An animation of a single-person plane with a banner behind it reading "#nonprofitlife". Behind the plane is a spinning globe.

PROSPECTIVE ANIMATION FOR A SANKY WEBSITE UPDATE, 2022

Animated stylized human characters that creatively transition into one another.

STUDY FOR A PERSONAL PROJECT, 2022

POP-UP MODAL FOR FCC’S GIVING TUESDAY, 2023

PERSONAL ANIMATED LOGO, 2025

For my logo, I aimed to evoke focused, applied imaginativeness with a wind turbine that spins into a whirligig and back again. I’ve found that nurturing one’s playful side feeds into all corners of creativity and keeps one open to surprising and powerful design solutions that help propel attention to important stories.

THANKS FOR TAKING THE TIME TO CHECK OUT MY WORK!

I really appreciate it. Feel free to reach out to me at evanericsonart@gmail.com.