The Golden Paws
Building a cohesive event identity for GMHS’s largest annual fundraiser
OVERVIEW
Although I was hired as a Development Associate, I volunteered my design skills after joining Gloucester-Mathews Humane Society. That initiative eventually led me to become the organization's primary designer, responsible for creating visual materials for fundraising events, marketing campaigns, and organizational communications.
One of my first major projects was The Golden Paws, the theme for the shelter's annual fundraising auction and gala. As the organization's largest source of private fundraising, the event required a cohesive visual identity that could be applied consistently across invitations, printed materials, signage, and promotional graphics.
Role: Visual identity, campaign design, and print production
Tools: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign
Year: 2020
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THE CHALLENGE
Previous auction materials had been assembled by staff and volunteers with little formal design experience. For Golden Paws, I was given the event theme and the freedom to build an entirely new visual identity from the ground up.
Inspired by classic Hollywood theaters and Art Deco architecture, I developed a brand centered around elegant typography, geometric patterns, and rich vintage colors. Using Adobe Illustrator and InDesign—both of which I was still actively learning—I created an identity that carried across every piece of the event.
Alongside the creative work, I also managed production by preparing print-ready files, coordinating with vendors, and solving practical challenges such as rebuilding sponsor advertisements from low-resolution logos or creating ads for businesses that hadn't provided artwork.
THE SOLUTION
The Golden Paws identity was applied across more than 50 print and promotional pieces, including:
Event logo and branding
Invitations and RSVP cards
Save-the-date postcards and magnets
Auction program book
Silent auction signage
Table numbers
Gift card envelopes
Posters and flyers
Sponsor materials
Social media graphics
By designing every piece within the same visual system, the event felt polished and cohesive from the first invitation through the final auction.
REFLECTION
Golden Paws was the first large-scale campaign I designed entirely on my own and remains one of the projects I'm most proud of. It challenged me to learn Illustrator and InDesign while managing a complex print production workflow and coordinating dozens of deliverables over several months.
More importantly, it taught me something I've come to value throughout my career: great design isn't just about making something look better—it creates consistency and makes the overall product better.
Early Draft
Final Save the Date card
Inspired by classic Hollywood theaters and Art Deco architecture, the identity combines geometric shapes, elegant typography, and a vintage color palette.
THE CHALLENGE
Build a cohesive event identity from the ground up while managing a complex print production workflow.
THE SOLUTION
A flexible visual system brought more than 50 print and promotional pieces together under one cohesive identity.
The program book cover was designed in Adobe Illustrator and interior pages were laid out in Adobe InDesign.
REFLECTION
Golden Paws showed me how a strong visual system can create consistency across a complex, large-scale campaign.
