MY ROLE: ART DIRECTION / TRADEMARK / BACKGROUND ILLUSTRATION
Founded in 1994, the Colorado River Alliance believes that a healthy flowing river is imperative to the well-being of our communities and state. Their mission is to champion the long-term vitality of the Texas Colorado River through education and engagement, and by partnering with the LCRA, they provide river stewardship and are champions for the people, ecosystems, communities, and businesses that depend on this essential natural resource.
To commemorate their 30th Anniversary, the CRA came to us for an updated graphics system as well as to strengthen their overall educational outreach strategy with updated interactive learning materials for children in Kindergarten through 5th grade. In order to accommodate both the CRA’s distinct asks, we conceptualized and designed two unique campaigns: the Ultimate River Hero and Every Drop Counts campaigns.
Be a River Hero!The River Hero campaign invites the CRA’s younger target audience into the world of river conservation and protection through an interactive activity book and a map-poster hybrid.
Hey Ripple!
Original, tailored activities and content were created to align with CRA’s and Texas’ state curriculum standards. Readers engage with a series of challenging puzzles and vibrant illustrations aimed at equipping them with the knowledge and tools necessary to become the ultimate River Hero.
Our River HeroWe created the character, Ripple, as the River Hero mascot to engage younger audiences on their journey. Ripple's design features a simplified, cartoon-like appearance with rounded edges and exaggerated features to foster familiarity and a sense of excitement.
¿Hablas Español?Learning materials were produced in both English and Spanish to accommodate Texas’ bilingual landscape and to expand reach.
Become a River Hero!River Hero apparel was created to expand messaging and reach beyond the page on a series of t-shirts and superhero capes. We expanded the CRA color palette to introduce a bold and daring red and yellow, reminiscent of traditional superhero iconography.
The Water MapA foldable map-poster hybrid was created to adapt the Texas Water Development complex data and information found in their 2022 State Water Plan into an an engaging and easily digestible graphic more suitable for the younger target audience.
We gave the existing CRA trademark a dynamic temporary 30th Anniversary graphic update, adding in flowing layered lines and an emblem-like container to resemble currents and a lively, healthy river.A flexible and versatile drop pattern was designed to compliment the system’s Every Drop Counts messaging and concept. A collective of water drops in various sizes, colors and orientations were crafted to capture feelings of movement, progress, and cohesion.