University of Virginia Facilities Management
Strategic Communications • Multimedia Design • Program Branding • Environmental Design • Crisis Communications • Video Production • Photography • Wayfinding Systems • 2019-2024
From 2019-2024, I had the privilege of creating diverse content at University of Virginia Facilities Management.
Working with an organization of over 1,200 employees who keep UVA's campus running every day, I planned and executed creative production which spanned a broad spectrum of media and applications—from comprehensive publication design and campus-wide digital display systems to environmental installations, video storytelling, internal engagement initiatives, crisis communication design, and large-scale wayfinding solutions.
Jump to:
→ Strategic Communications, Institutional Crisis Response Design
→ Strategic Communications, Digital and Print
Strategic Communications: COVID-19 Response Design System
During the unprecedented challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, I played a critical role in UVA's institutional response by creating comprehensive visual communication systems that helped the university maintain operations while protecting community health. This work required rapid adaptation to evolving health guidelines while maintaining design standards that projected authority and reliability during an incredibly fraught time.
The scope of this project was massive: I designed and produced a complete catalog of COVID-19 signage that departments and schools across Grounds could order from, resulting in 55,000 individual signs installed university-wide. These designs covered social distancing protocols, capacity limitations, directional flow, hand hygiene reminders, and mask requirements—each requiring clear visual hierarchy and immediate comprehension.
Beyond general campus signage, I created specialized wayfinding systems for UVA's COVID testing infrastructure. This presented unique design challenges: signs needed to guide users through complex testing protocols in outdoor environments where people were wearing masks and potentially experiencing stress or confusion. The designs had to communicate complicated multi-step processes through clear visual cues and minimal text, ensuring accessibility for diverse users under challenging conditions.
I also developed official design materials for Facilities Management's internal COVID response, including detailed visual guidelines for sneeze guard installation and comprehensive protocol communications for janitorial staff who were on the front lines of campus safety. These materials required translating complex health and safety requirements into actionable visual instructions while maintaining UVA's institutional design standards.
Throughout this crisis period, maintaining consistent visual identity became crucial for institutional credibility and public confidence. My design work helped ensure that UVA's COVID response maintained professional authority and clear communication standards, even as guidance changed rapidly and tensions ran high across the university community.
Publication Design: University of Virginia Facilities Management Annual Reports
Each year, UVA Facilities Management issues an annual report highlighting events, people, and projects across the department. From 2019–2024, I collaborated with colleagues in the User Experience and Engagement team to transform these publications from traditional institutional reports into engaging storytelling vehicles.
Using photography captured by UXE team members and University Communications, stories written by the UXE team, and design elements guided by UVA brand standards, I designed these reports to tell compelling narratives rather than simply catalog the year's projects and finances. Each print spread, web layout, and story was crafted to engage readers and encourage them to explore FM's impact on campus life.
The 2018–2019 and 2019–2020 reports, available through the UVA Facilities Management website, showcase this narrative approach to institutional communication. My favorite aspect of these projects was the collaborative process—working across disciplines to bring FM's diverse stories to life through strategic design and compelling visual storytelling.
Starting in 2021, we transitioned the annual report to an all-digital format, requiring adaptation of design principles for web-based reading while maintaining the engaging, story-driven approach that made the print versions successful.
Selected spreads, 2018–2019
Strategic Communications: Digital Display Screens
Communicating effectively with over 1,200 employees across multiple University locations presents unique logistical challenges. One critical communication channel involves display screens placed strategically in buildings across Grounds, serving as information hubs for time-sensitive announcements and community engagement.
When important messages needed campus-wide distribution to Facilities employees, I created targeted designs optimized for digital display viewing. These communications covered diverse topics: apprenticeship application deadlines, pronoun awareness initiatives, flu shot clinics, employee appreciation events, fire safety training, blood drives, housing opportunities, clothing drives, new employee welcomes, safety hazard alerts, PPE reminders, and Veterans Day celebrations.
Each design required consideration of viewing distance, screen resolution, information hierarchy, and brand consistency while ensuring critical information remained accessible and engaging. These digital display screens underscore the importance of designing for specific viewing contexts and the role visual communication plays in organizational culture and safety.
Strategic Communications: Print Design
Print design served as another vital communication channel at UVA Facilities Management, bringing color and information into physical workspaces while supporting organizational initiatives. During my time at FM, I created materials ranging from employee appreciation event promotions to complex wayfinding solutions.
Notable projects included employee appreciation posters that celebrated FM staff contributions, external job fair materials that supported recruitment efforts, and detailed pedestrian access maps to provide critical information in construction zones. The Alderman Library access map project exemplified the problem-solving aspect of this work—creating clear, actionable wayfinding information during complex construction projects that affected daily campus navigation.
Well-designed print materials demonstrate how thoughtful design can transform functional communication into opportunities for community building and problem-solving, while maintaining UVA's visual identity standards across diverse applications.
Video Storytelling: The McCormick Zone Team: Making Research Happen
One of my most rewarding projects involved creating a video to highlight collaborative work between Facilities Management and academic researchers. "The McCormick Zone Team: Making Research Happen" showcased how FM teams created a custom cooling system for a molecular physics researcher, demonstrating the critical but often invisible support that makes university research possible.
This project required understanding complex technical processes, interviewing subject matter experts, and translating specialized knowledge into accessible storytelling. The resulting video illuminates how Facilities Management's expertise enables groundbreaking research across Grounds while celebrating the skilled professionals who work behind the scenes.
There are cool things happening at Facilities every day, but much of the great work goes unnoticed since FM teams often operate out of the spotlight. This video project reinforced my appreciation for institutional storytelling and the importance of recognizing all contributors to university success, from world-renowned researchers to the facilities professionals who create the conditions for discovery.
Program Branding: Event and Initiative Identity Design
Special events and initiatives at Facilities Management provided opportunities to create focused brand identities within UVA's broader visual framework. These projects required creative problem-solving to develop distinctive looks using limited color palettes and established brand guidelines.
I designed graphic assets and supporting materials for various initiatives, including Girls Day events that introduced young women to careers in critical trades, milestone celebrations, and occupational health and safety programs. Each project demanded an understanding of specific audiences and goals while maintaining consistency with institutional branding.
The challenge and reward of these projects lay in finding creative solutions within constraints—demonstrating how effective design can create distinct identities and emotional connections even within structured brand systems. Projects like these are some of my favorite opportunities!
Environmental Design: Workplace Enhancement
Some of my most satisfying projects involved designing and implementing a large vinyl installations in Facilities spaces across Grounds, including an original design for the Central Grounds Zone conference room. My design features both historic and modern buildings within the zone, creating a visual celebration of the spaces that FM Central Grounds personnel dedicate their expertise to maintaining every day.
The project required extensive planning, from initial ideation and experimentation on paper through digital mockup development and final installation in coordination with the FM Sign Shop. The bright application of UVA brand colors and architectural imagery transformed a previously generic space into an inspiring environment that reflected the team's daily mission.
Environmental design can enhance workplace culture while celebrating organizational purpose, creating spaces that inspire and engage the people who use them daily—and a little break of color can be a breath of fresh air for us all.
Creative Engagement: Cybersecurity Communication Collateral
With over 1,200 employees accessing critical technology systems daily, cybersecurity education represented both a serious institutional need and an opportunity for creative engagement. I brought lighthearted energy to this important topic by creating fun stickers and educational cards featuring cybersecurity tips.
These materials featured illustrated portraits of my Technology & Innovation colleagues, combining personal recognition with practical security guidance. I sketched each portrait, then collaborated with team members to develop their individual phrases and tips, creating educational materials that felt personal and engaging rather than generic and intimidating.
Internal teams like UVA FM’s cybersecurity group can use design to make critical but potentially dry topics more approachable and memorable, while building team culture and celebrating individual personalities within professional communication.
