University of Virginia Office for Sustainability
Strategic Communications • Brand Development • Campaign Design • Publication Design • Wayfinding Systems • 2019-2024
During my time as Senior Multimedia Designer for UVA Facilities Management (2019-2024), I provided comprehensive creative support for the Office for Sustainability, a department within Facilities Management.
This collaboration allowed me to apply design thinking to environmental challenges, creating visual communications that resulted in measurable behavior change and increased support for campus-wide sustainability initiatives.
Each project contributed to UVA's broader mission of becoming a leader in campus sustainability while engaging diverse audiences across the university community—from research labs to individual students and staff.
My work with the Office for Sustainability represents the powerful intersection of design and environmental stewardship, where thoughtful visual communication can create measurable positive impact on our planet.
Environmental Design: Campus-Wide Waste Signage System Redesign
My most impactful project for the Office for Sustainability was my work on the comprehensive redesign of UVA's waste sorting signage system—a critical infrastructure project that directly supports the university's 2030 sustainability goals. The challenge was to improve waste diversion accuracy across campus by helping students, faculty, and staff correctly sort their waste into four categories: Plastic/Metal/Glass, Paper/Cardboard, Landfill and Compost.
Waste signage at UVA had become mismatched over the years, resulting in a patchwork of communication. The confusing signage system was failing to provide clear guidance, resulting in contamination that undermined recycling and composting efforts. Through extensive collaboration with the sustainability team and incorporating direct feedback from student users, I restructured the visual approach to waste communication.
The redesigned signage system features clear visual examples of specific waste items for each category, eliminating guesswork and confusion. The new design uses intuitive iconography, improved typography hierarchy, and strategic color coding to make waste sorting decisions instant and accurate.
My redesigned waste system for UVA Sustainability
Critically, I adapted my designs to be used in all waste bin applications across Grounds — a variety of different dimensions and physical spaces — unifying our waste messaging across the university.
Additionally, I ensured all signage met ADA accessibility standards, making sustainability participation inclusive for all UVA community members.
Outdoor waste bins featuring my updated designs
This systematic approach to environmental communication resulted in measurable improvements in waste diversion accuracy, directly contributing to UVA's progress toward its sustainability targets while creating a replicable model for other institutions.
Publication Design: Office for Sustainability Annual Reports
For two consecutive years (2020, 2021), I designed the Office for Sustainability's annual report, creating comprehensive publications that communicate UVA's environmental progress to diverse stakeholders including students, faculty, staff, donors, and community partners.
These reports present complex sustainability data—energy consumption, waste diversion rates, carbon emissions, program participation—in accessible, engaging formats.
Working with sustainability team members who provided copy and images, I created layouts that transform potentially dry statistics into compelling narratives about environmental progress and community engagement.
A critical aspect of this work was ensuring both print and digital versions met ADA accessibility standards, making sustainability information truly accessible to all community members. The digital versions required particular attention to color contrast, font selection, and structural hierarchy to ensure screen reader compatibility while maintaining visual appeal.
These annual reports serve as both accountability documents and celebration of progress, helping build campus-wide support for sustainability initiatives while providing transparent reporting on institutional environmental performance.
Program Branding: Green Labs/Sustainable Labs Certifcation Program
The UVA Office for Sustainability’s Green Labs certification program represents UVA's commitment to reducing the environmental impact of research activities across campus. Research laboratories are among the most resource-intensive spaces on any university campus, making this program crucial for achieving institutional sustainability goals.
I developed the complete visual identity for this certification program, creating a graphic asset that went through multiple collaborative revision rounds with the sustainability team. The resulting design needed to appeal to researchers and lab managers while conveying scientific credibility and environmental responsibility.
The Green Labs identity is applied across multiple touchpoints: certification documents that labs display proudly, digital and print materials for program promotion, and branded beaker mugs that serve as both recognition and conversation starters. I also designed specialized equipment stickers that communicate shut-off protocols for lab equipment, turning everyday interactions into sustainability reminders.
This branding work has helped establish Green Labs as a prestigious certification that research teams actively pursue, fostering engagement across Grounds and building relationships between the sustainability office and the research community.
The program's success demonstrates how thoughtful brand strategy can make environmental responsibility aspirational rather than burdensome.
Initiative Branding: Equity & Environment Fund
The Equity & Environment Fund represents UVA's recognition that sustainability and social justice are interconnected challenges requiring integrated solutions. This fund awards money to university projects that address environmental issues through an equity lens, supporting innovative approaches to campus sustainability.
I created the visual identity for this fund, developing a graphic asset that communicates both environmental focus and social justice values. The graphic asset serves multiple applications, from digital promotion to print materials for funded projects, helping establish the fund's presence and credibility within the campus community.
This branding work demonstrates the versatility required in sustainability communications—the ability to create identities that speak to different audiences and program goals while maintaining connection to broader institutional sustainability messaging.
Strategic Communications: Sustainability Awareness Initatives
Throughout my collaboration with the Office for Sustainability, I created supporting materials for various awareness campaigns designed to change behavior and increase participation in sustainability programs.
These campaigns required understanding diverse audiences and motivations while maintaining consistent messaging aligned with UVA's sustainability goals.
Key campaigns included the Freezer Challenge, which encouraged research labs to clean out and optimize existing freezers rather than purchasing new ones—a simple behavior change with significant energy and cost savings. I also developed materials for UVA Saves Hour, an energy conservation initiative, and bike-to-work campaigns that promote alternative transportation options.
Each campaign required different visual approaches and messaging strategies, from scientific communications for researchers to broad appeals for campus-wide participation.
This work demonstrates how design can translate environmental goals into actionable behaviors while building community around shared sustainability values.
