Timeline:
August 2025 - December 2025
Proficiencies:
Print, Social Media, Experience Design
Description:
Political and social issues gain traction quickly online. But while activism may be on the rise, volunteering is not. Research shows American volunteering has decreased by 33% since 2021 and that number continues to fall. People are overwhelmed and tuning out, burdened by frustration and a sense that their actions don’t matter, my project addresses that. Targeting college students, an age group that is most active in online political spaces but has the lowest rate of volunteering. My goal was to help students channel their passion into an issue at their local level, to reclaim a sense of control by making tangible change.
My focus is on supporting Latin immigrants, inspired by interviews with Charlotte students and my own experience with a friend whose father was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Through further interviews, I realized that what Latin immigrants needed was a support system, and what passionate students needed was actionable items that could create a measurable impact.
Brand
I created a campaign called Huit Zylum. The name comes from the Aztec myth about a hummingbird starting the Aztec mass migration. My visual brand language uses this symbol of migration and the story's message of a commitment to finding a better life. The brand's soft greens and cream whites draw from the Mexican Violetear hummingbird, which migrates between Mexico and the U.S. The typography is sourced from the US dollar and newspapers. Used to invoke a deep history accompanying much of the imagery of the project.
Print Campaign
A print campaign composed of posters which place symbols of U.S. history into a scene of the modern-day struggle faced by immigrants. I tested one of the posters with a group of over 200 students who gave me feedback which I then incorporated into the final product. Posters will be placed around campus to generate outreach and discussion in the student body.
Pamphlet
a pamphlet with a collection of community, legal, and informative programs in Charlotte. Developing a strong support network is important to keep migrants informed and safe. In order to better spread the pamphlet, a double gate fold is used to reveal a poster, allowing it to be passed out by local immigrant programs, hung up around the city, and better stored.
Social Media
An Instagram page, with links to promotional materials and other resources for the project. Social media has created a culture of cognitive dissonance surrounding political events. And uncomfortable information can be completely ignored in a continuous feed of information. Huit Zylum combats this by streamlining the process to volunteer. Presenting a call to action, providing information to keep people passionate and focused on common goals.
Speech Presentation
The products all work together to create a deeper sense of community in the Charlotte area. Huit Zylum is about cutting through apathy with an intense commitment to connection. A connected community is a community working towards a stronger future. A video was created to present the Exhibition, and its contents.
