MARKETING DESIGN — 2025
AT LIGHT-IT, MOST DAYS MEANT STATIC SOCIAL DESIGN FOR A MARKETING CALENDAR THAT NEVER STOPPED, INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ALIKE. THE SAME SYSTEM CARRIED INTO PRINTED BOOTHS ACROSS TWO COUNTRIES, A MERCH LINE, AND EVEN THE SMALLEST INTERNAL DOCUMENT.
MOST DAYS, THE JOB WAS STATIC DESIGN FOR SOCIAL: WHATEVER THE MARKETING CALENDAR NEEDED THAT WEEK, FOR WHOEVER NEEDED TO SEE IT. INTERNAL UPDATES AND EXTERNAL PROMOTION CAME FROM THE SAME SMALL KIT OF SHAPES AND COLORS, SO NONE OF IT LOOKED LIKE A SPECIAL CASE.
INTERNALLY THAT MEANT THINGS LIKE A CONFERENCE LINEUP OR A SAVE-THE-DATE FOR THE COMPANY’S OWN EVENT WEEK. EXTERNALLY IT MEANT PROMOTING AN OPEN CLASS, A HEALTHCARE WEBINAR, AN HR PANEL: EACH ONE BUILT TO CARRY LIGHT-IT’S SYSTEM INTO A DIFFERENT ROOM.
SOME OF IT WASN’T EVEN A PITCH: A MONTHLY NUMBERS RECAP FOR THE TEAM, A PERSONAL UPDATE POST FOR ONE OF THE FOUNDERS. SAME SYSTEM EITHER WAY.
THE DHNY SUMMIT WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF EXERCISE: DESIGNING INSIDE SOMEONE ELSE’S BRAND SYSTEM INSTEAD OF OURS. THE GRAPHIC HAD TO SIT ON THE SUMMIT’S OWN NAVY MAP TREATMENT AND FOLLOW ITS OWN LOGO RULES, AND STILL READ AS A LIGHT-IT INVITATION ONCE SOMEONE ACTUALLY LOOKED AT IT.
THE SYSTEM HAD TO SURVIVE LEAVING THE SCREEN ENTIRELY FOR STEP UP & SAVE A LIFE, A CPR-AWARENESS ACTIVATION BUILT FOR A CAREER FAIR AT UNIVERSIDAD ORT URUGUAY. SAME SHAPES, REBUILT FOR PRINT, PHOTOGRAPHED NEXT TO A CPR MANNEQUIN AND AN INTERACTIVE KIOSK.
URUGUAY WASN’T THE ONLY BOOTH. EVENTS IN THE US RAN THROUGH DIFFERENT LOCAL PRINT SHOPS, EACH WITH ITS OWN SPECS AND PROOFING, WHICH MEANT PREPARING PRINT FILES A NEW VENDOR COULD ACTUALLY RUN WITH EVERY TIME.
A BRANDED MERCH LINE WENT OUT ALONGSIDE IT (THUNDER CREW SHIRTS, A TOTE, A CAP, A NOTEBOOK), EXTENDING THE SYSTEM INTO THINGS PEOPLE ACTUALLY KEPT.
CONSISTENCY ALSO MEANT FIXING THINGS NOBODY OUTSIDE THE COMPANY WOULD EVER SEE. A TEAM LUNCH REMINDER USED TO RUN A STOCK PHOTO AND DEFAULT TYPE; THE REBUILD USED LIGHT-IT’S OWN COLORS, SHAPES AND A REAL PHOTO OF THAT DAY’S DISH.
THE SAME FIX APPLIED TO THE BRIEF LIGHT-IT SENDS DESIGN CANDIDATES FOR ITS HIRING CHALLENGE, PREVIOUSLY A PLAIN, UNSTYLED DOCUMENT. I PROPOSED REBUILDING IT AS A DESIGNED PDF INSTEAD, IN THE SAME NAVY AND LILAC AS EVERYTHING ELSE. SMALL PIECES, BUT PROOF THE SYSTEM HELD UP EVEN WHERE NOBODY WAS CHECKING.
BY THE END, AN INTERNAL CONFERENCE GRAPHIC, A DHNY SUMMIT INVITATION AND A PRINTED CAREER-FAIR BOOTH COULD ALL SIT SIDE BY SIDE AND READ AS THE SAME COMPANY: THE SAME SHAPES AND COLORS, NOT A NEW GUESS EVERY TIME. MORE AT LIGHT-IT.IO.