Topo Designs Paid Ads

FW24 Evergreen ads

I developed this design system to produce product-forward ads highlighting bestsellers that could run for a full season. I first introduced this ad system in Fall ‘23, and in Fall ‘24, incorporated a new brand direction. After some experimenting, I worked with our ad agency to develop an A/B test to see how different creative resonated. I then provided a freelance designer with templates and copy for production.

My role
Project management, art direction, design, copywriting

Styling notes

• Bring the successes of our previous creative into our current design language

• Elevate product imagery shot for Ecom as a readily available and consistent resource

• Incorporate retro outdoor design concepts

Team partners
Brand Marketing x Ecom
External ad agency (handoff)

SS24 Studio ads

A joint effort between Topo’s Brand and Ecom teams, we redeveloped our paid ad strategy in May 2024. The following results were a proof-of-concept for producing a series of studio ads for our upcoming Fall 2024 launches. Working with my team, I developed the design approach based off a new brand direction, and provided art direction and styling on set.

Fall/Winter 2024 brought a return to Topo’s roots as well as a step in a brand new direction.

Art direction, creative development, DIGITAL MARKETING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Topo has always been a Colorado outdoor brand rooted in mountain culture. To launch our FW24 line, we immersed ourselves in our own backyard — day trip escapes to towns and trails in the Rocky Mountains.

Our team set out to share this feeling with our audiences.

While honing how we visually communicate our mountain roots, I also assisted on photoshoots, managed content workflows, worked with partners to carry out ad strategies, and planned marketing launch moments across channels.

To coincide with the writing and launch of a new tagline, I was tasked with crafting a refreshed visual language for Topo Designs' new chapter. I set out to pull at common threads between our existing branding and our new direction to weave them together. The majority of materials for this campaign were to be made from existing photo and video assets, so making sure things felt fresh was key.

Launch creative consisted of a brand video introduction, webpage redesigns, email & social campaigns, ads, and retail graphics.

Webpages:
About Topo Designs | Sustainability

Topo Designs

2021-2023

A selection of work done for Topo as Graphic Designer on the E-commerce Team.

I designed Topo’s batch and automated emails for our DTC channel from 2021-2023. My role also spanned into calendar planning and revenue optimization strategies. Over my time, I integrated templates, designed automated email flows, managed an ESP migration, and increased our overall click-thru rates and revenue generation from the email channel.

Footer Redesign

Desperately needing a design update to bring it into our current branding and general trends, we set out to simplify and streamline our email footer. We prioritized essential and high-return content for customers as well as info that invites the user further into Topo.

PREVIOUS

NEW

Automated Email Library

This was a resource I created to better serve our Ecom, Customer Service, and Marketing teams. We did large updates to our automated emails 2-3 times a year, and customers would often reach out with claims about emails received, discounts, order confusion, etc. To keep everyone on the same page with information our customers were receiving, or not receiving, I kept this visual library updated with current art and content. This led to a lot of saved time internally!

Acceptance Package

PRINT

Opening college acceptance letters is an effervescent experience. Colgate’s acceptance packages are delivered in a trifold pocket folder to slowly reveal the joyous, hard-earned moment.

Welcome Package

PRINT

Sent to students after they have enrolled at Colgate, this booklet serves as an introduction to life on campus and getting ready for move-in day. This booklet also has a back flap that contains required forms and instructions. Take a flip through the main booklet below.

Financial Aid Brochure

PRINT

I redesigned this brochure to bring it into current branding and to include multiple new initiatives available for students. Overall, the goal was to inform parents and students and make them feel confident in their Colgate decision.

Podcast

PRINT | WEB

Colgate University’s first podcast, 13, asks Colgate community members — staff, faculty, alumni, etc. — 13 questions about their work.

Colgate Digital Welcome Swag

WEB | SOCIAL

This project started in the spring of 2020 to help incoming students who did not get to visit campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic feel connected to campus wherever they are and celebrate their decision to attend Colgate. Assets created included gifs for Instagram Stories, profile photo frames for Facebook, versatile graphics for posting to any social media account, digital backgrounds for desktop, mobile, and Zoom, and a webpage to host them for download.

View the Digital Swag webpage →
View Colgate’s Instagram for more social media assets →

Colgate Employee/Student Portal

WEB

Created wireframes, mockups, and content upload to Drupal. I worked closely with ITS and our developer to determine best approach from technical and user perspectives. This was the first in-house development project done after our website redesign in 2018–19.

View Colgate's website →

Email

Engaging and responsive emails for various Colgate audiences. Audience segmentation for A/B testing to increase click through rates.

View a demo of this email on iOS →

No. 13

PACKAGE

No. 13 was an amber ale brewed by Good Nature Brewing for Colgate University in honor of the University’s Bicentennial Celebration in 2019. (Fun Fact: I worked for both places at the time.)

Wall wraps

PRINT

Colgate University wall wraps strategically placed for arrivals or departures around Syracuse Hancock International Airport.

This project and team are part of the Climate Designers network, founded by the creative studio The Determined.

The mission of this project was to inform and inspire young adults to use their vote in support of climate policies through visual explanations, breakdowns, and summaries backed by research and facts. I jumped on with this team in October 2020 during a big push before that year’s November elections.

Goals:

• Reduce legal and political jargon of climate policy by boiling down concepts that are easy to grasp and short

• Raise young voter turnout in elections and climate related policies

• Visually capture hard-to-understand information

• Employ accessible + inclusive design practices

• Ensure credibility of information shared

Climate Action is Not a Radical Agenda

“74% of American adults understand that climate change is real. We've seen that climate change deniers are a rapidly shrinking minority. We have the ability — and responsibility — to elect leaders who will stand with science and prioritize rigorous climate policies. It's time we speak up.”

Content and research Sarah Harrison
Design Katriel Pritts

Vote Climate Action Deniers Out of Office

“Vote climate action deniers out of public office (and to keep them out), vote for our collective community, & vote for climate!

@climatedesignersorg has highlighted climate champions in battleground states in their US 2020 Voter Guide (link in their bio). Check it out and share with friends!

climatedesigners.org/vote”

Content and research Sarah Harrison
Illustration Brennan Gasser
Design Katriel Pritts & Suhaila Sikand

Mercury and Air Toxic Standards

“Over the past four years, there have been countless rollbacks and modifications to environmental and health protections, including the Mercury and Air Toxic Standards (MATS). MATS reduced mercury and other toxic emissions by requiring industrial monitoring.

The rollback of the co-benefits identified in the standards created a loophole for industry that loosens regulations and allows them to use the excuse of pollutants being "too costly" to clean up. The poor and exploited communities nearest to industry operations are the most impacted by this and exposed to known toxins and carcinogens.

Content and research Suhaila Sikand
Art Direction Eric Benson
Design Katriel Pritts

The Methane Waste & Prevention Rule

“The Trump Administration has consistently attacked air regulations since taking office. Of those attacks, rollbacks, and modifications, lies the Methane Waste and Prevention Rule that reduced methane emissions on federal and tribal land. The rollback will increase methane emissions by 4,500,000 tons per year, causing 1900 premature deaths, 1.1 million asthma attacks, and 3600 ER visits.

Content and research Suhaila Sikand
Art Direction Eric Benson
Design Katriel Pritts

ICONOGRAPHY | PRINT DESIGN | DATA VIZ | EVENT MARKETING | SOCIAL

Over my years at Colgate University, I have worked on many projects with the Sustainability Department.

From producing their annual reports and aiding in numerous events, to launching a communication campaign highlighting the University’s efforts toward reaching carbon neutrality, this page illuminates some of the great work we’ve accomplished together.

SCHEDULE ON THE COLGATE MOBILE APP:

NYCSHE 2018 State of Sustainability

EVENT BRANDING & MARKETING | DIGITAL DESIGN | APP

Colgate University was the host of the 2018 New York Coalition for Sustainability in Higher Education (NYCSHE) Conference in 2018, which welcomes professionals from all across New York state.