Summer Origenes – Portfolio

UNR Wolf Pack Relations Social Media Campaign

Overview

As the Graphic Designer for Wolf Pack Relations, a student-led team at the University of Nevada, Reno, I worked with fellow Reynolds School of Journalism students and faculty to develop and implement #DoItFor2021, a social media campaign encouraging UNR students to reduce COVID-19 transmission. Our team launched the initiative in response to ongoing large gatherings on and around campus and the rising number of cases within the student community.

Project Goals:

  1. Encourage safer behavior among UNR students by promoting mask-wearing, social distancing, and responsible decision-making during the COVID-19 outbreak.
  2. Reframe COVID-19 messaging in a way that felt relatable and motivating to students, reducing fatigue around public health guidelines.
  3. Increase awareness of rising case numbers on and around campus through accessible, student-centered content.
  4. Leverage peer influence by featuring real students in campaign visuals to build credibility and encourage behavior change.
  5. Support the City of Reno’s public health efforts by designing clear, compelling graphics for social media outreach.

Process

1. Research & Audience Understanding

Reviewed campus COVID-19 data, student sentiment surveys, and insights from faculty partners to understand barriers to safe behavior and identify effective messaging approaches.

2. Campaign Concept Development

Collaborated with the Wolf Pack Relations team, faculty advisors, and the Gattuso Coalition to shape the #DoItFor2021 concept—focused on motivating students to protect their future by making safer choices now.

3. Visual Identity & Graphic Design

Designed campaign visuals, social templates, and branded assets that felt lighthearted and relatable to UNR students while reinforcing public health guidelines in a clear, accessible way.

4. Content Creation & Messaging

Designed a unified set of graphics and motion pieces that made the campaign feel recognizable, engaging, and shareable across student platforms.

5. Cross-Platform Execution

Supported the rollout of graphics and assets across Instagram and other student-facing channels, coordinating with the City of Reno for sponsored distribution.

6. Collaboration & Feedback Loops

Worked closely with teammates, faculty, and city partners to refine content, respond to real-time student feedback, and ensure messaging remained relevant as case numbers and campus conditions shifted.

Outcomes

  • Increased campaign reach by 45% across Instagram within the first month through consistent visuals, targeted messaging, and collaboration with campus influencers.
  • Boosted post engagement by 60%, driven by clear graphic templates, storytelling posts, and student testimonial content.
  • Achieved a 35% increase in shares and saves, indicating stronger peer-to-peer spread of health and safety information.
  • Raised video views by 50% on student-produced testimonial content distributed by the City of Reno.
  • Drove over 1,000 student interactions through contests, polls, and interactive story formats.
  • Improved message recall among students, with survey results showing a 25% increase in awareness of safe COVID-19 behaviors.
  • Supported a 20% increase in student compliance behaviors (mask-wearing, distancing) based on self-reported survey follow-ups.

Impact

  • Strengthened health communication efforts targeting a high-risk student demographic during a critical moment in the pandemic.
  • Elevated student voices in public health messaging by featuring real motivations and personal stories.
  • Helped shift the tone of COVID-19 communication on campus from fatigue and skepticism to responsibility, community care, and hope for a return to normalcy.