Project Introduction
Leaf Collection is one of DPW’s largest and most visible seasonal operations. Each year, residents need to understand when collection will reach their neighborhood, how to prepare their leaves, what to expect during each pass and where to find updates as operations progress.
Across multiple Leaf Collection seasons, I developed the campaign art and promotional materials used to introduce the program, explain the process, share schedules and keep residents informed.
The work required more than creating a single seasonal graphic. Each campaign needed a complete visual system that could support several months of planned communications, weekly reminders and changing operational information.
the challenge
Leaf Collection is a large, moving operation organized by neighborhood sections, collection periods and multiple passes across the District.
The amount of information can become difficult to follow, especially when residents are trying to determine when service is expected in their area or what they need to do before collection begins. Weather, equipment and operational conditions can also affect the schedule, creating a need for timely updates throughout the season.
The creative challenge was to make the program feel approachable and easy to recognize while maintaining enough flexibility to communicate dates, instructions, reminders and changing service information.
Each season also needed to feel fresh without losing the visual familiarity established by previous campaigns.
The Strategy
I approached Leaf Collection as an evolving campaign system rather than a collection of individual graphics.
Each season began with a central visual direction that established the campaign’s colors, imagery, typography and overall personality. That direction was then extended across promotional materials, service reminders, schedule information, social media graphics and web content.
The system was designed around three priorities:
Recognition Seasonal colors, leaf imagery and consistent campaign elements helped residents quickly identify Leaf Collection information across different platforms.
Clarity Important information such as collection periods, neighborhood sections, preparation instructions and service updates received clear visual priority.
Flexibility Modular layouts made it possible to update dates, messages and operational information without recreating the campaign from the beginning each time.
our solution
I developed the visual concepts and promotional materials used across multiple Leaf Collection seasons.
The work included: • Establishing a distinct creative direction for each season • Designing primary campaign artwork and key visuals • Creating social media graphics and digital promotional content • Developing schedule, section and collection-pass graphics • Producing resident reminders and preparation instructions • Creating assets for website promotion and seasonal updates • Adapting the campaign for delays, schedule changes and operational announcements • Maintaining visual consistency across the full collection period
Each campaign had its own personality, but the overall system remained focused on making a complicated seasonal service easier to understand.
Design and Execution
I oversee the work from initial message through publication and performance review.
My responsibilities include:
• Developing social media strategies and editorial calendars • Translating operational information into clear, resident-focused language • Writing and editing social media copy • Designing campaign graphics, service reminders and informational content • Producing and editing short-form video • Coordinating with operational teams and subject-matter experts • Publishing routine and time-sensitive updates • Maintaining a consistent agency voice and visual direction • Monitoring audience response and platform analytics • Adjusting content formats, timing and messaging based on performance
Because I manage both the communications strategy and creative execution, I can move quickly from raw operational information to a finished piece of public-facing content.
The approach was designed to support both planned campaigns and real-time communications.
Reusable visual systems and content formats made it possible to publish routine information more efficiently while preserving creative flexibility for larger initiatives. This allowed DPW to maintain consistency across service updates, seasonal programs, public campaigns and emergency response communications without making every message look or sound the same.
The result is a social presence that can shift from practical instruction to community storytelling, campaign promotion or live operational updates while maintaining a clear and recognizable identity.
the result
The multi-year campaign established a stronger and more consistent visual presence for DPW’s Leaf Collection communications.
Residents received campaign materials that were easier to recognize across social media, the website and printed communications. Internally, the modular design approach created a more efficient way to produce new reminders and updates as each season progressed.
The project demonstrates how creative direction and information design can work together to make a large public operation feel clearer, more organized and more approachable.
