BACKGROUND

As a sister of Phi Mu Fraternity throughout my college years at The University of West Alabama, I created many graphics for our local chapter and the many causes it supports. Take a look below!

BEHIND THE DESIGN

I designed a Christmas card for our alumnae, supporters, and the surrounding community. The only requirement I had to follow as I designed the card was to keep costs low, so I used a generous amount of white space to create a minimalist and elegant design that would print with little ink usage. I used pops of pink throughout the design to match Phi Mu’s official colors of rose and white and chose a muted maroon to add a touch of holiday color. To avoid using the typical greeting of “Merry Christmas,” I used “Happy Holidays” instead because Phi Mu is a sorority that welcomes women of any or no religious belief, so the card needed to be inclusive towards everyone. Lastly, I ensured to include Phi Mu’s official symbol, a quatrefoil.

BEHIND THE DESIGN

Phi Mu Fraternity’s national philanthropy is Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) Hospitals. Our local philanthropy chair wanted cards that our members could color and send to kids at CMN Hospitals. Before designing these “get well soon” cards, I researched and found that children’s hospitals recommend encouraging words on the cards. Furthermore, hospitals discourage the use of phrases like “get well soon” and “feel better” that reference to illnesses since some of the patients suffer from medical conditions that are chronic, life-long, progressive, or terminal. To ensure that there would be no complications with these cards, I chose a message from an online list of pre-approved phrases. When designing the cards, I added a 1/8-inch border to make a cleaner and more professional look. I made sure to feature the sorority on the back of the card, but I also added a place for members to sign their names to make the cards even more personal to the kids who receive them.