Project: Table Display Poster

Name: CREW Cat Adoption Poster

Media: Photography, Scanning, MS Word, InDesign CS, Photoshop CS

Client: Linder Center for Conservation and Research of Endangered Wildlife. (CREW) CREW Cat Colony at the Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden

Client Type: Non-Profit

Client Background Information: The cats of CREW are used to further reproduction efforts of endangered small cats throughout the world. Techniques to increase fertility rates, improve successful births, and the training of scientists to successfully artificially implant embryos or collect semen must be developed and perfected for later use on the critically small populations of endangered animals zoos and other institutions have access to. The cats of crew are used to develop these critically important procedures. After reaching the end of a limited time period, to insure the cats health, and keeping with the high scientific standards that CREW uses these healthy cats are made available for free adoption.

Medium: Print

Services Provided: Design, Pre-press printing, Print Proofing, Mounting

- Design a single-sided poster

- Work within machine limitations for color copies

- Full Color

- Final Size – 11 x 17

- Create all copy, which then must be approved before use.
- CREW Logo must be used.
- Photos of adoptable cats must be used.

- Needs to link visually with CREW
- Zoo’s Logo may be omitted due to political concerns regarding animal research.
- Must be able to withstand outdoor Elements, and be reusable if at all possible.
- Needs to integrate with CREWS interior design.

Design a warm and comfortable feeling poster with gentle elements that uses visually interesting shapes to draw attention to the message from a distance as well as the images of the cats.

The Cincinnati zoo hosts four major fun raising events to support CREW (Zoo Brew 3x a year and Wild About Wine). The head keeper of the cat colony asked if  I could develop a small poster for use during the fundraisers. Several of the most senior cats eligible for adoption were to be highlighted and the poster was to help inform and provide contact information about the program and direct anyone with questions or interested in adoption to the Head Keeper.

I was given authorization to work in the cat colony in CREW and photographed a number of the cats that they wanted to adopt out. The CREW Logo was scanned as the clients were unable to provide a high-resolution image, or vector file in time for me to use at the event.  All of the images were cleaned up and saved as high resolution JPGS.

The colors were chosen from the colors in the CREW building. Light Tan, the color of the Scrubs used by the Scientists when working with the animals, Yellow from a mural inside the main entrance hall, and the off white from the room housing CREW’s Cryobiobank®.

The shapes were inspired from sample holding trays used in their research but given a soft treatment to invoke a gentle, and calm composition, but still having a touch of a high-tech visual appearance.

Font choices stemmed from collateral materials already in use by CREW. Text treatment was designed to highlight the most important parts of the approved message.

All copy was written by me, and approved by members of the CREW staff.

The image was printed and laminated to survive outdoor exposure. It was then mounted on foam board and two supports were mounted on the back for extra stability.

An additional poster was made and laminated. This was hung in the hallway just out side of the cat colony to provide guest information about the adoption program while at the same time keeping access to the colony restricted.