Work Zone Awareness Week
Bringing a national safety message to life through story and design, I set out to create a unified message and visual identity for TDOT’s largest annual safety initiative after learning from the prior year’s campaign. The result was a comic-inspired theme that told a story of consequence, clarity, and care—making safety feel real, memorable, and emotionally impactful for audiences across Tennessee.
Previous Work Zone Awareness campaigns lacked cohesion and visual impact. Each year’s theme felt disconnected from TDOT’s broader communications, and national artwork often arrived pixelated or uninspired. I wanted to elevate the design quality and unify the message so that every audience—drivers, employees, and families—heard one clear voice about work-zone safety.
Telling a Story That Sticks
The 2024 national theme—“Work Zones are Temporary, Your Actions Can Last Forever”—called for storytelling. I envisioned a comic-strip narrative that illustrated the real-world consequences of unsafe driving.
The comic-book approach added immediacy and emotion while appealing to younger and middle-aged audiences across social media, sports events, and classrooms.
I illustrated the initial poster concepts and presented them to the Communications Division. The response was overwhelmingly positive—so much so that we extended the style across every platform. Leveraging the use of our communications contractor, I worked to help transform my artwork into a fully animated PSA video series, aligning visuals, copy, and tone across print, digital, and live events.
A Unified Statewide Presence With an Impact You Can See
The 2024 campaign succeeded because every piece of communication—from social posts to printed materials—told the same story. My illustrations became the visual centerpiece that helped connect audiences across platforms, giving TDOT’s safety message consistency, warmth, and focus.
Print & Digital Collateral: Posters featuring the illustrated storytelling style were displayed in TDOT offices, 47 DMVs, and major sporting venues, reinforcing a consistent statewide identity.
Social Media Campaign: The comic-inspired visuals gave posts a scroll-stopping look that boosted engagement and recognition across Facebook, Instagram, X, and LinkedIn.
Live Events & Partnerships: The same artwork extended to jumbotrons at six Nashville Sounds baseball games, the Titans NFL Draft Party, and educational school visits—making safety messaging instantly recognizable wherever it appeared.
The cohesive creative direction and collaboration across TDOT Communications helped deliver one of the division’s most successful public safety campaigns to date:
• 820K+ Facebook impressions and 65K+ engagements
• 20 statewide media stories amplifying the message
• ~44,000 in-person event attendees exposed to the campaign
• 47 DMVs featuring Work Zone Awareness materials
• Excel Award winner at the 2024 TransComm Skill Awards for design and communications excellence
The measurable reach underscored how clear messaging and unified design can turn a yearly awareness effort into a campaign that truly connects with Tennesseans.
From Design to Direction
This campaign affirmed that thoughtful design can shape how people connect to safety. By leading concept, illustration, and creative rollout, I helped transform Work Zone Awareness Week from a yearly obligation into a unified, award-winning brand.