california department of public health

social campaigns & digital strategy

As a key creative at the California Department of Public Health, I led creative direction, social media strategy, and design for statewide public health campaigns. My work included digital storytelling for initiatives such as Mental Health Awareness Month, COVID-19 education, and opioid prevention, ensuring impactful and inclusive messaging. I also spearheaded the design of opioids.ca.gov and contributed to the CDPH homepage refresh. These efforts were executed in collaboration with the California Governor’s Office, California Health and Human Services (CalHHS), and the Office of the Surgeon General (OSG) to maintain alignment across statewide public health initiatives.

 
 

COVID-19 Mask Up Campaign

 
 

Role: Creative Director

Collaborators: Graphic Designer, Social Media Specialist

Overview

To support California’s public health efforts in promoting mask upgrades for better COVID-19 protection, I developed the concept and creative direction for the COVID-19 Mask-Up Campaign. Inspired by Super Mario Bros., this campaign reimagined public health messaging through a retro video game aesthetic, turning mask guidance into a visually engaging and easy-to-understand experience.

I collaborated closely with a graphic designer and copywriter, providing art direction, copy edits, and creative refinements to ensure the final visuals met the campaign’s goals of clarity, accessibility, and audience engagement.

Concept & Execution

  • Gamified Theme – Inspired by nostalgic 8-bit video game aesthetics, the campaign framed mask upgrades as leveling up for better protection.

  • Clear Mask Guidance – Each visual illustrated a hierarchy of mask effectiveness, delivering simple, digestible messaging to reinforce the benefits of stronger protection.

  • Creative Refinements – I provided art direction to ensure the visuals struck the right balance between fun and urgency and collaborated with the copywriter to refine messaging for clarity and engagement.

My Contributions

  • Developed the campaign concept, ensuring alignment with public health messaging.

  • Directed visual execution, refining graphics and maintaining design consistency.

  • Strengthened messaging clarity to resonate with a broad audience.

Impact

  • Boosted engagement by making mask guidance more approachable and shareable.

  • Transformed complex information into clear, visual storytelling for more effective public health messaging.

  • Seamlessly integrated creativity with public health strategy to enhance message retention.

 
 

Travel COVID Safe Campaign

 

Role: Creative Director

Collaborators: Social Media Specialist, Graphic Designer

Overview

As part of California’s public health efforts to promote safe travel and COVID-19 precautions during the holiday season, I led the creative direction and concept development for the COVID Safe Campaign. Collaborating with our social media specialist and graphic designer, we crafted a visually engaging, easy-to-digest campaign that encouraged individuals to stay vigilant while traveling.

The campaign leveraged familiar travel-related themes to make safety guidance more memorable and shareable, reinforcing public health messaging in a creative and accessible way.

Concept & Execution

  • “Catch Flights, Not COVID” – I developed this punchy, travel-inspired phrase, which became a standout message of the campaign.

  • Transit Map Visuals – Collaborated with our social media specialist and designer to create a public transit-inspired concept, using familiar signage to illustrate key safety actions—boosters, masking, and testing—as essential stops along a travel route.

  • Creative Refinements – Provided strategic feedback on copy and graphics to ensure messaging was engaging, clear, and easy to understand.

My Contributions

  • Developed initial campaign concepts, ensuring alignment with public health messaging.

  • Created the “Catch Flights, Not COVID” tagline, a key element of the campaign.

  • Collaborated with the creative team to refine copy and visuals for maximum impact.

  • Provided art direction and strategic feedback to ensure the campaign was both effective and visually cohesive.

Impact

  • Transformed public health messaging into engaging, travel-inspired visuals that resonated with a broad audience.

  • Enhanced shareability with clear, memorable copy and design.

  • Seamlessly blended creative storytelling with public health strategy to reinforce the importance of COVID-19 precautions during holiday travel.

 
 
 

Mental Health Awareness Month – Golden State of Mind (7 Stress Busters)

 
 

Role: Social Media Lead

Collaborators: Office of the California Surgeon General, Graphic Designer

Overview

As part of Mental Health Awareness Month, the Office of the California Surgeon General partnered with our team to create an Instagram carousel focused on “7 Stress Busters” to promote mental wellness. The campaign was part of their Golden State of Mind initiative, designed to highlight simple yet effective ways to protect mental and physical health.

Our team collaborated with the Surgeon General’s Office to execute their creative concept, ensuring that the design aligned with their branding while maintaining visual clarity and engagement. I provided art direction to our graphic designer, refining the visuals to ensure accessibility and a clean, professional aesthetic.

Concept & Execution

  • Mental Wellness Education – Highlighted seven practical stress management techniques to promote mental well-being.

  • Collaborative Visual Design – Worked within the Surgeon General’s creative direction while refining typography, layout, and composition for clarity and engagement.

  • Art Direction & Brand Alignment – Ensured the final design maintained consistency across CDPH and the Surgeon General’s digital platforms.

My Contributions

  • Partnered with the Surgeon General’s Office to align messaging and creative execution.

  • Led art direction for our graphic designer, ensuring a polished and engaging Instagram carousel.

  • Maintained brand consistency across CDPH and Surgeon General social platforms while ensuring visual accessibility.

Impact

  • Enhanced mental health messaging through a visually engaging social campaign.

  • Strengthened cross-agency collaboration to ensure unified public health communication.

  • Delivered a clear, digestible Instagram carousel, making mental wellness tips more accessible and shareable.