Designing for a Baltimore Nonprofit Taught Me More Than I Expected

 

Designing for a Baltimore Nonprofit Taught Me More Than I Expected

Working as a graphic designer for the Baltimore nonprofit Love & Cornbread showed me what nonprofit work really looks like behind the scenes. From the outside, people usually only see a logo or a social media post. Being involved in the design process showed me how much effort goes into making sure information actually reaches the community.




Love & Cornbread focuses on food access and supporting people who are often overlooked. My role was to design graphics for meal programs, events, and outreach posts. These designs weren’t about being trendy or artistic. They needed to be clear and easy to understand so people could quickly know where to go and what was being offered. If the message wasn’t clear, important information could be missed.

                                                (founder, ceo...& my boss- SUE MAY on the left)

                                                photo cred: Baltimore Magazine

One thing that stood out to me was how limited time and resources can be. Nonprofits don’t always have the luxury of multiple rounds of edits, so the design needs to work right away. That means paying attention to things like readable fonts, simple layouts and wording. Design in this setting is about helping people, and my work with CCSJ as taught me a lot about that as well. 

Working with Love & Cornbread also showed me how much design affects trust. When materials feel familiar, people are more likely to engage. I would say that brand consistency and keeping things as simple as possible is what created the most "buzz".  Simple visuals can make an organization feel approachable instead of confusing, and that was something I slightly struggle with as I would consider myself somewhat of a maximalist designer (a blessing and a curse) As I attempted to find work in social media, I realized that when I didnt try so hard is when it felt more authentic(ah I know) Sometimes work travels beyond portfolio pieces, and really allows you to learn about support and good community.

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