John Lhotka - Design Week Tallahassee Social Media and Marketing

My Roles: Social Media ★ Interviewer & Segment Host ★ Event Organizer ★ Content Creator ★ Copy Writer

I joined the Design Week Tallahassee team in August 2020 when it went virtual. Initially I was only to organize a portfolio review event. However, I quickly became the social media manager: creating graphics and writing copy. Finally, I started hosting talks, conducting interviews and organizing virtual events.

Social Media

I created more 80+ social media posts for Design Week Tallahassee's Instagram and Facebook including speaker announcements, sponsor posts, and videos. I wrote copy for each post. Most of the visuals used pre-existing graphics (like the "Creatures of Habit" branding and creature illustrations by Lindsey Masterson), but I rearranged them developed the overall social media's look, based on what had come pre-virtual event.

Speaker highlight post

1st Variety show Episode Advertisement

Ad for DWT's two day speaker event

Instagram IGTV Video cover

Multiple speaker post

Single Speaker Post

Sponsorship Post

Speaker News Announcement

"No Pressure Portfolio Reviews" Event

I orchestrated a virtual portfolio review event called "No Pressure Portfolio Reviews" with a team of local creative directors. Students and recent graduates would submit their PDF or website portfolios. I would then match them with a creative director who best fit the work displayed. The reviewers would then turn back either a writer or video review.

It was fairly successful with a variety of students from FSU, FAMU, The Creative Circus in Atlanta and even a recent collage graduate living in Spain. AIGA Tallahassee plans to hold further virtual portfolio reviews inspired by this event.

The marketing for this event used visuals from a Design Week Tallahassee poster by Carly Berry. I rearranged the letters of "Design Week" to make "No pressure" and added the dates.

Original Poster by Carly Berry

Virtual Talks

Over four months, we released 17 episodes with 770+ minutes of content. I hosted several talks and interviews. When I was not in front of the camera, I handled marketing and other event coordination behind the scenes including writing questions.

I wrote / filmed / stared in the "In Search of...A Designer" and "Contest Results" Segments

I hosted this interview using questions (most of which) I wrote

I hosted this talk and Q&A afterwards (using questions I wrote)

I hosted this interview using questions (most of which) I wrote

I wrote / filmed the "The Designer Zone", "Puppets Suck" and "Clothes make the Designer" Segments

I hosted this interview using questions (most of which) I wrote

I hosted this talk and Q&A afterwards (using questions I wrote)

ADDY Award

AIGA Tallahassee won a Silver American Advertising Award for Design Week Tallahassee 2020 from the American Advertising Federation of Tallahassee. I wrote the nomination submission document and compiled materials. I also wrote the AIGA TLH's announcement article.