ADOPT AND ADAPT
Senior Capstone Project | Spring 2025 | Directors Choice Award
Publication Design | Branding | Illustration
I recently adopted Blue, a shelter dog that has changed my life for the better. I have seen first hand the stress of shelter life for dogs, and want to encourage more people to adopt and find their best friend like I did. Adopt and Adapt is my senior capstone project that aims to educate first time dog owners to level their expectations about dog ownership.
The Problem
First time dog adopters have unrealistic expectations about adopting a dog, due to lack of education prior to adoption.
There is currently a dog adoption crisis all around the United States, and there are studies actively being done to figure out why.
The Design Criteria
Needs to engage the user though simple/ambiguous dog and people illustrations, so they can imagine themselves taking care of a dog.
Needs to have multiple breather pages to create moments of self reflection and pause.
Needs to have simple pop-up interactions, and only have these types of interactions in section openers and breather pages to not distract the user from the content.
The Project Display
The final product will be apart of a larger system to showcase at DAAP Works. Students were tasked with not just designing the solution, but really thinking about how to tell the project story.
Project Display
Poster Design
Behance Page
Process Book
Visitor Takeaways
Meet Blue, the dog who inspired it all.
The Process
An important part of this class was research. Students were encouraged to pick a topic and interview stakeholders to see problem gaps and where design can intervene to create a solution.
The League for Animal Welfare provided a valuable opportunity to interview shelter employees and observe the dog adoption process from their perspective. Through this research, I discovered that creating a book to help prospective owners set realistic expectations—before becoming emotionally attached—could reduce shelter returns and help them better understand the realities and responsibilities of dog ownership.
Use the arrows to flip through my process book to see the research, ideation, prototyping, and more.
Visual System
After extensive testing and refinement, this visual system became the foundation for the book’s tone and communication style. The color palette was chosen to feel inviting, energetic, and reassuring without leaning too playful. The illustration style supports this balance: clean outlines, expressive poses, and simplified forms that clearly communicate behavior, scenarios, and objects.
The typography reinforces the same balance of accessibility and professionalism. Adelle provides a highly readable foundation for body copy, while Museo Slab and Museo add structure and character. Together, these typefaces maintain a cohesive, approachable voice that feels friendly without sacrificing credibility.
Letters from your future dog introduce each section, setting an empathetic tone and giving readers insight into what a dog may be feeling while navigating shelter life and the stress of major transitions. These letters invite readers to pause, interact, and reflect—creating small moments of discovery that deepen their emotional connection and understanding throughout the book.
The Project Display
A large scale poster hangs above each table, designed to grab your attention and stand out from the rest. I used a dynamic image to pull people in and showcase my illustration style. The table was lined with turf, and centered was the final book copies. I also created postcards for people to write notes to their own dogs to give to the shelter after the event as a gift for their time in helping me with this project.
