CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey
The anonymous survey gathers data from U.S. high school students to help shape programs, funding, and resources. Communication materials encouraged participation by showing students, parents, and educators why the survey matters and how the findings help communities direct support where it’s needed most.
Factsheet: Data summary on high school students' experience of racism at school
The Challenge
Participation in the Youth Risk Behavior Survey had been declining, while the survey itself covered critical sensitive topics including mental health, social media habits, substance use, violence, and sexual behavior. CDC needed communication that reinforced survey relevance and trust among students, parents, schools, and health partners while reinforcing why broad participation mattered.
YRBS data help reveal where young people are thriving, where they are struggling, and what different communities need for effective programs, resources, and teen support.
My Role
Art Director/Creative Lead: Art directed the updated YRBS program mark, then helped extend the new look and feel across participation materials, factsheets, data visualization, social content, and testimonial video concepts. The work balanced credibility with a more relevant, approachable voice for students, families, educators, and health stakeholders.
Creative Decisions
Art direction for the YRBS program mark to make the survey feel relevant to students while maintaining CDC credibility.
Balanced sensitive health topics with an approachable tone, helping students and families understand why honest participation matters.
Partnered with the client to balance scientific accuracy with audience comprehension in data graphs, making findings more accessible and relatable without losing nuance.
Built a flexible visual system that could move between participation messaging, dense research findings, social content, and different stakeholder audiences.
Helped shape testimonial video concepts around authentic teen voices and peer credibility.
Factsheets
Factsheet for high school teachers
Overview factsheet highlighting key topic areas
Social Graphics
Social posts highlighting survey data
Testimonial Video
We partnered with The Masses to leverage the unique and powerful teen nano-influencer community for social messaging. As a trusted source for authentic perspective, teen peers respond in their own words to prompts about being themselves and honest participation in the survey that will help teens just like them.
Mood Boards
Option 1: Teens opening up about their authentic selves to encourage participation and honesty in survey responses
Option 2: Moments of teens being supported parallels honest survey responses supporting teen health programs.
Art directed the YRBS program mark and visual system, creating a more recognizable and contemporary identity for survey communications while working within CDC brand requirements.
"Your Voice Matters" testimonial video
Client: CDC Division of Adolescent and School Health, Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS)
Graphic Designer: Zorica Tomic-Whalen
Art Director: Stephanie Bogue
Creative Director: Marlon McKenney
Video Producer: Diana Innes
Production/Casting: The Masses Content
CDC HEADS UP Logo Refresh
The Challenge
CDC’s youth-focused HEADS UP refresh called for an identity that could communicate safety and protection while encouraging audiences to learn more about concussion. The logo and message needed to make the subject approachable and relevant to young people.
My Role
As part of the three-designer team, I developed the logo selected by the client for the refreshed identity and advocated for pairing it with the tagline “Safe Brain. Stronger Future.”
Creative Decisions
Protection as the central idea: Develop a logo direction around safety and protection, reflecting the shared role of caregivers, schools, and healthcare providers in keeping young people safe.
A reason to care: Advocate for a tagline that connects brain safety today with future possibility, bringing a positive human motivation to concussion awareness.
Image and language working together: Consider the logo alongside the message so both support an approachable invitation to learn more.
Client: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Art Director/Designer: Stephanie Bogue