By: Evie Clapp

Junior League of Washington (JLW) members generously donate their time, talent, and treasure to the League and its community partners. This post highlights how one JLW member, Cassidy Herrold, Chair of the Graphic Design Committee of One, uses her professional skills when donating time and talent to the League. I virtually picked her brain about her background, experience in business, and contributions to JLW. Herrold is an example of how JLW members can use their creative talents to serve JLW and she encourages others to do so!

*Responses have been edited for clarity and brevity.

What are your creative talents?

​As a multidisciplinary creative director & designer, I have created award-winning experiences for my clients and mentored amazing creative teams for over 10 years. I have worked with a variety of clients (from small start-ups to Fortune 100 companies). My strengths include brand identity, creative strategy, content creation, graphic design, video production, and digital marketing.

When you joined the League, did you anticipate using these talents in any particular way?

I did not! I happened to see a callout in League Lines, JLW’s internal weekly newsletter, requesting members with creative skills such as graphic design, photography, and videography. I immediately responded to learn how I could creatively contribute to JLW.

Why did you decide to start your own business and how has that impacted your contributions to JLW?

I started my own business almost 15 years ago while I was living in Charleston, SC. Knowing my background in coding from Georgia Tech, one of my previous employers asked me to help design and develop their website as a freelance consultant. I quickly registered my business and since then, I have been available for freelance projects for clients all across the country. My favorite part of my job is learning about a wide range of industries by working with different brands and it has been a fulfilling adventure to watch my side projects grow into a full-time business. When I volunteered to contribute my graphic design background to JLW, I was most excited to learn even more about the League by helping to support across all its initiatives.

How have you leveraged your background in advertising and design to support you in your role as Chair of the Graphic Design Committee?

I use many of the same design programs and resources (Adobe Creative Suite, Canva, etc.) for both my full-time job and the role of Chair of the Graphic Design Committee. I also follow the same design process for both roles — brainstorming, concepting, designing, and refining to develop the final deliverable.

How do you think your contributions to the committee would be different if you did not have this background and creativity?

It might have been a tougher transition to learn the design programs if I were not yet familiar, but I think that everyone has an ability to express themselves – and their lives – creatively. While there are many ways to hone creative skills, creativity is a quality that can be nurtured with practice and contributing to JLW is just one way to keep refining my creative skillset.

Can you discuss a work project that was creative in nature or one that you are most proud of?

I am proud of my ongoing work with The Coca-Cola Company (TCCC). I have been involved in several projects over the past five years, from designing the bi-monthly Sustainability & Government Board Report to producing animated videos for TCCC’s social media channels. However, the project which I am most proud of is the “Love is Love is Love” campaign — to celebrate the partnership between The Coca-Cola Company and the Human Rights Campaign, I was asked to create an animated video spot and print ad to highlight TCCC’s fully inclusive equal employment opportunity policies for the LGBTQ community. I was honored to support The Coca-Cola Company in creating the “Love is Love is Love” campaign and it was creatively inspiring to be part of such a powerful and meaningful message.

Do you have any tips/recommendations for other JLW members who wish to apply a creative talent to their JLW activities, but don’t know how?

My recommendation is to just reach out and get involved! Regardless of your experience or design skillset, creative problem solving is always enhanced by different perspectives and it will only benefit JLW to have more volunteers working together to think outside the box.