Kinkatopia Advocacy Series
Environmental Awareness Campaign
This Design is Change poster series was created for Kinkatopia, a nonprofit wildlife sanctuary, to raise awareness about the exotic pet trade and to remind viewers that kinkajous are wild animals, not traditional pets. Through vibrant, fantastical illustrations, and hidden text facts, the campaign series invites curiosity and empathy while advocating for the animals' protection in their natural rainforest habitats.
"Their Home: Poster 1", Digital Print, 18 in x 24 in, 2024
"Their Friends: Poster 2", Digital Print, 18 in x 24 in, 2024
"Their Diet: Poster 3", Digital Print, 18 in x 24 in, 2024
"Their Playtime: Poster 4", Digital Print, 18 in x 24 in, 2024
"Their Protection: Poster 4", Digital Print, 18 in x 24 in, 2024
Concept & Research
Why Kinkatopia?: As a lifelong animal lover, I discovered Kinkatopia on social media years ago and was captivated by their rescued kinkajous and their mission. For my FIU Design Is Change course, a citizen-designer program that partners students with nonprofits, I immediately thought to choose Kinkatopia to amplify their message.
Visual Direction & Research: The first step of this project was to come up with a sentence to guide our thought process and creative direction. Guided by the sentence ‘Kinkajous are not traditional pets,’ I researched their habitats, diet, and behaviors. I combined a maximalist illustration style with a tropical palette inspired by their Central and South American rainforests, aiming for a playful, welcoming tone that sparks wonder and excitement to learn more about kinkajous.
Design & Process
The series consists of five posters, each exploring a different facet of kinkajou life while maintaining a unified style and color system. Every piece features a single dominant hue, recurring plants, and hand-drawn type woven into the scenery to invite discovery.
“This is Their Home”: A kinkajou hanging from a tree, reflecting the rainforest canopy where they thrive and their playful and curious personalities.
“These are Their Friends”: A pair of kinkajous hanging out together on a tree, reflecting their need for socialization with other kinkajous, and a pink lily native to their habitat honoring Lily, a beloved former Kinkatopia resident.
“This is Their Diet”: Three kinkajous forage for honey and flowers, highlighting their natural diet.
“This is Their Playtime”: A moonlit nocturnal scene emphasizing their peak activity hours.
“You are Their Protection”: A friendly trio that calls viewers to safeguard the species.
Tools: Procreate, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator
Outcome & Impact
The "You are Their Protection" poster was featured in the FIU Citizen Designers Exhibition, sponsored by the City of Miami, Art in Public Places. The full series appears on the Design Is Change website and Instagram. Kinkatopia shared the work on their own social platforms and now displays the prints on site. The project strengthened my skills in advocacy design, cohesive series development, and communicating serious issues through inviting, joyful visuals.
“OMG!!! I am in absolute tears! These artworks are extraordinary… This is truly everything. Thank you so so much! I’m just beyond words and so moved. I love them!”
- Kinkatopia
