Communications & Graphic Design Intern for Save The Bay (Summer 2025)
“Save The Bay is an independent, member-supported, nonprofit organization. We got our start as a grassroots organization in 1970, when a small group of concerned citizens came together to fight an oil refinery proposed for the shores of Tiverton. Their work began our legacy as the eyes, ears, and voice for Narragansett Bay. Today, we carry out our mission through three areas of work: advocacy, education, and habitat restoration and adaptation.”
As a Communications and Graphic Design Intern, my expectations were:
• Update and produce graphic identity elements specific to the Save The Bay brand
• Design and/or update layouts for internal product design media
• Create or revise tech/spec packages for apparel and graphics under the guidance of the Communications and Marketing Director
• Update Media Lists
• Represent Save The Bay at tabling events and other related marketing events
• Help with communications related to community outreach efforts/projects
• Assemble press kits for news conferences.
• Organize and update department files, both paper and electronic.
• Conduct pick-ups and drop offs to the printer when necessary.
• Participate in the fulfillment of assigned graphic design projects and the layout of catalog pages, web pages, marketing graphics, and e-mail graphics
• Help Save The Bay staff update the website to ADA standards to increase accessibility
Shoreline Public Access Sign Update
For this project, I worked on updating and digitizing the Shoreline Public Access signs you see all around Rhode Island. These signs let people know where they can access the shoreline, which is really important for making sure the coast stays open and usable for everyone.
The originals were put up decades ago, and after years of weather exposure, they’ve worn down and started to feel outdated. Since there weren’t any digital files of the signs to work from, I had to completely recreate them from scratch.
More recently, QR codes linking to the CRMC website were added to some of the signs, but because they weren’t part of the original design, they ended up in random spots, sometimes even covering screws or part of the sign’s text.
My job was to give the signs an updated look with new information while still making it look almost exact to the old design, standardize the layout, and make sure there was a clear spot for the QR codes so they’d always be easy to scan without interfering with the design or hardware.
These signs will soon be seen all around Rhode Island in new areas, as well as eventually replacing the old signage.
Taste Of The Bay Blog
As one of their Graphic Design & Communications interns for the summer, I had the opportunity to attend their annual Taste of The Bay event, interview some amazing local vendors, and take photos to help promote the event for future years. I wrote this article to give people a better idea of what the night is really like from a newcomer's perspective, from the delicious food and drinks to the great conversations and unbeatable view of Narragansett Bay.
It’s more than just a tasting event; it’s a night that brings together community, local businesses, and a shared love for Rhode Island’s beautiful bay.
Whether you're a longtime supporter or hearing about this for the first time, I hope this piece gives you a feel for what makes Taste of The Bay so special (and hopefully even inspires you to attend next year!).
Thank you to all the businesses there who let me interview them for this blog! It was amazing getting to hear everyone's perspective about this amazing event!
Ben & Jerry's Newport, GG's Pretzels, Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island, South County Distillers, McGrath Clambakes, Moniker Brewery, VELO Vodka, Sowams Cider Works, Island Coquito, and The Granny Squibb Company
Also, thank you to Juan Espinoza and Courtney Nicolson for the guidance in making edits to my article, and to Seth Holme for helping make sure that Laurie Garcia, Angela Bongiovanni, and I got great photos throughout the evening!
All photos and interviews by me!
Old vs New
Membership and Volunteer Rack Card Redesign
I also redesigned Save The Bay’s membership and volunteer rack cards, which hadn’t been updated since 2018. The old designs not only felt outdated but even included a photo of the organization’s former aquarium location, so the team wanted a refresh with more current visuals. In order to find the best possible photos, I had to look through years’ worth of archived photo content and pick the ones that fit the best and also showcased diversity/inclusion.
These rack cards play an important role: the membership cards highlight the benefits of joining and supporting Save The Bay, while the volunteer cards focus on getting people involved with hands-on opportunities to protect and enjoy Narragansett Bay.
The updated designs will be used across a variety of settings, such as at tabling events, inside the Save The Bay Center, during volunteer gatherings, and at the aquarium, making them a key tool for outreach and engagement that Save The Bay needs to continue to succeed.
AR Sandbox Signage
Another project I was in charge of was creating signage for the new AR Sandbox exhibit at the Hamilton Family Aquarium. Since the sandbox was just installed, there wasn’t any signage yet, so I was responsible for designing the first one.
To keep things consistent, I made sure the new sign matched the existing style of acrylic signage throughout the aquarium’s other exhibits, so it felt like a natural part of the space rather than something separate or out of place.
Photography for the Annual Save The Bay Swim
For Save The Bay’s annual swim, I took on the role of a professional event photographer and was in charge of capturing a wide range of moments throughout the day.
My biggest task was photographing individual photos of each of the 281 swimmers as they crossed the finish line and received their medals, making sure every participant had their accomplishment documented.
One of the highlights was photographing three-time Olympian Elizabeth Beisel, which added an exciting element to the day of having the honor to photograph this exciting moment for her.
In addition to swimmer portraits, I also focused on capturing volunteers setting up and breaking down the event in order to help build a strong archive of behind-the-scenes shots for future promotional use. I made sure to balance these with candid photos of swimmers celebrating with their friends and families at the after-party, so the event was represented not just as a swim, but as a community celebration.
On Save The Bay’s Flickr page, where all the photos from the event are displayed, all of the images marked with “Canon EOS 6D Mark II” were taken by me, showcasing the full scope of my work in documenting the event from start to finish.
