CreateAthon DC 2025 occurred on November 15-16 at Steampunk’s creative studio in McLean, VA. During this 24-hour hackathon, 25 local creatives and strategists completed pro bono projects for 5 local nonprofits.
How It Started
Equipped with laptops, snacks, and a whole lot of caffeine, 30 creative professionals arrive to the event on November 15th. After a brief introduction, they formed teams and began their 24-hour design marathon.
Nonprofits and Projects
Archaeology in the Community Focused on an updated identity refresh and communication system for Archaeology in the Community. This refresh serves as the foundation for a new and expanded visual identity system across social channels and newsletter platforms. Retaining the spirit of the past logo, this new system refines their visual identity into a flexible and digital-friendly system for a modern audience.
Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center Redesigned the visual identity for Congress Heights Arts and Culture Center (CHACC) and created reusable assets for the non-profit, including new logo variations, brand guidelines, donor materials, social media templates, and motion graphics.
Period101 The team focused on creating a simple but elevated brand identity for Period101 that reflects their youthful, community-oriented attitude. Along with brand assets and custom illustrations, we included research, a website audit, and a social media suite tailored to their DIY approach.
The Heart Leaf Center The team led a focused creative sprint, developing updated visuals, messaging, and ready-to-use campaign assets that captured the nonprofit’s impact and supported their end-of-year appeal.
Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company With ‘The Biggest Ticket’ campaign for Woolly Mammoth’s Golden Ticket subscription, we fused bold creative, a charismatic mascot, and dynamic branding to celebrate the theater’s outsized influence on the district and the arts.
Final Presentations
Sunday morning brought the final, crucial stretch. As teams grabbed breakfast around 8:00 a.m., their focus was entirely on file submission and final presentation checks.
Before the nonprofit representatives arrived, we paused the floor to conduct the ‘Rose, Bud, Thorn’ feedback activity. This exercise allowed our volunteers to provide crucial, confidential input on the weekend, covering everything from event amenities (Rose) to future suggestions (Bud) and areas for immediate improvement (Thorn).
With that valuable feedback secured, the teams transitioned fully into presentation mode. By 8:45 a.m., the air was thick with anticipation as nonprofit representatives began filling the seats. Despite the obvious lack of sleep, the teams delivered their 24-hour creative concepts with passion and clarity, earning strong applause and genuine admiration for every deliverable.
As AIGA DC’s premier initiative, CreateAThon DC continues to serve as a powerful example of mission-driven design. For 24 intensive hours, talented volunteers joined forces, pooling their expertise to craft strategic, innovative creative assets for five deserving local nonprofits. This demonstration of concentrated effort profoundly proves design’s potential to drive immediate, tangible positive change. Our profound gratitude goes to every volunteer whose talent and dedication made this success possible.
