Overview
NOTAFK is a conceptual non-profit brand and advertising campaign created for my advertising design class. The assignment was to develop a non-profit organization and visual campaign that advocates for a social, racial, cultural, or environmental issue. I chose to address the rampant and normalized sexual harassment women face in online gaming spaces. This project was not just a design challenge—it was a chance to create something bold, uncomfortable, and unignorable.
NOTAFK is a conceptual non-profit brand and advertising campaign created for my advertising design class. The assignment was to develop a non-profit organization and visual campaign that advocates for a social, racial, cultural, or environmental issue. I chose to address the rampant and normalized sexual harassment women face in online gaming spaces. This project was not just a design challenge—it was a chance to create something bold, uncomfortable, and unignorable.
My Role
Brand Designer, Campaign Strategist, Art Director, Copywriter
I created the brand identity, visual system, advertising concepts, and all supporting designs—including custom messaging, layout, and content strategy.
Brand Designer, Campaign Strategist, Art Director, Copywriter
I created the brand identity, visual system, advertising concepts, and all supporting designs—including custom messaging, layout, and content strategy.
Tools
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign
Concept & Naming
The name NOTAFK draws from gaming lingo—“AFK” means “Away From Keyboard.” Players use it to say they’re inactive, even if their avatar is online. I flipped this term to make it a call to action: to urge people—especially men in gaming spaces—to stop being passive observers when they witness harassment. NOTAFK means don’t go silent. Don’t disengage. Show up. Speak out.
The name NOTAFK draws from gaming lingo—“AFK” means “Away From Keyboard.” Players use it to say they’re inactive, even if their avatar is online. I flipped this term to make it a call to action: to urge people—especially men in gaming spaces—to stop being passive observers when they witness harassment. NOTAFK means don’t go silent. Don’t disengage. Show up. Speak out.
Mission & Focus
The campaign calls out the toxic culture that has become so normalized in online games that harassment is expected—and often excused. Many women are told to “just stop playing” if they can’t handle the abuse, placing the burden on victims rather than addressing perpetrators or the platforms enabling them.
The campaign calls out the toxic culture that has become so normalized in online games that harassment is expected—and often excused. Many women are told to “just stop playing” if they can’t handle the abuse, placing the burden on victims rather than addressing perpetrators or the platforms enabling them.
NOTAFK confronts:
- The silence of bystanders who witness harassment but choose not to intervene
- The lack of accountability by gaming companies and their inadequate reporting systems
- The societal narratives that shame women out of spaces where they deserve to feel safe and welcome
- The embedded roots of toxic masculinity and how it manifests in virtual communities
Tone & Visual Language
The tone of NOTAFK is unapologetic, direct, and unfiltered. The campaign uses guerrilla marketing and satirical visual messaging to air out the “dirty laundry” of what women are told every day in game lobbies. I intentionally left the offensive language uncensored—not to shock for shock’s sake, but to hold a mirror up to the gaming community and expose what’s become normalized.
The tone of NOTAFK is unapologetic, direct, and unfiltered. The campaign uses guerrilla marketing and satirical visual messaging to air out the “dirty laundry” of what women are told every day in game lobbies. I intentionally left the offensive language uncensored—not to shock for shock’s sake, but to hold a mirror up to the gaming community and expose what’s become normalized.
The visuals are bold and stark—letting the words speak for themselves while using clean, punchy typography and contrast-heavy layouts to make them visually arresting.
Deliverables
Logo Design
The NOTAFK logo is direct and impactful—simple enough to be stamped across any medium, but strong enough to carry the brand's energy. Its sharpness reflects the urgency of the message.
The NOTAFK logo is direct and impactful—simple enough to be stamped across any medium, but strong enough to carry the brand's energy. Its sharpness reflects the urgency of the message.
Webpage Homepage
The site homepage introduces the campaign’s mission and invites users to get involved—whether by learning more, pledging support, or becoming an active voice in gaming communities.
The site homepage introduces the campaign’s mission and invites users to get involved—whether by learning more, pledging support, or becoming an active voice in gaming communities.
Instagram Carousel
The social media campaign features a carousel format designed to educate and provoke thought. It shares real statistics about harassment in gaming, personal statements, and calls to action. Designed for digital shareability, it creates a platform for collective awareness and online solidarity.
The social media campaign features a carousel format designed to educate and provoke thought. It shares real statistics about harassment in gaming, personal statements, and calls to action. Designed for digital shareability, it creates a platform for collective awareness and online solidarity.
Poster & Large-Scale Signage
The campaign’s print advertising includes a large-scale street poster and sign that display actual quotes commonly said to women in online games. By presenting them publicly and without censorship, the campaign invites shock, discomfort, and critical self-reflection from viewers.
The campaign’s print advertising includes a large-scale street poster and sign that display actual quotes commonly said to women in online games. By presenting them publicly and without censorship, the campaign invites shock, discomfort, and critical self-reflection from viewers.
Challenges
The biggest challenge was crafting a campaign that balanced raw honesty with design restraint. I needed to provoke without exploiting, and to tell a deeply emotional story without drowning the viewer in negativity. The satire, unfiltered quotes, and bold visuals had to feel like resistance, not rage for rage’s sake. It also meant addressing a heavily gendered, deeply flawed system—one that many people refuse to acknowledge as real.
The biggest challenge was crafting a campaign that balanced raw honesty with design restraint. I needed to provoke without exploiting, and to tell a deeply emotional story without drowning the viewer in negativity. The satire, unfiltered quotes, and bold visuals had to feel like resistance, not rage for rage’s sake. It also meant addressing a heavily gendered, deeply flawed system—one that many people refuse to acknowledge as real.
Outcome
NOTAFK is a campaign that exists to break silence, provoke accountability, and protect women’s right to take up space—online and offline. It challenges passivity and demands better from players, companies, and communities. For me, this project proved that design can do more than look good—it can confront, reveal, and ignite change. This remains one of my most personal and powerful pieces, and a reminder of why I believe in design with a voice.
NOTAFK is a campaign that exists to break silence, provoke accountability, and protect women’s right to take up space—online and offline. It challenges passivity and demands better from players, companies, and communities. For me, this project proved that design can do more than look good—it can confront, reveal, and ignite change. This remains one of my most personal and powerful pieces, and a reminder of why I believe in design with a voice.
