Her Campus at Clark Atlanta University

Graphic Designer, Researcher

In celebration of Beyoncé’s birthday, “Signs by Beyoncé” aimed beyond a simple “Happy Birthday” post. I paired some of her greatest songs with each zodiac sign — based on the common traits, values, morals, etc. they are presumed to share according to analysis — to honor Beyoncé’s legendary artistry and inspire engagement from our audience through inclusion.

As Gen Z, Beyoncé is the greatest pop star of my time. Her work ethic, profound vocal talent, and intentional artistry have cemented her legendary status which, in my opinion, demands much respect. Like all of us, her birthday is the one day she was given to be showered with that respect, love, and adoration.

But, how could I also invite our audience to join in on the admiration? I needed to create something that would make anyone scrolling past stop — especially our audience of 20-something-year-old collegiates who are always on the move and quick to advert their attention elsewhere — because they felt seen in some way while also imploring them to see Beyoncé’s work.

I researched the zodiac signs and compiled a note summarizing the key characteristics of each sign. Then, I listened through Beyoncé’s catalog to intentionally match each sign with the song that encompassed them the most: something they would say, do, think, feel, or experience.

I put all of my research together in a graphic with images of Beyoncé and fun stickers using yellows from our September color palette, a monthly color system I created. The colors kept our feed cohesive and, unintentionally, played on bees, an insect popularly associated with Beyoncé. Not only was the graphic saved and shared by our followers, but it also reached ten non-followers. We received 58 likes on this post, triple our average of 20 likes per post.