Ellie Mental Health National Conference Design by Kira Olson
Welcome mural designed in Adobe Illustrator by Kira Olson for the National Conference for Ellie Mental Health.
Challenge
Create branded elements and marketing materials for a national conference. Elements included: vinyl wrapped mural design, branded icons, playing cards, tote bag, water bottle, registration banner, photo op banner, conference name badges, digital ads, event schedules, letterhead, sponsor sheets, agenda sheets, conference map, misc notebooks.
Solution
Since the event was held in Las Vegas and the theme was “Raise the Stakes” I used a poker theme for the branded materials.
Client
Ellie Mental Health
My Role
Brand Design for National Conference
Conference Swag Design
Vinyl Wrapped Mural Design and Illustration
Branded Asset Design: Icons and symbols
Preflight & Print Production
Mural Design Goals
Brand Activation and Post-It Notes
One of the goals was to move the Ellie brand beyond passive advertising — creating a live, in-person experience that people could directly engage with.
Rather than just displaying a logo or banner, the mural gave the Ellie brand a physical, tangible presence at the conference — something attendees could interact with, react to, and remember.
Interactive and Share-Worthy
The mural was intentionally designed as a social media moment — bold in scale, vibrant in color, and impossible to scroll past. But it went beyond a photo backdrop. Conference-goers were prompted to respond to a personal question — writing their answer on a post-it note and physically adding it to the wall. That act of participation created a much stronger emotional connection to the brand than simply seeing a sign, giving people a reason to share the experience with their own audiences and extend Ellie's reach well beyond the conference floor.
Design Challenges at Scale
Designing for a large-scale vinyl wrap mural goes far beyond typical print work. Every element — speech bubbles, typography, color, and layout — had to be sized for immediate visual impact from a distance, ensuring the mural's message was clear to someone walking past in a busy conference environment. The "Why I'm an Ellie" headline had to anchor the entire wall and communicate the interactive concept instantly, while the varied bubble sizes created visual rhythm and left room for post-it note interaction.
Adding to the complexity, Kira designed the mural entirely remotely. She coordinated with the Las Vegas venue to obtain exact wall dimensions, then partnered closely with the print shop to ensure the design could be produced at that scale. That collaboration meant learning the vendor's specific requirements — file format and resolution, bleed and overlap tolerances, how the vinyl panels would be seamed together on the wall, and how the material would adhere to the surface. Translating a screen design into a flawless large-format print required clear communication with the vendor at every step, with no opportunity to make adjustments on-site.
The Mural Project Overview
This large-scale vinyl wrap mural was designed by Kira to serve as both a brand activation centerpiece and an interactive experience for Ellie Mental Health's National Conference in Las Vegas.
Here's a brief breakdown of its purpose and use:
Brand Storytelling at Scale
The mural's "Why I'm an Ellie" message invited attendees — therapists, franchisees, and staff — to personally connect with the Ellie brand. Rather than a passive logo display, it framed the conference's core question: what does it mean to be part of this community? The speech bubble motif reinforced Ellie's identity as a therapy and conversation-centered brand.
Interactive Engagement
Attendees were encouraged to write their personal answers to "Why I'm an Ellie" on post-it notes and physically stick them onto the speech bubbles across the mural. This turned the wall into a living, crowd-sourced piece of brand content — growing and evolving throughout the conference as more voices were added.
Social Media Moment
The mural doubled as a high-energy photo backdrop, giving conference-goers a visually bold and on-brand spot to take group and individual photos for social media. The large scale, vibrant color palette (coral, teal, navy), and bold typography made it immediately eye-catching and highly shareable — extending Ellie's brand reach far beyond the conference floor.
Community and Culture Building
By making attendees the subject of the mural's message, the design fostered a sense of belonging and pride among franchisees and staff. It reinforced Ellie Mental Health's culture-first positioning, turning a physical design asset into a tool for internal community building.
A process shot in Adobe Illustrator of the welcome mural designed by Kira Olson for the National Conference for Ellie Mental Health.
Conference Welcome Banner
Raising the Stakes was the theme for the conference. Kira Olson designed the banner — custom icons, layout, and typography.
Conference Swag
A custom playing card set designed for Ellie Mental Health's 'Raise the Stakes' conference in Las Vegas, built as part of a poker-themed branded swag collection.
Sample National Conference Name Tag for Ellie Mental Health
A look at two examples of branded merchandise designed for Ellie Mental Health, with virtual proofs showcasing the water bottle and tote bag artwork.