CASE STUDY

📎

CASE STUDY 📎

Hidden Hero Awards

Bringing the unsung heroes of the U.S. Intelligence Community out of the shadows.

Event Branding & Production

  • Art direction, design lead, project management

  • Brand identity, motion graphics, environmental design, program booklet, challenge coin, digital content, video production, vendor coordination

  • InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Canon 5D Mark IV, Asana, Miro, Frame.io

Hidden Hero Awards white logo text overlaid on a black and white image of the event cocktail hour.

Brief

In November 2025, the International Spy Museum launched the Hidden Hero Awards, a high-end fundraising gala to recognize outsized contributions to the U.S. Intelligence Community. As lead designer and art director, I built the full brand from the ground up and carried it through to every physical and digital touchpoint at the event.

Results

The inaugural Hidden Hero Awards sold out tickets and sponsorships, raised over $740k — exceeding budget goals by 40% — and was the leanest production budget the Museum had achieved for an event of its scale. Leadership's feedback? "Let's do that again."

“Emily brought the 2025 Hidden Hero Awards to life through exceptional creativity and design leadership ... we raised over $740,000 in support of SPY and its mission.”
— Julie Kaplan, VP of Development & Membership, International Spy Museum
A woman interacts with staff at the event guest check-in counter.
Black and white image of two bartenders prepping drinks.
A video featuring Dawn Meyerriecks plays on a large screen in the event ballroom.
Black and white photo of Vlad Duthries speaking behind an on-stage podium that says SPY at the International Spy Museum's Hidden Hero Awards.
The official printed event program booklet waiting for guests on the dinner tables.

Branding

After researching peer galas, I knew I needed to balance an elevated experience with the cloak-and-dagger vibes the Spy Museum is known for.

Coming out of the shadows — a sleek and minimalist concept with dynamic type. Keeping it grounded in the Spy Museum’s brand by utilizing a restricted black-and-white palette, red as a controlled accent, and the Interstate font family, makes HHA feel like a legacy that the Museum can truly own. Graphics inspired by lighting effects and the Museum's iconic beams anchor the brand elements, while a touch of grain and noise nods to the film noir air of iconic spy stories.

A mood board for the Hidden Hero Awards featuring black and white imagery, interesting lighting effects, font choices, and a black, white, and red color palette.

Logo

Starting with the Spy Museum’s primary brand font, Interstate, I adjusted each character, paying special attention to kerning and stretching elements of the font to add dynamic energy. The gradient applied to each letter–creating the sense that it is melting out of the darkness. It evokes the idea of a “grand reveal” and paves the way for great motion graphic elements.

Logo Development

Responsive Options

Brand Elements

A stage spotlight being highlighted with a red effect.

Spotlight

A black and white photo of the International Spy Museum building where the architectural beams are highlighted in red.

Light Beams

A red light orb represents bokeh and shining light effects.

Bokeh

This brand direction created the framework for every piece of creative, from the invitation email to the environmental design. I designed many of the pieces on my own while offering creative direction, coordination and collaboration with external fabrication vendors and internal video production teams.

Guests arrive and interact with staff in the background as a sign in the foreground thanks sponsors for their contributions to the event.
A woman admires an artifact on display at the International Spy Museum during the Hidden Hero Awards event.
Groups of well-dressed people are sitting at round tables eating a fancy meal while Vlad Duthries speaks from the stage at the Spy Museum.
In the evening, four well-dressed friends pose with smiles and champagne glasses on the roof of the International Spy Museum with the Washington Monument visible in the background.

Award Design

Under the 2025 theme Women Intelligence Trailblazers, three former intelligence officers were awarded medals for their outstanding contributions to US national security. With the tradition of military challenge coins and the ancient art of heraldry in mind, I designed a motif for the award medals that was embued with meaning.

Symbolism

A hand-drawn image of a wolf's head.

Wolf

Loyalty, tenacity, and strength in the face of trials
A hand-drawn image of an acorn.

Acorn

Connection to history, the generations past
A hand-drawn image of a leaf made of oak leaves.

Civic Wreath

Victory or “job well done”, service to one’s country
A hand-drawn draft sketch of a circular design that features a wolf laying down with its head up and looking back towards its tail. There is a rose and a ribbon with text saying "Nunc In Luce Requiesce". A wreath wraps the whole design.
A hand-drawn image of a rose.

Rose

Ancient symbol of well-kept secrets

Position - Couchant & Regardant

Referencing heraldic tradition, the wolf is lying down at rest (couchant) and looking over its back (regardant), regarding the past.

Latin - “Nunce in Luce, Requiesce”

Reflective of the awardee’s retirement, the phrase translates to “now in light, rest”.

Awardees Susan Miller and Dawn Meyerriecks recieve their medals during the award ceremony. Kathryn Keene, VP of Exhibitions at the Spy Museum, accepts Virginia Hall’s medal posthumously on her behalf.

An image of a silver coin front and back featuring an intricate design on one side and the words "Hidden Hero Awards 2025 Women Intelligence Trailblazers" on the other.

Challenge Coin Take-Home

A smaller version of the awardee’s medals was created as a token of appreciation for all in attendance.

An image of a silver challenge coin sitting on a napkin at a dinner table setting.

Awardee Spotlights

The Spy Museum’s primary goal with Hidden Hero Awards is to honor members of the intelligence community who have made outsized contributions to national security. In 2025, the Museum recognized Virginia Hall, Dawn Meyerriecks, and Susan Miller. Through digital and printed pieces, we focused on elevating their stories.

Pre-Reveal Promotion

A black and white image with the silhouettes of three women.

Reveal Portraits

A black and white image of Virginia Hall.
A black and white image of Dawn Meyerriecks.
A black and white image of Susan Miller.

Pop-Up Banners

A black and white image of a cocktail hour.
Three pop-up banners featuring the 2025 Hidden Hero Awards recipients: Susan Miller, Virginia Hall, and Dawn Meyerriecks.

Deliverable Highlights

Save-the-Date & Invitation Emails

HTML/CSS & GIF Animations

I created custom animated GIF headers to liven up the primary communication channel, keeping production costs low when compared to printed invites.

Motion Graphics

Video Assets & MGRTs

I collaborated with the internal video team on an opener and awardee interview piece, contributing creative direction, storyboarding, script writing, and motion graphics templates for lower thirds and interstitials.

Event Program

20-Page Saddle-Stitched Booklet

In collaboration with the content team, I designed a printed program to showcase the order of events, awardee bios, sponsor ads, and a donation CTA. The white cover was a deliberate contrast to the dark tablescapes.

“From the very start of this project, Emily went above and beyond ensuring each deliverable reflected the Museum’s mission... The Hidden Hero Awards were such a success thanks to her expertise.”
— Mary Claire Tansil, Special Events Fundraising Coordinator, International Spy Museum
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