The goals of the #LabWeek were to:
- Celebrate laboratory professionals’ critical work.
- Increase the sense of unity among laboratorians.
- Increase recognition and positive attitudes towards laboratorians.
For CDC’s Medical Laboratory Professionals Week, CATMEDIA’s Graphic Arts and Multimedia Specialists designed and developed hand-illustrated characters accompanied by origin stories, known as the League of Laboratory Superheroes. Each illustrated superhero is inspired by a position within the CDC’s medical lab. Each shines a light on the “superpowers” and contributions of various laboratory roles within the CDC. Marked by evocative graphic designs, these superheroes are a fun and eye-catching way spread the importance of the work done by real-life lab professionals.
The CDC also showcased the superhero theme in the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services Exhibit at the Agency’s Georgia Community Open House on April 21, 2017, where participants interacted with superhero-clad personnel and found the persistent appeal of the cloaked crusaders were meaningful metaphors for laboratorians and their important contributions to public health.
Additional collateral developed for the CDC’s #LabWeek Initiative includes posters, a website, and social media campaign.