The Hidden Success Behind My School’s Viral Snapchat Geofilter

Back when Snapchat was on the rise and Geofilters were a new feature, I designed a custom filter for my school. It was one of my very first Photoshop projects, and although it was simple, I thought having something was better than nothing. After a few days of waiting, my design was approved by Snapchat, and within hours, it became available for everyone at school.

The response was amazing – the filter spread like wildfire, and soon, nearly everyone was using it. To this day, only a few people know that I created it, as Snapchat filters don’t include artist credits. But honestly, I don’t mind; I’m just thrilled to see it being used daily.

As of January 2020, the filter has been used about 83,200 times and has received over 1.6 million views, which isn’t bad for a school with just around a thousand students. Looking back, I’d probably change almost everything about the design, as my Photoshop skills were still pretty basic back then. But that’s all part of the learning journey, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.