This project was completed as part of my duties as Student Graphic Designer for Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University.

All Barrett events are promoted through the following deliverables:

-Four Winds screen slide (TV or desktop)

-Instagram post

-Instagram story

-Printed flyer

In order to stay within the bounds of the ASU Barrett branding guide, all deliverables must include:

-the Barrett logo

-all text in Barrett's approved typeface, Neue Haas Grotesk

-the Pillars of Engagement applicable to the event

-ASU approved colors must be present in at least 75% of the graphic (primary, secondary, and tertiary ASU brand colors)

My process for my Barrett designs all follow a similar path.

After reading the design brief and understanding what the event is about, I search online for visuals or graphics that could work with the theme of the event. I typically find my images and illustrations from Adobe Stock, Unsplash, or Pexels.

I then take my chosen image(s) into Adobe Illustrator, where I have a file template for each of the deliverables and their dimensions. I conceptualize some possilbe arrangements of image, event title, and text either within the file itself or on sketch paper.

After finding an ideal arrangement of the key elements of the design, I then add in the smaller details, such as color changes, the Barrett logo, the Pillars of Engagement, and the registration code (if applicable).

Finally, I fine-tune as necessary and make any changes the lead designer for Barrett suggests.

This project was a lot of fun, as I had more creative freedom with this one than I normally do with Barrett projects. I decided to go with illustrated graphics as the Poly Picnics at ASU are relaxed, fun events for Barrett students to get free, catered lunch.

In order to follow along with the St. Patrick's Day theme, I found the gold coin and horseshoe illustrations on Adobe Stock. These worked well for the design as they were already representing ASU through their gold color.

I wanted to make this design pop, so I created the shine pattern in the background myself, as well as the drop shadows on the white rectangle and on the illustrations. This gave the graphic a stacked, playful vibe while maintaining the brand standards set by Barrett.

I also focused on hierarchy of text on this project. With the way the text reduces in size as you scan each deliverable, and the way each chunk of text is aligned, the eyes follow an S shape when reading the information.

Working for Barrett as a Student Graphic Designer this semester has taught me so much about cross-media design.

I have learned how to translate a design idea into multiple arrangements for different deliverables and use cases, while maintaining a seamless look across all forms of media.

I have also gained an understanding of the value of a brand guide. All of the designs I have made for Barrett truly represent Barrett as a brand, even with the creative liberties taken to make each project stand apart from the rest.

As a student designer, I take on about three Barrett projects per week. This high demand for deliverables has forced me to find ways to stay inspired, even when I am struggling to produce original designs so often. I have found that Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram have all been valuable resources to collect design ideas and inspirations.

I feel that I have grown the most as a designer in this semester of college, as this job has given me the opportunity to create high volumes of work on a consistent basis. This gave me the practice and experience I need to start out in the professional world after graduation, for which I am forever grateful!

Designs created in Adobe Illustrator.

Mockups created in Figma with the Artboard Studio Mockups plugin.

Coin and horseshoe illustration from Adobe Stock.