A college workbook to help first-year students <span class="h1-sweet">find their why.</span>

Client:
DePaul University
Freelance design services:
Graphic design, art direction and pre-press/print coordination
Tools used:
InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop
The Challenge

How can we <span class="h1-sweet">engage students,</span> with a self-guided tool?

Future Forward is a year-long program at DePaul University that jumpstarts first-year students’ college and career journeys. One of the most important elements of this program is helping students learn about themselves so they can pursue a path that aligns with their passions, strengths and skills.

DePaul had a Google doc with 42 written activities — but how could we bring them to life, in a way that students would want to complete?

Success!

A <span class="h1-sweet">colorful workbook</span> that fuels discovery!

A fun, vibrant, motivating workbook was born! This workbook includes 78 pages of activities and prompts to help students find their “why.” Colorful and bubbly, this workbook feels like less work and more play, just as intended! But it wasn’t all fun and games.

The schedule was tight, and we hustled to our deadline. In addition to designing the piece, I advised the team at DePaul on paper and format, and introduced a Pittsburgh printer who got the job done beautifully.

Success!
A fun, vibrant workbook with activities for students in the Future Forward program to discover their passions, strengths and skills.

When my partners need “fun,” <span class="h1-sweet">I bring it!</span>

I’m used to working within the boundaries of university brand standards — so this gave me an opportunity to branch out. With a design goal of loose, cartoony, and casual, it was an interesting challenge! I got to think about design in a different way, and truth be told? It was a lot of fun.

DePaul University

Tara is a talented designer with a strong customer service orientation. Not only was she able to bring our vision for a career exploration journal to life, she also provided us with strategic guidance around format, flow, and user experience. I look forward to working with her again in the future!

Hilarie Longnecker

Hilarie Longnecker

Senior Associate Director of Career Readiness
DePaul University Career Center

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