The Four Tracks of ASE’s Innovate Program
Objective
The project goal was to create an icons set for the educational website to replace stock images with custom illustrations
Ideas/ inspiration to developing icons
Background
The client, Sri Lekha Srinivasan is the leader of ASE Innovate, a nonprofit organization launched in January 2020. ASE is an acronym for Association for Sustainability Education, an after-school program for students in the underserved East Bay communities of El Cerrito and Richmond.
Role and Responsibilities
ASE Innovate collaborated with six students designers from Mission College Design and Branding class located in Santa Clara County. I was the Art Director/Designer specializing in illustration. My role was to create four content icons. The challenge to fulfilling my role as a creator was I started out with old stock images. It was my responsibility to do something fresh, with more creative icons
Old unattractive stock images
Problem
Sri had created a website, but it is difficult to know what this organization is marketing from all the stock images. They come across as either corporate or tech-based. Nobody could identify if the site was for young teen students or non-profit organizations.
Solution Design Process
ASE Innovate’s program is based on Sri’s four-track system of innovation: sustainability, entrepreneurship/leadership, and STEAM. These seemed like the perfect start for developing new icons for the website. I proposed to her to swap out old stock images and new fresh icons. Starting with inspiration research for metaphors, I researched and sketched many current versions of these icons online and decided to combine elements of different images to come up with my unique ones.
The research on Sri’s four main tracks stimulated me to come up with four unique vector graphic icons (leaves with a crooked arrow inside, a gear eyeball, a rocket and a superhero flying) to capture young audiences while still remaining the original theme.
Sketches
Outcome
I managed to finish this project in time and my client was very satisfied with the results. My icons are being published on the updated website: aseinnovate.org
Reflection
What I learned from this was you have to have be passionate about what you do. Don’t give up. There are so many creative designs. Putting time into creativity is the key.
Client's Feedback
“What has impressed me the most about Chi is her passion to not just meet the client’s needs, but go beyond the requirements and offer a more thoughtful quality, variety in choices and designs beyond my expectation. She is very passionate about the work she does and is very committed to her deliverable. She is also very patient in listening to the mission of the organization and created graphics that truly benefit”
Sri Lekha Srinivasan -ASE Innovate
