Spanish K-6

ADVANCING DESIGN INNOVATION STRATEGIES TO GIVE AN ESTABLISHED BRAND A COMPETITIVE EDGE

Art Direction

Design

The client's top leading products—the Spanish K-6, Spanish 7-12, and Social Studies K-6 textbooks—were scheduled for their 3rd editions, all in consecutive years. The plan was to launch these new editions under a fresh sub-brand called Aprender Juntos (Learn Together) to distinguish them from the older versions and rebrand them. The team faced several design challenges with these innovative series: creating a cohesive visual identity with common elements across all subjects, while catering to different age groups; designing and integrating specialized workbooks for each subject; and, for the first time, developing products suitable for both classroom and virtual learning environments, addressing current school needs.

Components Designed: 33

Words included in the Vocabulary Workbooks for this level: 92

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A UNIFIED VISUAL IDENTITY ACROSS 3 SERIES, 3 SUBJECTS, AND 3 AGE GROUPS – ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SPANISH

As I took on the role of lead designer at the start of this series, one of my first recommendations was to emphasize the importance of integrating graphic elements into the research stage. This research provided a framework for developing each brand system and incorporating teachers' recommendations on learning processes and how graphic resources can synthesize or reinforce lessons and understanding. Graphic innovation in service of content became a distinguishing feature of this series.

INFUSING ENERGY AND DYNAMISM INTO THE NATIVE TONGUE

One of the defining design elements of this new series was the 'petal' motif, which was utilized across various applications throughout the elementary levels of both Spanish and Social Studies: from the brand's logo and covers to chapter openers, page layouts, titles, headers, themed sections, and icons. In addition to the 'petal' elements, I spearheaded the design and implementation of a vibrant and inviting color palette, dynamic page layouts, and high-quality illustrations. This comprehensive approach proved immensely successful among both end-users—students and teachers alike.

FAMILIAR WORDS IN FAMILIAR SETTING

A key focus of this new Spanish series was to provide users with the tools needed to build a solid foundation in the Spanish language and improve their spelling and grammar skills. Considering the target age group, we commissioned illustrated scenes featuring children in various environments—some imagined, others inspired by local landmarks. Words were seamlessly integrated into the drawings, visually representing their meanings.

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