Annelyn Ayran | Full-stack Designer

Department cover designs showcasing unique hero imagery for each school

From interactive recruitment tools to leading marketing design

My time at the Academy of Art University started with building the Mobile Press department from the ground up alongside a colleague. It was a new initiative focused on creating interactive digital experiences for prospective students. What began as an experiment in mobile publishing grew into a cornerstone of the Academy’s recruitment strategy. Over time, my role expanded from designing interactive iPad brochures to leading broader marketing design efforts, unifying how the university presented its programs across digital and print channels.

Company:

Academy of Art University

Role

Digital Designer

AAU Mobile Press Architecture Brochure Responsive Example

Architecture department brochure demonstrating adaptive layouts and orientation-based imagery

Informational spreads detailing Architecture program structure and subject matter

The challenge

The university’s marketing relied heavily on traditional formats and siloed workflows. Each department operated independently, creating inconsistent design materials and messages. The challenge was to modernize how the Academy communicated with prospective students and unify the look, tone, and systems behind all outreach.

The solution

Starting with the launch of the Mobile Press department, I helped establish a new initiative focused on interactive recruitment tools, including mobile brochures built with Adobe’s Digital Publishing Suite and responsive versions for iOS and Android. Later, as my role expanded, I led design direction for marketing materials, digital ads, and print collateral, creating templates, establishing workflows, and fostering alignment across teams. The work evolved from experimentation to leadership, shaping how the Academy presented itself both digitally and in print.

Print ads created for GDUSA, Applied Arts, and Griffon magazines highlighting student work

Juxtapoz magazine ads featuring a large collection of illustrations from Academy of Art University illustration and fine art students

Process & Impact

Design Approach

I combined structure and storytelling to modernize how the Academy communicated. Built scalable systems across print and digital, established typographic hierarchy, and collaborated with academic leads to keep each department’s voice distinct yet cohesive under one brand.

Results

The work transformed how marketing operated across the Academy. Streamlined design workflows improved speed and consistency, while interactive and digital materials extended reach and engagement. The department adopted new standards that raised the creative bar university-wide.

Lessons Learned

True design leadership means unifying different perspectives without diluting them. Working across 30 departments taught me how to listen, translate vision into structure, and build trust through design systems that empower collaboration and clarity.

Executive Summary

The Academy of Art University case study highlights how design, technology, and collaboration reshaped the school’s recruitment and marketing efforts. By introducing interactive mobile experiences and leading university-wide marketing design, I unified how the Academy presented its programs across print and digital channels. The print campaigns allowed student work to be showcased in ways the university hadn’t done before, inspiring prospective students by showing them what they could one day create themselves.

Academy of Art University

From interactive recruitment tools to leading marketing design

The challenge

The solution

Process & Impact

Design Approach

Results

Lessons Learned

Executive Summary

View other projects

Smartly.io Website Refresh

Redis at Google Cloud Next

Biosil Brand Activation