ETBD Design Contest - Overview
Context: Miami University ETBD Digital Design Competition
Scope: Poster + Website design
Role: Co-designer
Tools: Canva (poster), Google Sites (website)
Objective: Create engaging promotional materials to attract high school participants
For this project, I collaborated with a partner to design promotional materials for Miami University’s ETBD Digital Design Competition, an initiative aimed at engaging high school students in creative fields. Our scope included both a digital poster and a companion website that would clearly communicate competition details while capturing the energy and creativity of the program. I contributed to both the poster and website design, with a particular focus on visual direction, layout, and key interface elements such as the website header. We used Canva for the poster design and Google Sites for the website build, requiring us to balance creativity with platform constraints.
Starting Point
The website project began with an existing, low-quality version that lacked clarity, structure, and visual appeal
The poster needed to communicate multiple categories while still feeling engaging and cohesive
Rather than iterating on a weak foundation, we identified that the most effective approach would be to rebuild the experience from the ground up. At the same time, the poster needed to present a large amount of information—such as competition categories and details—without overwhelming the viewer.
Research
To guide our design decisions, we looked at similar student-focused competitions and promotional materials to understand how they balance clarity with visual excitement.
We identified a need for;
Clear information hierarchy
Strong visual engagement for a younger audience
Consistent branding across poster + website
Website Design Process
After evaluating the limitations of the original website, we chose to restart the design process from scratch.
Concept Development and Wireframing
We began by sketching new layout ideas to explore more effective ways of organizing content and improving navigation.
These concepts were then translated into wireframes, which allowed us to define structure, content hierarchy, and user flow before moving into visual design.
Visual Design
From there, I developed key visual elements, including a custom header and supporting graphics to create a cohesive look and feel.
Build and Iteration
The site was then built in Google Sites, where we adapted our designs to fit within the platform’s constraints while maintaining clarity and visual consistency. Throughout the process, we incorporated feedback and made iterative improvements, refining layout, adjusting visual elements, and strengthening hierarchy to enhance usability and overall impact.
Poster Design Process
Exploration and Concept Development
In parallel with the website, we explored multiple poster concepts, each with a different visual style and tone.
Direction and Iteration
Through feedback and critique, we identified a direction that felt more playful and creative, aligning better with the target audience. From there, we refined the design by adjusting the color palette to increase vibrancy and cohesion.
Hierarchy Optimization
We continued iterating on the layout, focusing on improving visual hierarchy to ensure that key information—such as the competition details and call-to-action—stood out clearly.
These refinements resulted in a final poster that balanced creativity with readability, making it both eye-catching and informative.
