Children’s Publications
Client
University of Maryland Extension – Maryland SNAP-Ed
Role
Graphic Designer & Art Director
Deliverables
- Art Direction
- Character Design
- Editorial Design
- AI Illustration
- Video & Audio Production
- Educational Resources
- Landing Page Design
Overview
A Family Recipe: A Tale of Tradition, Nutrition and Fun was developed to encourage children and families to explore healthy eating through storytelling, cultural traditions, and family engagement. As Graphic Designer and Art Director, I led the visual development of the project by creating a cohesive illustration style, designing the book layout, and producing supporting multimedia resources that extended the experience beyond the printed publication.
Using AI-assisted workflows, I developed consistent character sets, environments, and story illustrations that were refined through Photoshop and integrated into a fully designed publication in Adobe InDesign. The project expanded to include English and Spanish editions, narrated flipbook videos, educational companion resources, and a dedicated landing page, creating an engaging, multi-platform learning experience that has reached more than 160,000 families across Maryland.
Art Direction & Book Design
The visual identity of A Family Recipe was built to support storytelling while celebrating family traditions, culture, and healthy eating. As Art Director, I established a consistent illustration style, developed the overall visual direction, and designed the book from concept through final production. AI-assisted illustration workflows, custom Photoshop refinements, and editorial design were combined to create an engaging reading experience that remained visually cohesive from cover to cover.
Character Sets
To ensure visual consistency throughout the story, complete character sets were developed with multiple expressions, poses, and viewing angles for each primary character. By combining AI-generated concepts with custom Photoshop refinements, each character maintained a recognizable personality and appearance while remaining flexible enough to support a wide variety of scenes and story moments.
Scene Design
Each environment was carefully developed to reinforce the narrative while maintaining a cohesive visual style throughout the book. Classroom settings, family kitchens, and cultural environments were created to support the story’s emotional tone, providing immersive backdrops that enhanced the educational content and helped readers connect with the characters and their experiences.
Beyond the Book
The story extended well beyond the printed publication to create a complete educational experience for children, families, and educators. Companion videos, bilingual narration, classroom activities, and online resources reinforced the book’s themes while providing multiple ways for audiences to engage with the content. Together, these materials transformed a traditional children’s book into a flexible learning resource that could be used at home, in classrooms, and through community education programs.
Additional Resources
A dedicated landing page brought the full project together in one accessible location, giving families and educators access to the book, narrated videos, activity materials, and supporting resources. Printable worksheets, discussion prompts, and companion content extended the learning experience beyond the story while making the materials easy to use at home, in classrooms, and through community education programs.
Video and Audio Editing
To extend the story beyond the printed page, I produced narrated flipbook videos in both English and Spanish that brought the book to life for families, educators, and online audiences. I created a makeshift recording studio to capture the author’s English narration and the Spanish-translated voiceover, then edited the recordings with sound effects, background music, and page-turn animations. The finished videos transformed the book into an engaging multimedia experience, making the story more accessible while supporting classroom instruction, family learning, and online engagement.
Results
A Family Recipe evolved into a comprehensive educational resource that reached families through print, digital media, and classroom learning. More than 160,000 copies were distributed to schools and families across Maryland, supported by bilingual editions, narrated flipbook videos, companion educational resources, and a dedicated landing page. By combining storytelling, illustration, multimedia, and accessible online content, the project created an engaging learning experience that continues to support nutrition education for children, educators, and families.
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