Book Covers: College Prep Materials
Updated: May 18
Financial Literacy for College Access and Career Success (2025)
The Brief
As states began mandating financial literacy coursework in 2025, Cambridge developed a new three-level book series. Level 2, designed for middle schoolers, needed a visual identity that could make dense financial concepts feel approachable and engaging for young students.
Key Creative Decisions
Pig coaches as characters
Introduced various spinoffs of Cambridge's mascot for each chapter to deliver tips and tricks in callout sections, keeping students engaged without losing the brand.
Cover icons tied to content
Each icon on the cover directly represents a key financial concept covered in the book — making the cover a preview of the learning, not just decoration.
Playful tone, serious purpose
The character design balances fun illustration with clear financial messaging, signaling to both students and educators that the material is credible and engaging.
Pig Coaches: Darius the Defender, Charts by Charlie, Cache Monet, Budget Butt
AccelePrep™ for the New SAT® (2024)
The Brief
AccelePrep is Cambridge's fast-paced SAT prep series built around learning essentials quickly. The new SAT edition needed a cover that could visually embody the brand promise — speed and acceleration — before a student even opened the book.
Key Creative Decisions
Translating "acceleration" visually
Illustrated a running figure with a motion trail to convey speed — turning an abstract brand idea into a concrete, immediate image that resonates with students.
Design that earns attention before page one
The cover was designed to engage students at first glance, signaling energy and momentum to an audience that needs motivation as much as instruction.
Motion carried through interior icons
The same speed concept was echoed in all callout icons, keeping the visual language consistent from cover to content
Callout Icons: Trust Your Ear, Ace the Pace, Back to Basics, Rely on Context
Non-Negotiable Skills™ Series (2021-2024)
The Brief
The Non-Negotiable Skills (NNS) series — focused on essential reading, writing, math, and science skills for high school, college, and career readiness — needed a visual refresh. The goal was to better reflect its broad audience: middle schoolers through high schoolers of all ages and backgrounds. In 2024, the series expanded with a foundations edition and a Spanish bilingual edition.
Key Design Decision
Redesigned for adaptability and inclusivity
Updated imagery across all three levels to authentically reflect learners of diverse ages and backgrounds: signaling that the books work for everyone.
Visual continuity across a growing series
Maintained a consistent design and language across Foundations, Spanish Bridge, and Levels 1–3 without breaking the series identity.
Spanish Bridge: Self-Initiated Concept
With educational publishing moving toward bolder, graphic-forward design, I proposed an illustrated cover concept for the bilingual edition — a stylized bridge rendered in colors commonly associated with the Spanish language. While the final direction prioritized brand consistency across the series, this draft reflects an awareness of where the industry is heading and a willingness to think beyond the immediate ask.
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