Building a brand to foster youth engagement and dialogue across Southeast Asia
ROLE
Graphic Design Lead
TIMELINE
9 months
TEAM
Bryan Ge and Lauren Loy (Media Strategists)
TOOLS
Canva, Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign)
Challenge
The SEA Exchange needed to revamp its social media presence to improve credibility, engagement, and reach. The existing Instagram page felt unprofessional and lacked visual appeal, failing to connect with Southeast Asian high school students and potential mentors.
Outcome
I rebranded the social media presence and designed the program booklet, integrating Southeast Asian cultural elements with modern aesthetics. Over 9 months, my rebrand increased Instagram followers by 127% (1,100 to 2,500) and boosted engagement—posts featuring images of mentors and speakers received 57% more interaction than previous text-heavy posts. The program booklet I designed was instrumental in securing the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) grant. Both students and mentors praised the platform for its more vibrant and professional image.
User Research
To better understand our audience, I conducted an informal Instagram survey with Southeast Asian high school students. Here’s what they had to say:
LACK OF CREDIBILITY
“It doesn’t feel that real to me. You guys don’t have that many likes or followers too.”
“There’s no photos, just text. [...] Looks unprofessional.”
TOO TEXT-HEAVY
“I want to see stuff that’s to-the-point since I’m just like scrolling after school at home.”
“Tbh I’m not reading all that. There’s too much text.”
BORING DESIGN
“It’s a bit plain. I feel like stuff like this should be more colorful if you’re trying to catch the attention of people like me”
Feedback from the core team also highlighted that the page wasn’t reaching enough of the target audience.
What I Did
Rebranded Social Media Presence
I developed a new visual identity that merged traditional Southeast Asian elements with modern design. To address credibility concerns, I created image-driven posts featuring profiles of mentors and speakers, adding a human touch to the content. The focus shifted to concise, impactful writing paired with vibrant visuals to capture attention.
Altogether, I designed 30+ Instagram and LinkedIn posts and also introduced targeted ads to reach high school students and college-aged mentors in Southeast Asia. The ad campaign significantly expanded The SEA Exchange’s reach, attracting more student sign-ups and mentor applications. The program now boasts over 400 students from 11 countries in Southeast Asia and 50 mentors.
Introduced the Program Booklet for a Professional Cohesive Identity
I initiated the design and production of a cohesive program booklet that reflected SEA Exchange’s rebranded identity. This booklet not only enhanced the professionalism of the organization but was also a key tool in recruitment and pitching to investors, playing a pivotal role in winning the Young Southeast Asian Leaders Initiative (YSEALI) grant.
What I Learned
Engaging with our audience directly gave me invaluable insights into what wasn’t working and how to make content more relatable. It wasn’t just about aesthetics but about creating user-centered content that felt credible and professional. I feel like I have a better sense of visual storytelling. For example, having images of mentors and speakers could build trust and humanize the brand, enhancing the overall user experience. Compared to designing for established brands, as I had done in my previous internship at Edelman, working for a relatively new non-profit meant I had more responsibility over the brand direction. I felt like I had to balance creative design with strategic thinking. In the end, I found that the most straightforward way to grow SEA Exchange’s reach and impact was to focus on our audiences’ needs and preferences.