Overview
As a Social Media Contractor at Code.org, I was responsible for developing comprehensive communication resources for the District Program, focusing on creating branded assets and establishing consistent design practices.
Timeline: June 2024 - August 2024 (3 months)
Role: Social Media Contractor
Team: Collaboration with MJ Morris and Outreach/Adoption team
Tools Used: Google Workspace (primary), Figma, Adobe Creative Suite
The Challenge
Primary challenges included:
• Creating assets that could be edited by districts with varying technical capabilities
• Working within the constraints of Google Workspace as the primary platform
• Developing a system that would remain useful as company information changes
• Building solutions without direct district input due to summer scheduling
• Bridging the gap between professional design tools and accessible platforms
Research & Discovery
Constraints Analysis
• Timing: Summer schedule meant limited direct district feedback
• Technical: Districts primarily use Google Workspace
• Access: Varied design tool availability across districts
• Updates: Need for easily modifiable assets due to frequent information changes
Key Insights from Outreach Team
• Districts prefer self-editable assets
• Google Workspace is the most universally accessible platform (Google Docs, Google Slides, etc.)
• Design solutions need to be maintainable by non-designers
• Assets must be adaptable for diverse district needs
Design Process
My design process at first was just going in for it. Part of the challenge was helping my team figure out what they were looking for, as they had vague expectations and my job was to crack down to get us on the same page.
One thing that my team especially my point of contact Nikki emphasized to me was "Do not reinvent the wheel", so I used a lot of opensource materials and templates.
• Brand Identity Preservation
• Audited existing Code.org design elements
• Identified key brand components that could be repurposed
• Created inventory of essential design elements
• Platform Translation Strategy
• Mapped Adobe/professional design patterns to Google Workspace capabilities
• Developed workarounds for platform limitations
• Created guidelines for maintaining design quality in Google Workspace
Implementation
• Developed component library optimized for Google Workspace
• Created templates in Google Slides and Docs
• Built editable frameworks that maintained design integrity
• Designed and got approved the webpage application of the toolkit
• Adapted professional design ecosystem (Figma/Adobe) into editable templates
• Created documentation for maintaining design consistency
• Developed modular components for easy updates
At the time, we were dealing with a lot of access issues that were outside of our team’s control. Despite that, I strongly believed in the integrity of our work and was determined to give my team something truly usable.
During a conversation with MJ about how to translate our multi-asset project into something districts could actually use, we brainstormed ways to communicate that effectively. Since we didn’t have editing access to the web builder the districts were using, I took the initiative to explore Code.org’s website and reviewed how district websites were set up.
From there, I created a low-fidelity prototype showing how our work could be implemented during the delivery phase. I was eventually connected with the person who manages the site, and they confirmed that our approach was feasible—so we moved forward with it.
Results & Impact
• Created fully editable communication toolkit in Google Workspace
• Established sustainable design system for future updates
• Provided accessible solutions for districts with varying technical capabilities
• Built foundation for consistent brand communication
Lessons Learned
• Importance of platform accessibility over design tool sophistication
• Value of adaptable design systems
• Balance between design quality and user capability
• Creative problem-solving within technical constraints
