Emerald Cultural Institute — Social Programme Visual Design
Design: Raphael Thalles
Role: Graphic Design, Visual Identity, Editorial Layout, Print & Digital Production
Responsibilities: Event posters, activity calendars, trip promotions, club invitations, visual system development
Scope: Full extracurricular programme — Dublin, 2024
Emerald Cultural Institute is one of Ireland's most respected English language schools, founded in 1986, accredited by Quality English, EAQUALS and IALC, and welcoming students from over 60 countries every year. Despite the institution's academic reputation, the promotional materials for its extracurricular programme were failing to convert. The design felt improvised, and for a highly educated international student body, that disconnect was costly.
Task
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The audience wasn't casual. Emerald's students were graduates, professionals and high-achieving young adults from around the world. They were accustomed to quality, and they were reading the visual communication as a signal of organisational standards. A poorly designed flyer didn't just look bad. It made people question whether the trip to the Cliffs of Moher or the Escape Room was worth their time and money. The design was undermining experiences that were genuinely worth attending.
Action
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Working independently, I redesigned the full visual system for the social programme: event posters, activity calendars, trip promotions and club invitations. Each piece was built around a consistent identity, editorial typography, a refined colour palette and layout decisions that communicated organisation and care. The goal was simple: make the materials look as good as the experiences they were selling.
Result
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Participation in extracurricular activities increased by 52% during the period the new visual approach was applied. The materials covered Escape Rooms, trips to the Cliffs of Moher, Galway, Cork, Belfast and Kilkenny, monthly activity calendars and club events. The numbers confirmed what the research had suggested: the audience wasn't disinterested. They were waiting to be convinced.