I led the visual system rebuild for Canadian Curriculum Press’ flagship graded workbook series across 16 titles (Pre-K to Grade 2). The work included expanding the illustration library, redesigning characters for inclusive representation, and developing standardized production templates that brought clarity, consistency, and long-term scalability to the series.
Client
Canadian Curriculum Press
Industry
Educational Publishing
Services
Team Leadership
Brand Modernization
Character Library Illustration
Typeface Creation
Production Templates
Strategic Focus
Refreshing an outdated series to improve clarity consistency, inclusivity, and long-term production efficiency.
The Challenge
Canadian Curriculum Press’ graded workbook series had strong brand recognition, but the visual system had become inconsistent over time. Characters lacked diversity, layouts varied between titles, and design decisions shifted with each production cycle. Tight timelines meant updates were often reactive rather than structural, leading to accumulated inconsistencies and limited scalability across 16 titles.
My approach focused on building a scalable design system across multiple grades and subjects.
01
LEGACY ART AUDIT
Identify inconsistencies in layout, typography, colour standards, and illustration style.
02
INCLUSIVE CHARACTERS
Expand and redesign the character library for consistent, diverse representation.
03
FOCUS GROUPS
Leverage teacher and parent feedback to optimize cover hierarchy and buyer clarity.
04
UNIFIED BRAND SYSTEM
Standardize layouts to enable efficient, cohesive design and student ease of use.
Legacy → Modernized System
Directed a cover redesign to strengthen diversity, modernize design, and improve consistency across 16 titles.
Led the character modernization to replace dated clip-art with a warmer, more engaging illustration style for young learners.
Cover Redesign
The cover system was redesigned to balance complex content and compliance requirements with buyer-facing clarity. Feedback from parent and teacher focus groups guided the design team in organizing content into structured, easy-to-scan sections. The refreshed approach strengthened inclusivity and grade-aligned representation — intentionally featuring both a boy and a girl on each cover to better reflect classroom dynamics and improve student relatability.
Diverse Character Library
The character library was modernized to introduce a softer, more contemporary illustration style. Representation was intentionally expanded to reflect diverse elementary classrooms, supported by a cohesive, reusable system across the series.
Support Illustration Library
A comprehensive illustration library of objects and scenes was developed to support multiple titles and product formats across the imprint — from workbooks to kits and floor pads. Assets were built with layers that could be toggled on and off, allowing quick colour adjustments and modular variations without replacing the linked images.
Grade Level Identification System
A structured colour and mascot system was implemented across multiple CCP titles — including graded workbooks, kits, and floor pads. Distinct grade-level identifiers improved recognition and maintained unity across the imprint.
Custom Typeface Creation
A custom typeface was developed to meet Canadian curriculum standards not supported by existing fonts. Working with teachers, we defined precise character structures for early learners and built a complete typographic system, including full alphabet and numeral sets with directional arrow and tracing variants. A companion tally mark font supported numeracy exercises. By eliminating manual annotations and mixed-font workarounds, the system significantly improved efficiency and ensured consistency across all titles.
Interior Layouts
The interior layouts were reworked to make learning feel clearer and less overwhelming for young students. Pages were simplified into consistent templates with stronger hierarchy and better flow, helping guide learners step by step. The updated system improved usability while maintaining cohesion across the series.
The Outcome
The updated system gave the series a cohesive, modern identity across all 16 titles. Clearer layouts and standardized templates made future production more efficient and consistent. Retailers responded positively to the refreshed look, and educators found the visual organization noticeably easier to use.
