Print Design · Merchandise · Social Media Graphics · 2023–24
A year of social content, merchandise design, and print design as Media Specialist for Northeastern University's Filipino cultural organization, Barkada, with 60+ assets across every touchpoint.
Role
Media Specialist · 2023–24
Timeline
2023 – 2024
Deliverables
Event posters, social graphics, merchandise, banners, illustrations
Tools
Adobe Illustrator · InDesign · Photoshop · Canva
The work
As Media Specialist for NU Barkada, I was solely responsible for all visual design output during the 2023–24 academic year. Every poster, banner, social post, and piece of merch was created by me as Media Specialist. Each event got its own visual identity, while staying true to Barkada's energetic and community-driven personality.
No two events looked the same. I had a different vision for each large event, and was able to learn and try out new graphic design skills. The result: an Instagram feed averaging 800+ impressions per post and $5,000+ in merchandise sales. The following year I moved into the Vice President role, where I shifted from designing Barkada's events to planning and leading them. That's its own project.
60+
Social assets designed
800+
Impressions per post
$5k+
In merchandise sales
Event design
Each of Barkada's major events got its own full visual identity meant to encapsulate the event itself.
Filipino Community Conference
FCC was held during Filipino American History Month as an intentional, conference-style event featuring a keynote speaker, panelists, and workshops. The goal was to create space for discussion about what it means to be Filipino, connect people across the Greater Boston Area, and inspire the younger generation through the stories of Filipinos across many different careers. I designed the full campaign, Instagram graphics, panelist and speaker cards, workshop promotions, and a printed program outlining the day's timeline.
Husky Global Fair
HGF is the first major event of the year, not just for Barkada but for Northeastern as a whole. It's part of welcome week, and it's where most new students get their first look at the cultural organizations on campus. Barkada leads the planning of the event every year. It's full of tabling and performances from different cultural orgs, and it's one of the most important opportunities for new students to find their community. I designed the Instagram graphics, campus posters, and a large printed banner that went at the front of the event.
Bahay Kubo
Bahay Kubo is the last major event of the year and one of the most meaningful to Barkada's members. It's a full showcase of modern and traditional Filipino dance, singing, and skits, and it's the final performance for graduating seniors every year. The show consistently sells out, with hundreds of people coming to watch. Every year the show is built around a theme that shapes all the performances and skits. The year I designed the graphics, the theme was "Bayani", the Filipino word for superhero, which is why I went with a comic book visual identity. I created the full visual identity, posters, Instagram content, and promotional graphics.
Merchandise
I designed every piece of Barkada merchandise from 2023-24, while coordinating with vendors for production and maintaining high standards.
The cream and green heavyweight t-shirt was influenced by Keith Haring and the iconic Filipino traditional dance, Tinikling. I first thought of the design during my very first design class at Northeastern, and thought it would make a really cool shirt a year later when I made merch as Media Specialist.
With the brown hoodie, I wanted a streetwear vibe, so I made a collage of easily identifiable aspects of Filipino culture that all Filipinos could relate to.
The eboard jacket features custom hand-drawn character illustrations of each board member, inspired by Smiskis, with each one reflecting their personality.
Social content
Keeping the feed alive between events.
Beyond event campaigns, I designed the full social content calendar. This included member announcements, election graphics, eboard introductions, performance promotions, and merch drops. Every post maintained Barkada's playful, community-forward energy while adapting to each moment.