2021 italki Language Challenge


The 2021 italki Language Challenge was a 45-day global campaign designed to inspire language learners and attract new users. Taking inspiration from the Olympic Games, the campaign framed language learning as a journey of dedication, progress, and persistence.

Collaborating with the marketing team, I helped define four characters that represented different learning milestones—12, 16, 20, and 24 hours. The archer symbolized consistency, the climber for persistence, the weightlifter for discipline, and the runner for determination. My role was to translate this vision into the campaign’s main visual and all supporting assets, ensuring a cohesive and engaging experience that motivated learners to push their limits.


Deliverables:
  • Main campaign visual for landing pages (web & mobile)
  • Header images for email marketing (multiple campaign stages)
  • Paid social ads, adapted for key markets
  • Character illustrations and icon sets for flexible use across assets

Roles:
  • Designed the campaign’s main visual concept and supporting assets
  • Translated marketing goals into adaptable design systems
  • Collaborated with marketing and product teams to align visuals with campaign strategy



With about a month to design, I developed the main visual for landing pages across web and mobile, header images for email marketing at different stages of the campaign, and ads for paid social—adapting materials for specific market needs. Additionally, I created icons and small imagery to meet special requirements from the product team. The four characters were key to ensuring flexibility in design, allowing components to be used dynamically while maintaining a cohesive visual identity throughout the campaign.

To wrap up the design, I worked with the product team to adjust the assets for different device dimensions, making sure the visuals looked good on both web and mobile. This involved some fine-tuning to ensure everything fit well across the various screen sizes. The result was a set of assets that worked smoothly across platforms, helping to create a consistent experience for users throughout the 45-day challenge.

EMMA ZHOU



I design digital products, interfaces and visual identities that are visually refined and thoughtfully built. Linkedin
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