Outlier.org:
Sociology Course Graphics
Opportunity
Outlier.org, an online education platform, was launching a new course, Intro to Sociology, and needed a visual identity to support the course. I worked alongside lead designer Stine to create a cohesive graphic system that would integrate seamlessly with the course's video content. Given the volume of graphics required, we needed a diverse set of templates to ensure consistency across various media formats.
Action
To start, I identified the graphic elements needed for the course, including icons, images, quotes, key terms, and illustrations. These elements had to work both independently and alongside the professor’s video lectures. I created slides to showcase each graphic style, which were then reviewed for approval. After finalizing the designs, I integrated the assets and instructor content into the templates. Throughout the process, we refined the graphics and made multiple revisions to ensure everything worked cohesively within the video.
Challenge
Sensitivity
One challenge with this course involved the high sensitivity of the topic. Outlier’s style is both sleek and engaging, professional and enthusiastic. I needed to craft a style for this course that reflected that approach. The graphics needed to have personality to them while also avoiding trivializing serious issues. They needed to stand out when the visual information was meant to stand alone, and blend with instructor video when supplementing it.
The solution was paring down the graphics to minimal but sleek styles. Images and visuals appeared unframed against a black background. Simple sans serif text conveyed information. Icons and illustrations featured varying shades of one color (teal) with white strokes. These changes gave the course a balanced look.
Solution
The final course featured a diverse set of cohesive graphics that addressed complex sociological topics with both sensitivity and a playful, engaging tone. The designs helped maintain Outlier.org’s professional yet enthusiastic approach to learning while ensuring respect for the subject matter.
A key takeaway from this project was the importance of categorizing content to build a unified set of templates. This structured approach helped define expectations for both the students and the course’s visual identity, ensuring consistency across the course materials.