SUP
Overview
SUP is a supplementary app for middle schoolers struggling with conventional, inflexible, and resource-lacking education.
Objectives
Design a brand and digital experience for an app that combats an area of educational inequality.
Project Involvement Logo & branding • Illustrations • Assisting with app DesignClient
Ferris State University
Academic Project
Contributors
Serena Bow
Alex VandeVooren
User Groups
Teachers
Who are unable to help every single student and who want to help engage their students.
Middle schoolers (9-13)
Minds are going through major development jumps. Struggle with inflexible teaching and a lack of academic tools.
Parents
Who want to help their children succeed and be engaged in their learning.
Surveyors experience educational inequality through lack of school supplies and impersonal teaching.
Parents and teachers are the “gatekeepers”
We wanted to better understand the best ways to get kids involved and interested in the app. Our research led us to find parents and teachers as the gatekeepers; beneficial for the parents & teachers, beneficial for the child.
We provided parents and teachers with a Pocket Lessons book.
Containing a list of lessons and topics covered within the app. Useful for teachers and homeschooling parents looking for supplemental school work.
“Educational Inequality to me, is not giving all children the same opportunity to receive a good education”
— Anonymous survey taker
Each child is unique, here is how we showed it
The acronym has a playful tone and aligns with the slang for hello providing it with a younger appeal. While hinting to the three main descriptive words: supplemental, unique, and personalized.
I ended up creating a system that utilized changing shapes behind the logotype. These shapes were thought bubbles meant to highlight the different ways each child thinks. This allows the brand to emphasize the brands’ desire to provide uniqueness and personalized learning.
The biggest inspiration for the logo was Nickelodeon’s old brand system. Which used a single logotype and changed the shape behind in order to adaptable for the different shows that were broadcast. 
We integrated gamification, the application of game elements to encourage activity, into our app to help provide incentives for students to participate.
Lessons, games, and academic resources. Completing lessons and participating in after lesson games allow the child to earn points to spend on academic resources.
Combating the Lack of Academic Tools
After completing games and lessons kids can go to the store through their app to “spend” their stars. This allows children the opportunity to have access to books, tools, and school supplies, that they otherwise may not have.
Rewards are emailed to a parent/guadians’s email in order to be approved for shipment.
In providing children with an app that utilizes gamification, provides school supplies, and allows for them to learn the way the feel is best for them helps to combat the inequality of the conventional & inflexible teaching and lack of resources.