Creative Keepsake Design and Illustration for the Middle School Class of 2026
In March 2026, various graduation activities are being enthusiastically prepared throughout the school as 9th-grade students approach the end of middle school. As an art enthusiast, I have been honored with being selected as the designer and illustrator of the cover for the school's graduation creative merchandise and memorabilia. At the same time, as the class "Art Star" each semester, I have also taken the initiative to oversee the overall design and production of our class's graduation creative merchandise.
Although coordinating and planning the design of creative merchandise is not an entirely new task for me—having served as president of the Art & Beyond club—being the official designer of commemorative keepsakes for the entire graduating class of 2026 still feels extraordinarily meaningful.
The school decided to create a custom canvas tote bag for each graduating student, designed to hold their graduation photo albums, diplomas, and commemorative items. My job was to design and illustrate the pattern for these canvas bags.
This tote bag represents a tradition—every graduating class has one—and so its design needed to carry a sense of continuity with the styles of previous years. I decided that the imagery should still reflect the distinctive character of our campus and remain instantly recognizable, featuring elements such as the school gate, academic buildings, the sports field, and so on.
At the same time, I wanted to introduce fresh elements—such as the magnolia trees that the school has recently planted. And of course, since this was all hand-drawn, it was only natural to incorporate my Chinese painting style. Taking into account the modern architecture and the academic character of the school's visual elements, I ultimately chose to present the work in a watercolor aesthetic.
In keeping with the school's motto—"Chinese Core, Global Flow"—I also wove in a subtle touch of traditional Chinese cultural elements throughout the design.
Take a look and enjoy!
Canvas Tote Bag Cover—Line Art Draft
Canvas Tote Bag Cover—Watercolor in Progress
Canvas Tote Bag Cover—Final Design
Coming Soon
Canvas Tote Bag Final Photo
Coming Soon
As for the class creative merchandise, I considered options such as mugs, artistic desk lamps, three-dimensional calendar notebooks, and more—but eventually, I chose a creative notebook, as it offers the best print quality for artwork. As middle schoolers, few people enjoy the bold, highly saturated style of children's illustrations, yet an overly delicate and aesthetic style might feel too soft and understated for the cooler crowd. So I decided to venture into a style I rarely explore: cyberpunk.
The deep blue starry sky, glittering with countless stars, perfectly echoes our school's name. Each classmate's English name is printed on the back cover in glowing pink-purple or light blue lettering, scattered at varying distances and sizes. This design gives the notebook a distinct class identity and makes every student feel included while still being subtle enough to protect everyone's privacy.
The front cover follows the same visual language, featuring the class logo I illustrated, rendered in a pink-purple-blue iridescent laser gradient printed across the cover. As for the notebook's title page, I went with something a little more traditional—a panoramic view of the school campus, paired with the Year of the Horse 2026 emblem, for a look that's cute and playful.
So—do you like this design?
Notebook Back Cover
Notebook Front Cover
Notebook Title Page Illustration
Notebook Final Product Photos
Coming Soon
On the front of the notebook is our class emblem, whose design and illustration took me a long time to think through. Choosing the relevant elements was relatively straightforward—our classmates love playing chess, the class is full of top students, and then there's the class number; all of these came to mind easily. As for the design style, I kept going back and forth between a modern industrial look and a fresh, lively aesthetic. The final product could be considered a blend of both.
Class Emblem—Line Art Draft
