New Media Design student Sandra Prašnikar designed the fresh visual identity for Career Education Day

Every year, RIT Croatia’s Career Services office organizes Career Education Day (CED), a key event that connects students with leading companies, offering networking opportunities, industry insights, and potential job placements. This year, the event received an exciting visual identity, thanks to an initiative led by Dr. Jurica Dolić, faculty member in the New Media Design program.

In December, students were invited to participate in a competition to design the new visual identity for Career Education Day. The idea, aimed to give students a real-world project that would not only showcase their creativity but also align with RIT Croatia’s branding.

The competition challenged students to create a full identity package—including a logo, secondary design elements, and applications for posters, social media, and event materials. Among the submissions, one design stood out. New Media Design student Sandra Prašnikar’s concept captured the essence of Career Education Day so well that it was chosen as the event’s official branding.

Designing with purpose

Although Sandra had experience designing visual identities for class assignments, she found this project uniquely challenging. “It forced me to consider things such as the functionality of the design and the needs of my client”, she explained. “For me, this was a great way to learn more about the workflow of a designer in a real-world environment”.

Sandra’s winning design evolved from her initial concept. At first, the star was just a small detail in the logo, added to complement the main element, a paw. “The star symbolized positivity and ambition, two words that perfectly describe the spirit of RIT Croatia”, Sandra added. Determined to improve it, Sandra refined her idea until she arrived at a deeper concept. She developed the story behind her final version, where constellations represent all the people at Career Education Day connecting and collaborating to create work that is greater than themselves. “I wanted to communicate the purpose of the event while keeping it friendly and approachable for students”, Sandra said.

Sandra’s thoughtful approach didn’t go unnoticed. Dr. Dolić highlighted how her submission stood out for its strong communication concept. “Her concept combined consistency in visual language, adaptability across different formats, and a high level of finish”, he explained. “It was a well-considered and well-executed solution that felt especially fitting for the event”.

Learning by doing

Through this experience, Sandra gained a new perspective on her work—one that challenged her to think beyond her own vision. “It's easy to get too attached to the work and focus on pure aesthetics. Working with others, I was reminded that the people who will see my design won't have the same context I did when I was making it, and that this was something I had to consider as a designer”, she explained. Knowing that her design resonated with others made the experience even more meaningful for Sandra.

Sandra’s work on the Career Education Day visual identity is a shining example of how creativity, mentorship, and hands-on learning come together to create something truly impactful.

We are incredibly proud of Sandra—not only for her talent and dedication, but also for the way she embraced the challenge and turned it into a learning opportunity. Her story reminds us that when students are given the chance to create with purpose, the results can be both meaningful and exceptional.