While planning the first ideation workshops, we brainstormed how to create a meaningful gift for students that would serve both educational and marketing purposes. Traditional handouts get lost or forgotten, but we needed something students would actually use and remember.

The challenge was creating an educational tool that would:

• Encourage discussion about design principles
• Remain useful as a long-term reference
• Create positive brand associations with Embrace

The quartet format solved multiple problems simultaneously. Everyone knows how to play quartet, meaning no learning curve for the game mechanics. Furthermore, the format naturally encourages discussion and comparison between different design principles. The familiar game format meant students would engage with the content rather than letting it collect dust on a shelf.

Visual perception principles that explain how users naturally group and interpret interface elements.

Research methodology cards covering the discovery, exploration, testing, and listening phases of user research.

Principles for creating engaging experiences across visceral, behavioral, and reflective levels of user interaction.

Foundational methodology cards that guide students through the human-centered design process from empathy to iteration.

Psychological principles that help designers understand how mental shortcuts and biases influence user decision-making.

Established UX laws that provide practical guidelines for interface design and user interaction patterns.

Essential considerations for creating inclusive designs that work for users with diverse abilities and needs.

Broader inclusion concepts that extend beyond accessibility to address diverse perspectives and experiences.

Core usability principles and psychological effects that impact how users interact with digital interfaces.

Cognitive concepts that inform how users process, retain, and recall information in digital experiences.

Each card includes a clear explanation and visual representation, making complex concepts accessible to students at different experience levels. The selection focused on principles that students would encounter regularly in their design work and studies.

Content was research-based, drawing from authoritative sources including Nielsen Norman Group, Microsoft's Inclusive Design guidelines, and MDN web doc’s resources.

The very talented coworker Isaï created the illustrations that bring each principle to life visually. Seeing the illustration skills of Isaï come to life is always great, making complex concepts easily understandable.

Each category uses distinct color coding for easy recognition. The visual hierarchy emphasizes the principle name and provides concise, actionable descriptions. Simple and clear.

We distributed the cards at workshops and guest lectures as memorable takeaways. Student reaction consistently exceeded expectations, as they were genuinely surprised by the effort and quality of the educational resource.

Rather than typical promotional materials, students appreciated receiving something genuinely useful for their studies and future careers. The cards function both as active learning tools and valuable reference materials they can revisit throughout their design education.

For Embrace, the quartet game established a unique position. These cards provide ongoing value while maintaining subtle but consistent brand presence.

The project demonstrates Embrace's innovative and ‘project ownership’ strengths, we pitched the idea and were continuously positively reinforced. Students associate the brand with thoughtful, high-quality educational resources rather than generic recruitment materials.

Successful educational marketing requires genuine value creation. Students respond positively when companies invest in their learning rather than just promoting services or job openings.

Despite having access to countless online resources, students valued having tangible reference cards they could use during projects and discussions.

The best learning happens through engagement and discussion, not passive consumption.

Effective talent acquisition in creative fields requires demonstrating expertise and commitment to the discipline.