Every year, Western Balkans University creates promotional brochures to connect with future students. These brochures travel to education fairs, high school visits, and gift bags—small but important touchpoints where students get their first impression of the university.

In 2024, I was given the challenge of designing three brochures: one for international students (in English), one for Albanian students (in Albanian), and a third dedicated to scholarship opportunities. I wanted each to stand on its own with a unique design, but still had the university's visual identity.

As I developed the layouts, I quickly realized the visuals would play a central role. Stock images wouldn't capture the authentic spirit of the university. So my team and I decided to create our own. I put together a collection of references and sketched out ideas for the types of images we needed. Then came the fun part—working with real students, matching personalities and energy to the right poses and scenarios.

After days of planning, shooting, and re-shooting, we finally had a set of photos that felt genuine and full of life. I edited them carefully to complement the design, making sure they elevated the look and feel of each brochure. From there, it was a cycle of test prints and refinements until the final versions were ready.

Holding the finished brochures fresh from the print house was a rewarding moment. What started as an idea on paper had turned into something tangible—materials that would travel into the hands of future students and hopefully spark their first connection with WBU.