Ellie Sage: Curious About Chemistry
RMCAD Senior Project
B.F.A. Illustrative Design, 2024
This project was a self-paced original project completed over the last 8-week term of my Illustrative Design degree program, as a graduation requirement.
I created an original character brand concept through a character design illustration, a 4-page juvenile magazine featuring this character, and a printed fabric doll with themed outfits.
This project had four parts. Click the images for more information.
Ellie Sage Illustrations
Ellie Sage Doll
Ellie Sage Fabrics
Ellie Sage Magazine
Overview
Rationale
Men still outnumber women in STEM careers.
Why? Key findings within the last decade point to social factors and lack of representation as a barrier to women in STEM fields.*
Solution: Positive, non-stereotype, portrayals of girls and science in juvenile literature empowers and fosters young girls’ interests in STEM.
*Louise Archer and Jennifer DeWitt, "Understanding Young People’s Science Aspirations" (London: Routledge, 2017) 99-123.
Ellie Sage
Ellie Sage is a fictional 7-year-old girl who takes a deep interest in chemistry through an engaging magazine article that combines scientific instruction with humor and vivid illustrations.
Her character design dispels the pervading stereotype that people who are interested in science are the “mad scientist/nerd.”
She is a “citizen scientist”—a curious and creative child eager to learn how the world works and how topics in STEM affect our daily lives.
As a cloth doll, she has colorful textured yarn hair and her chemistry-inspired wardrobe is colorful, fashionable and practical. She can also share her STEM wardrobe with other plastic 14-inch dolls in a child’s collection, for added fun!
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