There were no Bulgarian textbooks tailored for refugee and migrant children.
The young learners had to use textbooks designed for adults, which led to teachers raising concerns that the content was not age-appropriate. I teamed up with educators from an NGO, an ad agency and the Commissariat of Refugees UN to create the solution for this problem.

The task was to help design a textbook that speaks to children across a wide age range, from first graders to teens. Following the journeys of three main characters: Raisa, a girl from Odesa; Samir, a boy from Afghanistan; and Elena, a fellow student assisting them in learning Bulgarian. Together we’ve created an engaging resource that goes beyond mere translation. Vibrant illustrations and approachable layout provide a warm introduction to the language, helping these young students feel less like outsiders and more like a part of their new communities.











Raisa
Ukrainian girl dreaming to become a painter and open up a gallery

Samir
Fled Afghanistan and wants to be a airplane pilot and travel the world

Elena
Native Bulgarian who helps Raisa and Samir in their studies, loves reading and hopes to be a writer
Year
2022
Roles
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Graphic Design
Illustration
Printing
Print house:Bulged
Credentials
Commissioned by:NGO ReachOut;
UN Refugee AgencyIllustrations:Anastasia Verzun

There were no Bulgarian textbooks tailored for refugee and migrant children.
The young learners had to use textbooks designed for adults, which led to teachers raising concerns that the content was not age-appropriate. I teamed up with educators from an NGO, an ad agency and the Commissariat of Refugees UN to create the solution for this problem.

The task was to help design a textbook that speaks to children across a wide age range, from first graders to teens. Following the journeys of three main characters: Raisa, a girl from Odesa; Samir, a boy from Afghanistan; and Elena, a fellow student assisting them in learning Bulgarian. Together we’ve created an engaging resource that goes beyond mere translation. Vibrant illustrations and approachable layout provide a warm introduction to the language, helping these young students feel less like outsiders and more like a part of their new communities.











Raisa
Ukrainian girl dreaming to become a painter and open up a gallery

Samir
Fled Afghanistan and wants to be a airplane pilot and travel the world

Elena
Native Bulgarian who helps Raisa and Samir in their studies, loves reading and hopes to be a writer
Year
2022
Roles
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Graphic Design
Illustration
Printing
Bulged
Credentials
Commissioned by:NGO ReachOut;
UN Refugee AgencyIllustrations:Anastasia Verzun

Hristiyan
Current location:
Sofia, Bulgaria
Design matters
There were no Bulgarian textbooks tailored for refugee and migrant children.
The young learners had to use textbooks designed for adults, which led to teachers raising concerns that the content was not age-appropriate. I teamed up with educators from an NGO, an ad agency and the Commissariat of Refugees UN to create the solution for this problem.

The task was to help design a textbook that speaks to children across a wide age range, from first graders to teens. Following the journeys of three main characters: Raisa, a girl from Odesa; Samir, a boy from Afghanistan; and Elena, a fellow student assisting them in learning Bulgarian. Together we’ve created an engaging resource that goes beyond mere translation. Vibrant illustrations and approachable layout provide a warm introduction to the language, helping these young students feel less like outsiders and more like a part of their new communities.











Raisa
Ukrainian girl dreaming to become a painter and open up a gallery

Samir
Fled Afghanistan and wants to be a airplane pilot and travel the world

Elena
Native Bulgarian who helps Raisa and Samir in their studies, loves reading and hopes to be a writer
Year
2022
Roles
Creative Direction
Art Direction
Layout Design
Printing
Bulged
Credentials
Commissioned by:NGO ReachOut;
UN Refugee AgencyIllustrations:Anastasia Verzun

Hristiyan
Current location:
Sofia, Bulgaria
Design matters