Shaping the Future of Gaming
Overview
Zynga is a global leader in social video games with the mission of connecting the world through games. At Zynga, I worked with the People Operations and University Relations teams who are dedicated to recruiting top talent and promoting a fun workplace culture.
During my internship, I got the chance to transform the talent and employment brand across the organization and its subsidiaries. I redesigned an internal recruitment wiki for the HR team, created Glassdoor and LinkedIn ads, produced promotional videos, designed social media graphics, swag and presentation decks — and most proudly, I designed brand new logos to showcase Life at Zynga and promote the company culture.
Client
Zynga
Role
Marketing Design Intern
Team
Talent Acquisition Manager
Early Career Specialist
Timeline
May 2020 – December 2028 (8 months)
Highlights
Press play on my design journey at Zynga.
During my internship at Zynga, all of the interns were encouraged to create a video capturing our journey. Using Final Cut Pro X, I created this fun video to highlight my experiences, accomplishments, and the impact I made during my time at Zynga.
My summer internship showcase.
Video
Logo Designs
A playful brand refresh for University Relations.
It all started with a dog.
Zynga's University Relations (UR) team wanted a logo that highlighted their unique identity, distinct from Zynga's main brand, while staying true to Zynga's playful design. It needed to be fun, inviting, and resonate with students exploring early career opportunities.
'Zinga,' the founder of Zynga's dog.
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My illustration of Zinga.
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Exploring early logo concepts.
Inspired by college varsity mascots, I began by sketching Zinga, Zynga's beloved bulldog, as the foundation for the new identity and gave the UR team a fresh identity as "Zynga University".
My goal was to capture a youthful, energetic feel while staying true to Zynga's signature branding colours.
First logo iteration.
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Logo colour palette.
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Initial logo iterations.
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Logo mockups and applications.
To bring the logos to life, I put together mockups showcasing how they could be used in the UR team's daily work.
I had the opportunity to present them to Zynga's VP of People Operations — who instantly fell in love with the designs.
Logo mockups.
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Refining the final logos.
Although the team loved the first round of logos, we needed to pivot to ensure the Zynga logo was still incorporated in the design for licensing and brand recognition.
So, I got creative by blending the original Zynga logo with a graduation cap, while still preserving that varsity-inspired design.
Final logo designs.
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Logos in action — from sketch to reality.
Once the logos were finalized and approved by the VP of People Operations, I worked with swag vendors on a variety of UR merch.
Fast forward to 2021, I was excited to see the logos I created featured on merch sent to the summer interns — a year after my internship! It was a truly rewarding moment seeing the logos out in the world.
Merch sent to summer 2021 interns.
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Swag Designs
Shaping the future of gaming.
Turning designs into swag.
I built upon the new logo designs and created UR swag designs for future interns and new grads. I drew inspiration from trending streetwear styles to create bold hoodie designs.
My goal was to design something that interns and new grads would actually want to wear, helping boost Zynga’s recruitment visibility and strengthen their employee brand in a stylish way.
Swag designs.
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Swag designs — from mockups to real life.
The intern class of 2021 received merch with the designs I created and it was a dream come true to see my work come to life.
The highlight: Spotting someone on the subway with a backpack featuring the logo I designed!
Swag designs in real life.
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Graphic Designs
Leveling up Zynga's brand.
Results
Social media graphics boosted LinkedIn engagement by 15% and drove a 50% surge in Instagram traffic, and sparked a 200% jump in career applications.
During my internship, my ultimate goal was to build on Zynga’s brand with fun and creative designs while also finding ways to strengthen company culture during the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
I created a range of internal and external graphics, including social media visuals. Below are some of my favourites:
Graphic designs for internal initiatives and social media.
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Retrospective
An unforgettable internship experience.
Creative empowerment.
I'm grateful to the Zynga team for giving me the opportunity to shape their employee brand, trust me with creative freedom, and help me grow as a designer.
Working within limitations.
Redesigning the recruitment website with tech limitations taught me how to get creative and think outside the box while working within constraints.
Consistency matters.
Designing the new UR logos taught me the magic of branding — consistency is the secret ingredient that makes a brand stick in people’s minds and stand out.
Work hard, play hard.
I really loved the culture at Zynga. I had the chance to work with some incredibly talented and intelligent people who knew how to work hard and have fun along the way.