Designing for Impact: Students Illustrate a Sustainable Future

What if your artwork could live on a laptop seen around the world?

In May, Yeah, Art! teamed up with illustrator J’Aaron Merchant, Microsoft, and Best Buy to lead a digital illustration workshop for youth at Best Buy Teen Tech Centers. This virtual session, Intro to Vector Art, taught students the basics of digital drawing using Adobe Illustrator — and challenged them to create original designs responding to the prompt: sustainability.

The prize? A chance to have their artwork etched onto a limited edition Microsoft Surface tablet cover.

Our very own Ruby Lambie, Creative Technologist at Yeah, Art!, co-led the session alongside J’Aaron Merchant, whose vibrant and joyful design work has been featured by Disney Jr., Sesame Street, and more. Together, they guided students through key concepts of vector illustration — from building polished compositions to developing meaningful visual storytelling.

This partnership is rooted in Yeah, Art!’s mission to equip young people with future-ready creative tech skills and open doors to new career pathways. Through workshops like these, we’re preparing the next generation of artists to be designers, storytellers, and change-makers in the digital age.

Special thanks to our friends at Microsoft and Best Buy for helping make this opportunity possible.