Designing with Empathy

In her four years at UNC Charlotte, Jessica Franco has accumulated a long list of awards, accomplishments, and experiences. The first in her family to attend college, she received the First Generation Community Impact Award this past fall. An industrious and skilled designer (she will graduate on December 13 with a BFA in Graphic Design), she earned the Greg Middleton Graphic Design Award in 2022, the E. Hudson Graphic Design Award in 2023, and the Senior Excellence in Graphic Design Award in 2024.

In addition to scholarships and awards through the College of Arts + Architecture, Jessica is one of 25 WINGS scholars from across the city of Charlotte. Offered by the local organization Women Executives, WINGS (Women Initiating and Nurturing Growth through Scholarships) is a scholarship and mentoring program for non-traditional students at Charlotte area universities. Jessica, who entered UNC Charlotte when she was 26, was paired with a mentor from Parker Poe law firm, which led to the opportunity to design a new logo for the firm that will be released next year.

“The opportunities that I have been presented,” she says, “it’s just been huge.”

But among the many highlights of her college career, Jessica says that her work as a peer mentor and success guide with the University Center for Academic Excellence has been especially meaningful.

“That was a huge part of my academic success here,” she says. “Having to be that leader and role model for others.”

She has made presentations about peer education, mentorship, and serving students with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) at three conferences. Most recently, her experience as a SHIELD Mentor (Students Honoring Individual Experiences and Learning Differences), in which she has worked with neurodiverse students with ADHD and similar conditions, led her to focus on that population for her senior thesis project, “Thrive – Don’t Just Survive.” The project is a design package for a physical and digital planner that helps neurodiverse students organize their thoughts, manage their time, and prioritize tasks. Companion materials offer advice for instructors to help them best serve those students in class.

Born and reared in Pretoria, the capital of South Africa, Jessica’s path to UNC Charlotte was somewhat unconventional. She first came to the United States on an exchange program, serving as an au pair in Michigan and Washington, D.C. It was during that time that she met her current husband, who is in the Air Force. They married and were eventually stationed in North Carolina. After Jessica received U.S. citizenship, her husband was able to transfer his G.I. Bill benefits to her to help support her education.

“Growing up in Africa, I witnessed the transformative power of art in the hands of the underprivileged, who used it as a means to fight for equality,” she says. “Inspired by their example, I strive to do the same through my art.”

Jessica says the graphic design program has “really pushed me as an artist.” Critiques in studio classes have taught her to “take feedback and implement it and better myself.”

“All my design professors have been amazing,” she adds. “I’ve loved all of my professors.”

In a class with Lecturer Cynthia Frank, Jessica had to redesign the handicapped logo, a process that taught her to “really design with empathy.” She has continued to “design with intention, design for change,” she says, and gives special praise to Assistant Professor of Graphic Design Samira Shiridevich (pictured with Jessica at left), who mentored her as she developed “Thrive – Don’t Just Survive.”

“Jessica’s work on campus with neurodiverse students exemplifies her selflessness and commitment to inclusion, and she extended this dedication to her independent study with me,” Shiridevich says. “Together, we designed a planner to help neurodiverse students navigate college life with greater ease. She embraced the horizontal methodology of design, immersing herself in the process of co-creation. Jessica didn’t just learn about designing for people; she excelled in designing with them, crafting workshops and solutions that were as thoughtful as they were impactful.”

In her senior year, Jessica became pregnant and delivered twin baby girls only days after she presented her senior thesis – and just two weeks before graduation.

“The timing was insane!” she says.

She plans to take a couple of years off to care for little Charlotte Claire and Chloe Anne. Then, she will apply to graduate school.

“I definitely want to be in higher education, working with students. I just love school. I love learning.”