Mastering Adobe Illustrator in her first year at Sanford Regional Technical Center's Digital Design program, Harley Robinson has already made a statewide impact. She won the SkillsUSA branding competition with a design celebrating Maine's iconic sunsets and wildlife that will appear on everything from conference materials to promotional items. This marks the second consecutive year an SRTC student has claimed the top honor.
Robinson, a senior at Massabesic High School, drew inspiration from deep family roots in the Acadia National Park area and experiences working in Maine's farmers market community.
"I know a lot of people think of Maine as the sea life and oceans, but I wanted to really focus on something that a lot of Mainers really love, which is the sunsets and then the moose," Robinson said. "Obviously, when you think of Maine and any sort of animal, a moose is probably one of the top ones that comes to mind."
The creative process began weeks before the classroom assignment even started. Knowing the competition was coming, Robinson worked at home to establish a strong foundation, spending approximately two weeks developing the concept. The design responded to this year's theme, "Champion Your Future," while creating something distinctly recognizable as Maine-oriented.
The path to victory required becoming proficient with Adobe Illustrator, the only design software Robinson has learned so far. Instead of viewing this as a limitation, Robinson leaned into Illustrator's strengths, becoming highly comfortable with the software and using it to bring the Acadia-inspired vision to life.
Robinson's instructor, Amy Turgeon, supported the development of skills that made this achievement possible in the Digital Design classroom, where students learn to transform creative visions into professional-quality work.
Robinson's excitement was immediate upon receiving the winning notification. "Initially, I was very surprised, but I was also super excited," Robinson said. "I called my mom right after I found out to share the news."
The celebration continued when Turgeon, who is friends with Robinson's mother, called that night to share the good news—though Robinson had already delivered the exciting update. "Everyone's been very nice since I've won," Robinson noted.
While Robinson is considering competing at the SkillsUSA conference despite some nervousness about accepting the award, the bigger picture is already in focus. This achievement represents just one milestone in a broader artistic journey that includes mural painting, sculpture, and work across multiple media. Robinson has been creating art throughout high school and plans to pursue the art side of graphic design professionally.
"I very much would like to be more on the art side of graphic design," Robinson said, citing the Maine College of Art & Design as a current goal for college.