Empowering student voices through digital illustration: recent MDM grad Su Irugalratne brings Adobe’s Back to School Campaign into the global spotlight

Suprabha (Su) Irugalratne recently completed her Master of Digital Media (MDM) degree at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Earlier this summer, Su won a high-visibility commission for Adobe’s Back to School campaign. Launched on August 17th across Adobe's homepage, Creative Cloud pages, paid media ads, and global social platforms, her artwork visually anchors the campaign. Framed within Adobe’s signature "A" logo, Su’s art features vibrant anime-inspired characters, cute animals, and student-life staples like coffee, books, sports, and gaming controllers.

Origin Story & Landing the Opportunity

Su’s path to the MDM program stemmed from her passion for digital media and its power to reach millions. She uses her skills for corporate advertising, personal original creative projects, and advocating for various causes. Seeking to refine her portfolio and broaden her impact, she joined the Master of Digital Media at TMU. Her journey to the Adobe commission began back in May, when industry liaison Lee Eldridge (from TMU’s GCM and CreativeMornings Toronto) notified students of an opportunity to represent The Creative School at the Adobe Designers Grad Party in Toronto.

Admittedly an introvert, Su found stepping into the high-energy room at Adobe’s Toronto office both thrilling and intimidating. "I'm quite shy and introverted, so going into a room like that was overwhelming," Su recalled. "I loved seeing the space and hearing the speakers, but I really struggled with the face-to-face networking part."

Fortunately, the experience didn't end when the event wrapped up. Event organizer Jacqueline Young-Sterling shared post-event materials and set up a student WhatsApp group—a digital environment that Su credits with changing everything. "The WhatsApp group and post-event links were a lifesaver for someone like me," Su explained. "It was like a digital sanctuary where introverted creators could connect, chat without pressure, and discover opportunities on our own terms."

It was while going through those post-event materials that Su spotted an open call for student creative commissions requiring a Behance portfolio. Guided by feedback from her mentor, Dr. William Michael Carter, Su had spent months curating her platform with detailed process breakdowns. Putting her work forward, she applied immediately. The competition was open to students across Canada and the US, so when Adobe US selected her proposal in late May, Su was amazed. As an international student who uses Adobe software daily, seeing her work chosen on a continental scale was a deeply validating moment. Reflecting on her initial reaction, Su joked, "Having my art featured on Adobe's homepage meant I could die in peace."

The MDM Ecosystem & Industry Bridges

Though the journey began at the Toronto event, Su worked directly with the Adobe US team out of their American headquarters, collaborating closely with Adobe representatives. Given total creative freedom, Su pitched an anime-inspired concept celebrating student life. Adobe loved the direction immediately, requesting only minor layout tweaks.

Working in Adobe Photoshop, Su’s production turnaround was exceptionally fast. Confident from the initial reception, she skipped the flat-color review stage and delivered fully rendered final artwork alongside individual asset cutouts (such as the dog, robot, and books) and digital mockups. Adobe's creative team adapted her elements directly into the iconic "A" frame and animated the piece for global campaign collateral. Describing the collaboration, Su noted, "Working with Adobe US was an incredible experience. They gave me creative freedom, and seeing how smoothly we went from pitch to final assets showed me I was ready for high-level industry work."

Su credits TMU's Master of Digital Media program for providing the structure, mentorship, and technical foundation necessary to elevate her work from personal passion projects to enterprise-level campaigns. The program's interdisciplinary framework allowed her to refine not only her technical illustration skills in Photoshop, but also her strategic approach to creative direction, client communication, and project management.

A defining milestone in her MDM journey was learning how to present her creative output with commercial intent. Under the mentorship of faculty like Dr. William Michael Carter, Su gained deep insight into the industry's demand for process-driven work. She realized that securing high-tier client work requires more than just showing a finished piece, it demands showcasing ideation sketches, asset breakdowns, and clear explanations of individual roles. "Dr. Carter pushed me to show my entire creative process," Su shared. "That feedback changed how I built my portfolio, and I believe that process-first approach is what ultimately caught Adobe’s eye." Combining this refined portfolio strategy with the industry access provided by partners like Lee Eldridge and Jacqueline Young-Sterling gave Su the foundation and confidence to pitch her vision effectively.

When reflecting on advice for current or prospective MDM students, Su emphasizes pushing past self-doubt and taking initiative, even when an opportunity feels out of reach:

"It's very important to put yourself out there and see what you can do. You never know who you're going to meet... I could have stopped and thought, 'A lot of people are applying across Canada and the US, so they won't pick me,' but I went ahead and did it anyway. You need a bit of luck, a lot of hard work, and you need to have your process ready to show so people can see what you're capable of." — Su Irugalratne

Speaking on Su's journey and the broader impact of bridging industry opportunities with emerging academic talent, Jacqueline Young-Sterling shared her admiration for Su's initiative:

"I believe Su has a bright future ahead of her. She is so tenacious and a go-getter, she took the initiative to put herself out there and it paid off. Her artwork is exceptional, you would not think that it was done by a student." — Jacqueline Young-Sterling

"I hope more students take advantage of opportunities like this, they are what I’d consider 'low-stakes risks' that can really lead to amazing opportunities. Su now has this amazing commission to add to her portfolio, plus the added experience of successfully working with a global client like Adobe." — Jacqueline Young-Sterling

Future Vision

With her artwork now live across global platforms, Su’s confidence as a digital artist and creative director has skyrocketed. "This whole experience confirmed that my workflow and skills can hold up under real corporate deadlines," Su reflected. "It showed me that my art belongs in these big spaces." Having completed her degree, she is now targeting roles across digital art, graphic design, and advertising, while continuing to develop independent creative projects, including her self-published modern mermaid sci-fi novel Rhodoreef set to release November 25th, 2026 and upcoming original animated music videos.

Connect with Su: LinkedIn (external link)  | Instagram (external link)  | Website (external link)  | Behance (external link) 

Su's Art for the Adobe Fall 2026 Back to School Campaign