Posted by Meeta Panesar
on May 31, 2026
In April, I was invited by a dear friend to do a career day presentation for 3rd-5th grade students at Parkside Elementary in Austin, Texas. I agreed to do the presentation, but I’m not going to lie - I was completely nervous! To this day, I have a vivid memory of doing a presentation in my own 4th grade class. Each student had to give a presentation about one of the 50 states. When it was my turn to present on Wyoming, I got to the front of the class and the room went silent. My nerves overcame me, and I started to cry! This is actually the first time I am sharing this story because I felt so embarrassed even after all these years.
So, when I got to Parkside Elementary, I mustered up the courage because I want kids to know they can achieve anything! This presentation was incredibly healing for my own inner child because I had an absolute blast sharing my career as a graphic designer and starting Bobbety. I was simply in awe that the kids were so engaged and asked many questions! My favorite moment, though, was when the kids started chanting “Bobb! Bobb! Bobb!” and jumped around the classroom. I will never forget that, and this time my tears were out of pure joy.
I loved this welcome sign the kids drew!
The following lists the guidelines I was given with a brief summary of what I presented to the school:
The Presentation
The school gave the speakers a basic outline for the presentations. It was only 20 minutes and there needed to be room for a Q&A with a hands-on activity for the students.
I introduced myself and went into a brief explanation of graphic design. I explained how graphic design is everywhere! I also provided an answer to the question: “What is graphic design?” Graphic design is a way to communicate information using pictures and words.
From there, I talked about how I used my skills as a graphic designer to create Bobbety. This magazine is dedicated to all the things I loved about my childhood. I loved to learn, play games, coloring, drawing, and read comics. I wanted to use my skillset to bring more fun, whimsical, and colorful things to the world.
The tools I use everyday as a designer
My home office setup is pretty simple. I use an Apple Macbook Pro, Adobe CC, and a Wacom Intuos S for work everyday. And of course, lots and lots of imagination! I use Adobe Illustrator for all my illustrations, which is my favorite software. Once I’m done illustrating, I bring everything to Adobe InDesign for the actual magazine layout.
The many aspects of the Bobbety life
The Bobbety Life
Everyday is different but the majority of the time I am designing the layouts for each issue. I love working with my Bobbety team! I work with an educator to write all the facts, and my sister writes the comic series: Hooty, Boo, and a Chakoo. One of my favorite parts of the process is going to the printer and seeing the magazine come to life in person!
Behind the scenes: Top Left (Issue N.01 World of Butterflies at the printer). Top Right (My working Adobe Illustrator file of Issue N.05 Bobbeton in Bloom) Bottom Left (My sister and I working hard on Bobbety in my home office). Bottom Right (Issue N.01 World of Butterflies at the printer)
Behind the Scenes of Bobbety magazine cover photoshoots. Seen in action, our Photo Bobbety, Glenn Ramit.
How did I get here?
As a kid, I loved to draw! I went to art school and learned about layout design, color theory, the history of graphic design, and typography. I became passionate about illustration after college. I wanted to do more illustration work, but I never really had the opportunities in my previous jobs. So, I decided to make the opportunity for myself and create something that was fun and educational.
I also shared with the students how I use basic skills, like math, reading, and writing for my job. These are important skills I use everyday to build Bobbety.
Another important part of the presentation was to connect skills we use in our jobs to the school’s Graduate Profile traits:
Critical & Creative Thinkers
I use my critical and creative thinking skills to illustrate complex concepts.
Compassionate Community Contributors
Bobbety is all about being open-minded and sharing different cultures with the community.
Skilled Communicators & Collaborators
I use my communications skills to work with Team Bobbety. We all have different thoughts and ideas, but we work together to publish each issue.
Adaptable & Reflective Individuals
It takes a lot of courage, and some days are very challenging! It is important to be flexible and have a good attitude.
The Brief
As part of our jobs, designers are given briefs from the client for projects. For the activity portion of the presentation, I gave the students a brief. I was their client, and they were the designers. I told them I didn’t have any ideas left for the cover of the next Bobbety issue. So, their job was to create a fun and colorful drawing of Bobbeties in a theme park! I let them know that their drawings will be featured in the Bobbeton Gallery.
I shared with the class a typical brief outline given to designers in the real world.
The kids working on their Bobbety covers.
In addition to the brief, I let the students know that there will be a winner and that winner will receive a handmade crochet Bobbety, made by our very own Photo Bobbety, Glenn Ramit! The excitement over the crochet Bobbety buzzed around the room! Even after I came back to California, I was receiving messages from the teacher when I would select a winner. I was so touched that these students were able to take something away from my presentation.
The winner receives a plush Bobbety!
After receiving all the drawings, I had an extremely difficult time selecting a winner. These students are so incredibly talented, creative, and I love the effort they put into making such wonderful covers! Team Bobbety and I ended up selecting two winners!
All the submissions are featured in the Bobbeton Gallery! They all did an amazing job, and I am continuously impressed by their creativity! Check out all the covers here.
I gave my host teacher’s class Bobbety swag! I loved seeing how they colored in the shirts.
Thank you so much for having me, Parkside Elementary! I loved sharing Bobbety with the students. It warmed my heart to see these kids engaging with the magazine and connecting with the reasons why I wanted to create this magazine. Seeing them excited to participate in the Bobbety cover competition, and understanding what Bobbety is about made all the late work nights worth it. I would definitely come back for another Career Day!
Yes, Bobbety rules! :)
Check out the Career Day post here.
Issue N.06 A Wild Ride!
Our sixth issue is here! Bobbeties love that feeling when their bellies flip during roller coaster drops. Do you ever wonder why it feels that way? Or how a loop-the-loop keeps you in your seat? It’s all science! Pick up your copy of Bobbety to learn about the physics and history of roller coasters!
Designed for kids aged 5–10, Bobbety is more than just a source of entertainment. Whether at home or in the classroom, Bobbety is a valuable educational tool that nurtures creativity, promotes critical thinking, and instills a passion for learning in young minds.
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Take a look at our previous issues here:
Issue N.01 World of Butterflies
Issue N.02 Bobbin’ in Space
Issue N.03 Halloween Haunts
Issue N.04 Bobbin’ to the Beat
Issue N.05 Bobbeton in Bloom
Bobbety is printed on high-quality matte paper with non-toxic inks, and showcases bright, vivid colors that make every page pop! Printed locally in Pasadena, CA.
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