Students team up with Supertee and Adobe to help young hospital warriors

Work-integrated learning with Supertee and Adobe

At Billy Blue College of Design, we don’t just teach design, we live it. Our students step out of the classroom and into the real world through work-integrated learning (WIL), a subject embedded in the Diploma of Graphic Design that delivers live client briefs, authentic challenges and industry engagement from day one.

One recent standout collaboration saw our students work with Supertee, a charity-led initiative that creates superhero-themed medical garments for kids to wear as they are undergoing treatment in hospital.

Backed by creative powerhouse Adobe, this collaboration gave students the opportunity to blend empathy, innovation and visual communication to develop designs for a meaningful cause. As Billy Blue is an official Adobe Creative Campus, our students get to take advantage of real-world opportunities and connections like this throughout their study.

The Supertee industry brief

Supertee isn’t just a shirt, it’s a battle suit for brave kids. Designed to help children face long-term or serious illness with confidence, the Supertee opens at the shoulders and sides to accommodate IV drips, central lines, feeding tubes and medical devices. It’s soft, hygienic, and hero-themed, because every child deserves to feel powerful.

In partnership with Adobe and Billy Blue, Supertee asked our students to design artwork for these garments, creating graphics that would resonate emotionally while also being functional in a hospital environment.

Supertee’s founder Jason Sotiridis is a father whose daughter’s illness sparked this entire movement. When meeting with the Billy Blue students for the first time he brought the brief to life in a raw and meaningful way. “It was a very emotional briefing. Afterwards, the room went quiet,” recalled Caro Hunt, Senior Learning Facilitator. “The students understood instantly that this was about more than design. They could make a real difference”.

Medical garment conceptualisation to presentation

Over 12 intensive weeks, the students implemented a full design lifecycle from research and ideation through to concept development, prototyping and final presentations. Each designer worked on their own concepts, however the class is facilitated in a way that allows it to operated as a collective, sharing feedback, debating colour palettes, and testing ideas against real-world conditions.

The garments needed to be bright, bold and hopeful as well as practical, washable and user-friendly. Students leaned into Adobe’s full suite of tools to bring their ideas to life: Illustrator, Fresco, InDesign, Firefly, Express and Stock were all in play.

“This wan't theoretical. Students saw the impact their designs could have on real children and families. It’s human-centred design in action.” – Kate Mork (Senior Learning Facilitator)

Early-stage garment design sketches

Learning with Adobe as a Creative Campus

As an Adobe Creative Campus, Billy Blue students gain exclusive access to the latest software and creative tools along with real-world opportunities that go beyond standard coursework.

Adobe’s involvement in this project did more than offer software tools and technical support. This collaboration gave students an opportunityto think and work as professionals. To create something tangible. To be part of a brand-backed, purpose-driven project with community at its heart.

Student work becomes reality

While every Graphic Design student contributed powerful final concepts, it was student Anna Stewart’s work that stood out to the client. Supertee selected Anna to take the project further; being offered a design role within the organisation which gave here the opportunity to refine her concept, produce prototypes and create marketing collateral to support the roll-out of her final concepts across hospitals.

She gained a lot from the project, both in terms of professional development and personal satisfaction.

“The Supertee project was an invaluable opportunity to apply my design skills to a real‑world brief with genuine social impact. Torrens University’s support and industry‑connected learning environment made it possible to collaborate with Supertee and Adobe in a way that felt both professional and deeply meaningful. It reinforced my belief in design as a tool for care, dignity and positive change.” – Anna Stewart

Her work is now part of the next evolution of Supertee, garments designed not just for comfort and practicality, but to empower children going through extremely tough times.

“Every Supertee design is its own universe,” said Jason. “This partnership helps us create more worlds for kids to choose from. Having Billy Blue and Adobe in our corner is helping us scale the mountain, and the view from the top will be beautiful”

Shorts design concept

Pencil case design concept

Preparing Design graduates for the real world

This project is a prime example of what Billy Blue does best: preparing students for the design industry. Through WIL subjects, our students collaborate with clients, respond to impactful briefs and leave with a substantial project to include in their final portfolio.

Anna was hired by Supertee as a result of her amazing work, but it’s about more than employability. It’s about becoming a designer who leads with purpose, who understands the power of visual communication, and who’s not afraid to break the rules for good. We can't wait to see these ideas come to life – and will update as they do.

Anna Stewart, Diploma of Graphic Design student

“These are more than assessments; they are student-led, real-world solutions that build technical skills, confidence, and professional readiness, while encouraging students to create work that is purposeful and makes a positive impact.”

At Billy Blue College of Design, we don’t just teach students to design. We teach them to make trouble (the right kind). To question everything. To turn bold ideas into action. To create work that matters.

So if you’re ready to take your place in a community of boundary-pushers, big thinkers and change-makers, we’ve got a seat for you.