What I Learned From a Young Creative Agency Backed by ASUS, Figma, and Notion

Student-led creative teams are shaping the creatives of tomorrow through hands-on experience and real-world mentorship. With the right mentorship and tools, students gain practical experience, develop professional skills, and deliver actual client work.

At the University of South California (USC), Innovative Design (InnoD) has grown into one of those standout groups, a student-run agency that blends design, development, and strategy for clients.

Its annual designathon, CreateSC, brings that same energy to a nationwide stage. I spoke with InnoD’s Co-President, Charles Cui, about how the student agency works, what drives CreateSC, and how students and brands can get involved.

Who is Charles Cui?

Charles Cui is currently acting as Co-President at Innovative Design at USC, the university’s premier student-run creative agency. He is also a product designer, product thinker, and creative technologist, completing his senior year at USC.

Founded in 2020, InnoD began with a clear mission: to let students apply their creative skills beyond the classroom and gain real-world experience in the design industry.

What started as a small, tight-knit community focused on graphic design and portfolio building has since evolved into a multidisciplinary, student-run creative agency.

Over the years, InnoD has expanded its offerings to include UI/UX, photography, and a range of professional design services.

The organization now hosts workshops and speaker panels. It also launched an alumni mentorship network, all while managing client projects for both student organizations and external partners.

“What started as a club for student designers has grown into a full creative agency that bridges the gap between student passion and professional design work,” says Charles.

Consistency via Structure and Continuity

Since InnoD is entirely run by students, with members rotating each semester, there’s a need for a strong sense of structure and continuity to ensure consistency.

“From onboarding to final deliverables, we use collaborative systems that keep everyone aligned, whether you are a photographer capturing brand visuals, a developer building out a site, or a designer crafting UI mockups.

We have developed internal brand guidelines, style references, and creative toolkits to ensure consistency across disciplines.”

Project teams are led by experienced leads who guide their peers with regular check-ins, feedback sessions, and internal critiques to ensure quality and coherence.

“Cross-functional collaboration is a big part of our culture, and we encourage our members to step outside their comfort zones to better understand how different fields come together to tell a cohesive story.”

The Benefits of Working with InnoD

Considering InnoD is such a peculiar agency, what potential benefits could a brand gain from working with it?

According to Charles, these are some of the main ones:

• Gen-Z Perspective: As a student-run agency, InnoD brings creativity rooted in current trends and cultural relevance, which is ideal for reaching younger audiences.
• Agile Team: Its designers, developers, and photographers adapt quickly to client needs without being bound by traditional agency structures.
• Mission-Driven Work: InnoD delivers professional-grade results infused with curiosity and care, often matching the quality of traditional agencies.
• Values-Based Partnerships: It prioritizes working with clients who share its mission, fostering long-term relationships over one-off projects.

“Whether we’re creating a full brand identity, developing a custom website, or crafting a social campaign, our teams move with speed, creativity, and precision.

Clients are often surprised by the quality and professionalism of our work, infused with the energy and curiosity of students passionate about creating real impact.”

Part of what makes InnoD’s model so effective is that members are immersed in real-world experiences from the very start.

“Members work in collaborative teams to take on real projects with real clients, gaining hands-on experience in managing timelines, presenting deliverables, and incorporating feedback,” explains Charles.

CreateSC: A Designathon to Challenge and Prepare Students

That focus on accessibility and mentorship is also reflected in CreateSC, USC’s annual UI/UX event hosted by InnoD.

“CreateSC was born out of our belief that great design should be collaborative, accessible, and focused on solving real problems,” Charles says.

Each year, CreateSC centers around a new theme. This year’s edition, which just ended, was focused on Digitizing Tangible Experiences, a creative exploration of how digital interfaces can replicate or enhance physical interactions in new ways.

“The event is a natural extension of InnoD’s values: community, accessibility, creativity, and professional development.”

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by CreateSC 2025 (@createsc2025)

A key highlight of CreateSC is its esteemed panel of judges and mentors, many of whom are InnoD alumni now working at major companies.

This year’s edition included:

• Janelle Hizon – Product Designer at Tinder
• William Han – Product Designer at NBCU
• Josh Lu – Product Designer at Visa
• Gary Wu – Product Designer at LinkedIn
• Haolun Yang – Product Designer at Red Bull
• Thano Sipsis – Product Designer at Meta

“We are proud that so many of our former members stay connected and are excited to give back to the next generation of designers,” Charles says.

When curating the judge panel, InnoD aimed for a balance across UI/UX design, visual storytelling, and digital product innovation.

Partnering With the Right Companies

In addition to individual mentors, CreateSC is powered by strong partnerships with mission-aligned sponsors, including ASUS, Figma, Arc, Notion, Flutterflow, Visme, and Rewriting the Code.

These partnerships are achieved through mutual connections, cold outreach, and prior collaborations.

Once involved, the sponsors play an active role in the event, offering everything from product giveaways and branded workshops to exclusive platform access and mentorship sessions.

“Some partners help promote the event or sponsor our prize pool, which this year exceeds $3,000 in value,” Charles notes.

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by CreateSC 2025 (@createsc2025)

Beyond CreateSC, InnoD continues to seek partnerships with a wide range of organizations, especially those that share its mission and creative spirit.

“We’re passionate about working with Los Angeles-based communities and companies, especially those that are mission-driven or creatively focused.

As a student-run agency, we understand the importance of scrappiness, creativity, and community. We love partnering with organizations that share that spirit,” Charles tells us.

How to Get Involved

For aspiring designers, there are two main ways to join the community.

Students at USC can apply to join InnoD through its semesterly recruitment cycle, while students from across the US can participate in CreateSC.

“Whether you’re just starting in design or already building your portfolio, CreateSC is a welcoming and empowering space to learn, create, and connect,” Charles concludes.

To learn more, follow @createsc2025 on Instagram or visit CreateSC for further details.