NewsJan 26, 2026

Student Committee Recap 2025–2026: Strengthening support, connection and community

Written by Priya Shukle Student RGD, Alberta University of the Arts, Kendra Vermette Student RGD, SEELOCAL and Jennifer Sutherland Student RGD, Bennett Design Associates

The 2025/2026 school year inspired a shift in direction for the RGD Student Committee with a renewed focus on better supporting and serving both new and existing Student RGD Members.

This year’s Student Committee Co-Chairs each lead a Student Sub Committee (SC) while collaboratively guiding the Student Committee: Priya Shukle Student RGD (Awareness SC), Jennifer Sutherland Student RGD (Discord SC) and Kendra Vermette Student RGD (Events SC).

Working closely with RGD representatives, including Hilary Ashworth, the Co-Chairs help shape strategic shifts across Awareness, Discord and Events initiatives. These changes centre Student RGD Members through improved engagement, organization and communication.

Student Awareness Sub Committee

The committee has shifted focus from social media channels and student-generated content to bringing awareness specifically to students unfamiliar with the RGD. New initiatives better align with student workloads and academic timelines, while highlighting student-specific strengths to provide insights for more effective awareness methods.

Student-conducted, on-site research reaffirmed posters as an effective and accessible method of promotion, reinforcing the continuation of the Student Poster Initiative to install RGD posters across campuses. Rather than creating new posters, students now provide insights and direction to the RGD Creative Team on which materials would be most relevant to students throughout the year. This approach supports stronger brand alignment while ensuring content remains student-informed. Feedback on existing posters furthers more targeted and impactful awareness materials. By looking at the Student RGD Membership promotional poster from a student lens, the Awareness SC can provide valuable insights to better support students.

This can also be seen in a new student-specific DesignThinkers poster this year which highlights benefits of the conference for students in a welcoming and connected way. To reduce student workload and better understand the effectiveness of poster-based materials, documentation shifted from casual photo-based tracking to an Installation Poster Log, allowing insights to be gathered over time on what posters are successful, where and when to inform future materials.

Complementing the research gathering approach to support future RGD awareness across Canada, a School Contact Master list supports connections with schools nationwide, helping gain insights and reach institutions that may be underrepresented within the RGD.

Student Discord Sub Committee

This SC is working to ensure the Emerging Designer Network (EDN) Discord Server is a reliable, welcoming community space. Through ongoing updates to internal roles, server organization, member access and permissions, the Discord SC is making the EDN more accessible and engaging, even during peak academic periods.

Regular engagement is encouraged through discussion and design-sharing prompts. Rather than challenges that require students to create new work, this year’s prompts invite Members to share projects they’re already working on, such as “a design you’re proud of” or “sketch to final”. This approach has resulted in increased engagement beyond the prompts themselves, with the Lounge channel emerging as an active space for professional, academic and community-driven conversations.

The Discord Sub Committee also supports Discord-based virtual events hosted by the Events Sub Committee by providing event-specific technical assistance. The Discord SC plans to conduct a channel audit of the EDN server to review channel usage, clarity and redundancy. The goal of this audit is to simplify navigation, improve discoverability and ensure a clear purpose for each channel. These insights will inform refinements to support long-term sustainability for future committees with continued collaboration between Student and Associate Committees within shared Discord spaces.

The Discord Sub Committee remains committed to building the EDN into a more accessible, supportive and valuable space for Student RGDs across Canada.

Student Events Sub Committee

This SC is actively shaping future student programming through collaborative planning and execution. Focusing on speaking directly to student needs, the committee prioritizes events that foster community, support and meaningful, student-centred engagement within Canada’s design industry.

Events SC Members closely collaborated to refine a range of initial concepts down to six core events scheduled in 2026. Beyond concept development, students collaborated on event planning, marketing strategy and visual asset creation while ensuring deliverables met RGD standards.

The first event was Re:Vision Portfolio Review Night, which took place on January 14 on the EDN Discord Server. With support from the Discord SC, Re:Vision was a successful event which sold out in three days. 12 students were booked for portfolio reviews and 20 individuals joined to listen in on the Q&A portion. Kendra notes “amazing” feedback through chat, personal messages and LinkedIn.

The Events SC plans five additional events starting with another Discord-based event, Moodboard Monday on February 9. Through strategic planning and collaboration, the Events SC continues to strengthen student connection and participation across Canada.

Moving forward

In addition to their respective SCs, Priya, Jennifer and Kendra are consistently working behind the scenes to improve the administrative Co-Chair process. These efforts aim to ensure a streamlined, accessible and inspiring platform for future Student Committee Members, Co-Chairs and invited guest speakers.

Priya Shukle Student RGD

Alberta University of the Arts

Hi! My name is Priya I'm an Indian-Polish-Canadian graphic designer with a passion for design that supports people and communities. From designs for The City of Calgary and Alberta University of the Arts (AUArts) to volunteer work as a Co-Chair of the RGD's Student Committee, I've had the pleasure of working on projects that positively impact communities locally and nationally.

Kendra Vermette Student RGD

SEELOCAL

With a non-linear approach to design, my background is supported by listening, learning, and applying. I specialize in brand-oriented work that bridges business owners of their visual communication through authenticity and humanistic approaches. From volunteering to better understand my community, to learning from mentors and peers, I ensure my work reflects my values and passions within the design field. By making meaningful strides beyond the status quo to deeply understand my clients’ needs and perspectives, I not only elevate the quality of my work but also deepen my appreciation for the design community and the people it serves. Every project I take on is an opportunity to listen deeply, connect authentically, and design with intention.

Jennifer Sutherland Student RGD

Bennett Design Associates

Jen Sutherland is a Co-Chair of the RGD Student Committee and an active volunteer in the Canadian design community. Jen works at Bennett Design, an interior design and workplace strategy firm. She’s an award-winning designer whose work has been recognized by Applied Arts, RGD, and Centennial College for excellence in design and storytelling. She’s also a forever student, having attended OCADU and Centennial College (currently studying Graphic Design)...and will likely add a few more schools and programs to that list in the future!