Amanda DeVries RGD designs the 2025 Certification Sticker with the concept of learn the rules, then break them
Written by Amanda DeVries RGD, Eye Candy Design
With the start of 2025 comes new beginnings and a new Certification Sticker for Certified RGDs. Amanda DeVries RGD shares her insights and the creative journey involved in designing this year's sticker.
There's no denying it: designing something for the most discerning crowd, other designers, is a daunting task.
On the other hand, every time I sat down to work on this, it felt like a nice change from the usual client work, what with its heavy briefs and specific goals and such.
As a result, working on this project led me to many places and ideas. I wanted to incorporate a sense of myself and what I'm drawn to in a way that others would find themselves in.
I flitted between my saved posts from this matchbox labels feed, the wonderful references to be found at Canada Modern and this classic logo book immortalized on Flickr.
There was a brief embarrassing spell when I was designing for 2024. I don't know where my mind was then!
I remember it being such a relief when Aaron Draplin once shared his artboards on one of his videos: I remember thinking, "Wow, that looks as messy as mine!" And for this project, my artboard was no less constrained.
I've always loved the concept of "learn the rules, then break them." So, when presented with the brief that the Sticker must contain the words "RGD" and the year at least once, one of my initial thoughts was how to extend this idea as far as possible.
From this place came the idea of the border repeating "RGD." At this point, I was committing to the idea of an "undesigned" design, so the asymmetry of Roman numerals really appealed to me.
And while I'm known for my use of colour, I sincerely don't mind those situations when I'm asked to work within a constrained palette, as is the case with our Certification Sticker. This time, I leveraged the three-colour palette to introduce proportion and texture through the use of a pattern.
I'm excited to share this with the design community, as it is a place where I can truly find like-minded souls and feel like myself, as I do with this year's Sticker.
This initiative has welcomed designs from RGD Members across Canada over the years, including:
2024: Elana Rudick RGD in Quebec
2023: Raj Grainger RGD in Toronto
2022: Matthew Clark RGD in Vancouver
2021: Xandr Sutjiadi RGD in Calgary
2020: Rod McDonald RGD in Halifax
2019: Jennifer Weaymouth RGD in Toronto
2016: Goodall Integrated Design in Toronto
2015: Design de Plume in Sudbury
2013: Phil Mondor RGD in Kitchener
Amanda DeVries RGD
Eye Candy Design
Amanda DeVries is the principal and creative director of Eye Candy Design, a boutique branding and packaging design firm that creates fresh, iconic work for food and beverage companies. She has nearly 20 years experience as a brand consultant, art director and graphic designer. Amanda spent the first 10 years of her career in Ottawa, where governmental agencies kept her busy but not terribly inspired. In 2010, her family moved to southwestern Ontario to start an organic vegetable farm and this presented her with the opportunity to work directly with entrepreneurs and business owners. She also enjoys sharing her knowledge through various teaching gigs and mentoring younger designers. She is the mother of 3 children who share her love of good food, vintage shopping and travel.
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