Emerging designers and students design mock projects with help of RGD mentors — Spring 2026

The RGD Project-Based Mentorship Program connects emerging designers and students with seasoned RGDs to enhance networking and portfolio development.

This article features the work of the Spring 2026 cohort of the Project-Based Mentorship Program. This program brings together RGDs and other Senior Designers with 8 or more years of experience, Associate RGDs and Student RGDs to collaborate on mock design projects. The projects featured below span multiple design disciplines, which include branding, UI/UX design, retail design and editorial design.

---

The next round of the RGD's Project-based Mentorship Program (running from November to February) will launch later this month. We are still looking for Mentors! If you are a senior creative interested in leading a project, email us. If you're interested in being a Mentor in the future, complete this form.

HARDWEAR

Credits: Andrew Elliott RGD

The team's task was simple: from the ground up, develop a visual brand for a workwear retailer that is proudly and uniquely Canadian.

From the very beginning, the team explored what it means to be Canadian: what the brand should stand for, how it wanted to be represented and how to translate those thoughts and words into visual feeling and meaning. Not just blatant or obvious choices, but answers that went beyond the obvious while staying as straightforward and simple as possible. From the colours chosen to the typeface family, every decision was shared, discussed and debated, and the first or easiest answer was not always the one chosen. The team worked together as a group, across three time zones, staying focused on producing a powerful and clean representation of a strong Canadian workwear retailer: HARDWEAR. Quality. Canadian. Workwear.

View the HARDWEAR brand.

"A really challenging and fulfilling experience. I hope that the mentees all enjoyed the process, as challenging at times as it was—it was great!" —  Andrew Elliott RGD

---

AI-enhanced digital products

Credits: Anjuli Macasinag

This project challenged its team to rethink a familiar digital product through the lens of simplicity, intentionality and AI. Rather than creating an entirely new platform or adding AI for novelty, mentees identified a specific frustration within an existing product category and explored how AI could meaningfully improve a key moment in the experience. Each mentee took an individual approach to the brief, developing their own interpretation and point of view.

Daniel's project: A privacy-first mental health experience that transforms digital footprints into abstract visual art, reducing the burden of manual tracking while helping people bring richer context into therapy sessions.

Lake's project: Monty is a context management platform for knowledge workers that helps capture, organize and visualize the files, ideas and relationships surrounding their work, so they can quickly recover context and return to active thinking without the burden of manual information maintenance.

---

Halifax Waterfront

Credits: Arun Rajendran RGD, Jessica Acevedo Castaneda Associate RGD, Stephanie Chan Associate RGD

Welcoming millions of visitors annually, the Halifax Waterfront serves as a gateway to Canada. This team was tasked with crafting a brand that celebrates Halifax's rich cultural tapestry while embracing its signature East Coast charm. Following the development of the identity, the group designed a comprehensive wayfinding system tailored to the waterfront's bustling environment.

Deep research into Maritime heritage and the unique spirit of Nova Scotia informed an expressive logo that is deeply rooted in place. A central buoy icon, forming the "I" in the wordmark, serves as a container for diverse patterns representing the various communities that define Halifax, including Mi'kmaq, Acadian, Celtic and newcomer cultures. This dynamic approach allows the brand to remain inclusive and reflective of the city's evolving social fabric. 

The wayfinding system draws direct inspiration from the brand identity to establish an immediate sense of place. While the aesthetic is driven by the new visual language, the team prioritized accessibility and best practices in typography and colour. The final solution is a scalable, intuitive system designed to guide diverse user groups through a memorable and seamless waterfront experience.

"As a first-time mentor, this program was an exceptionally fulfilling journey. I am immensely proud of the commitment displayed by Jessica and Stephanie. Despite the logistical challenge of collaborating across three time zones, they successfully navigated two significant design milestones within a 12-week window: establishing a comprehensive brand identity and translating it into a functional wayfinding system. The group remained highly engaged, demonstrating an agility in adopting feedback and a consistent ability to generate compelling creative concepts. They rapidly mastered the complexities of destination place-branding and the technical requirements of outdoor environmental design. From a mentorship perspective, this experience allowed me to refine my own leadership skills, improving how I deliver direction and establish goals that prioritize both collective effort and creative exploration. Though the initiative began as a mock exercise, the final proposal was eventually presented to the actual agency overseeing the site. The Vice President of the organization wrote in their feedback: 'I was thoroughly impressed and delighted with the level of creativity, sustainability and cohesive design-thinking the team demonstrated in their intuitive wayfinding strategy and brand identity for the Halifax Waterfront.' The team has since been invited to share their work with the Executive Leadership Team. I look forward to the project's continued evolution."  — Arun Rajendran RGD

"Participating in this program was extremely rewarding. Arun was an excellent guide and mentor. His constant flexibility, support and responsiveness kept our team inspired. Presenting our final designs to the client was a highlight of the program. Through this project, I gained valuable insights into destination place-branding and the technical nuances of designing clear, accessible sign types for dynamic outdoor environments. The final result is a beautiful system, and we are eager to share it with other representatives of the agency." — Jessica Acevedo Castaneda Associate RGD

"The last few months have been so much fun collaborating with our mentor, Arun, and my teammate Jessica, to bring this project to life. Thank you to both for their patience and guidance throughout, allowing me to broaden my technical skills, gain new perspectives and work within a discipline that I wouldn't have been able to experience otherwise. I love that Arun always encouraged us to push our ideas a little bit further, reach for a little bit more—it definitely shone through in our final product and was well worth the challenge. Working together has been immensely fulfilling and I would love to take on more wayfinding projects in the future." — Stephanie Chan Associate RGD

---

Better In Person

Credits: Blair Francey RGD, Chelsea Lecompte Associate RGD

The team was asked to develop a brand identity for the Bruce Peninsula, and did it by flipping a question most places begin with. Visitors usually want to know what a destination has to offer; this team wanted them to wonder what it could do to them instead. The objective was to get the audience wanting to be part of the place rather than a bystander to it.

The team took inspiration from how the landscape behaves. Land, water and sky have been shaping the peninsula for millions of years, and they stayed close to that: the new visual identity feels raw, but grounded. From there, they carried it into a campaign built on curiosity. Rather than listing the trails, beaches, shipwrecks and festivals, the team used the tagline "Better In Person" to leave something unanswered instead, since that gap is what makes the audience want to find out more about the peninsula. As a group, the team worked through research, positioning, visual exploration and campaign direction.

"Placebranding isn't something designers are exposed to in the early stages of their careers. This brief gave the mentees a chance to dive into what makes a place special and why people live, work and play somewhere. Translating that information into a brand platform that can be used by locals and as a tourism draw is no easy task. Placebranding requires a lot of research, but given the time constraints of this particular project, the group did an excellent job figuring out what made the Bruce Peninsula somewhere worth visiting and how to brand it in a way that someone living there could embrace while also providing a platform to build a successful tourism campaign. This was my first time being a part of this program and I've been so impressed by the thought and care that the mentees put into developing the design platform. They took the project very seriously and put a lot of thought and effort into the research and the outcome of the design. Working on a project like this while also having other commitments says a lot about the dedication of the team and their willingness to hone their craft and develop their skills. I'm really impressed by how much they were able to accomplish during our time together." — Blair Francey RGD

"Overall, this project was a challenging, valuable learning experience. It made me appreciate the intensive research needed to authentically represent a location and the people who live there. It pushed me to be more thoughtful, subtle and abstract with my approach to design instead of going for the most obvious creative decisions. Working on this also gave me a much deeper understanding of the importance of clear communication, strong leadership and establishing responsibilities early in a collaborative project. I learned that managing time effectively is especially important when working as part of a team, as delays or changes in direction can have a significant impact on the ability to bring a project to completion. I also gained a better appreciation for the importance of constructive feedback and having a clear process for making creative decisions, particularly when multiple people are contributing ideas and design work.

Despite the challenges, I am proud of the ideas and design work I was able to contribute, and I enjoyed exploring the Bruce Peninsula as a brand and thinking about how a visual identity could encourage visitors to look beyond the most recognizable attractions and discover more of the area. The project reinforced for me that successful design is not only about developing strong creative ideas, but also about building the structure, communication and collaboration needed to bring those ideas to life. It also encouraged me to look more closely at the placemaking design around where I live and places I love to visit, and appreciate all the hard work and millions of discussions that probably went into getting the final product into the world." — Chelsea Lecompte Associate RGD

---

NSL Unfolded

Credits: Daniel Esqueda RGD, Tsukasa Sakaguchi Student RGD, Lindsay Chow

NSL Unfolded explores the intersection of information design and professional sports through a match day collectible for the Northern Super League (NSL) clubs. Designed as a multi-page folding zine for the Vancouver Rise FC that expands into a full-sized poster, the project bridges editorial layout and data visualization, transforming player performance metrics, club history and career milestones into a compelling visual,  branded content project.

Tailored primarily for attending home-game fans who value the team and physical memorabilia, the publication serves as both a stadium takeaway and a tool to deepen audience connection to Vancouver Rise FC and the NSL league. Beyond the final print asset, the project reflects a complete end-to-end design methodology, managing the entire process from content strategy and data architecture through to final print production. Ultimately, NSL Unfolded demonstrates how strategic visual communication can create branded products while giving modern fans an intuitive, memorable way to connect with the game and the club.

View NSL Unfolded identity.

 

"Mentoring and collaborating with such a talented team was a great experience. Designed to simulate real-world project constraints, the process threw a few curveballs their way, all of which the team managed with agility and adaptability. The core objective went beyond traditional layout design, guiding the team through the complete editorial lifecycle: from concept development, research and copywriting to editing, layout and possible print production. Tsukasa and Lindsay brought great enthusiasm to the project, crafting a custom publication that seamlessly connects the club's brand with its audience through an engaging visual reading experience." — Daniel Esqueda RGD

"Thanks to Daniel's exceptional direction, this project became a creative experience that pushed well beyond the expected boundaries. We began with the MLS as our client. With the FIFA World Cup happening in North America, it felt like a timely and exciting brief. But when one of our team members discovered that Canadian women's soccer deserved far more attention than it was receiving, we made the decision to shift our client to the NSL, Canada's first professional women's soccer league.

Working with a league in its very first year meant there was little established history to draw from. Deciding what to include in an infographic-driven zine required significant research and content writing, which took more time than we initially expected. But because we had invested deeply in building a strong concept from the start, 'You are witnessing history,' we never lost our direction. That foundation carried us through every decision, from the folding structure to the typography to the final poster.

This project taught me that research, writing and design are not separate stages. They inform each other at every step. I also learned what it means to lead a team through that process in a second language, and to find clarity in a brief that we rewrote ourselves." — Tsukasa Sakaguchi Student RGD

"This experience allowed me to continue learning design while on summer break from school. A memorable part of the process was being encouraged to play with scale. This is something I struggle with that I was able to work on with the help of my team. Another important part of the project was thinking about how to have the zine speak to fans. Near the beginning of the project, Tsukasa shared a phrase that addressed fans directly and suggested conveying it throughout the zine. This guided our design choices and helped create a unified final product.

I am early in my design journey and learned a lot by working with designers further along in their careers. The work I contributed to the project was made possible by my team's feedback and generosity. I'm grateful for this experience and look forward to taking what I learned to future projects." — Lindsay Chow

---

Take Two Coffee House

Credits: Emma Segal RGD, Zhanna Postupaylo Associate RGD, Phan Gia Linh Vu Student RGD

To answer a brief rooted in sustainability and community impact, this team created Take Two Coffee House, a café where every drink sold contributes to a greater purpose. The team developed the concept, created the visual identity and designed a brand guide, supporting assets and a website mock-up. The project focused not only on the identity but also on day-to-day operations and how thoughtful business practices can positively impact local communities. From using only reusable serviceware to partnering with local producers and a neighbouring animal shelter, Take Two Coffee House demonstrates how small changes to daily routines can create meaningful, lasting change for people, animals and the community as a whole.

View the Take Two Coffee House presentation

Explore the Take Two Coffee House website mock-up

"Working with designers on sustainability projects is always a wonderful opportunity to see beyond what is, and instead see what could be. Each project is unique, and I always learn a lot from my mentees. It was a great delight to work with these receptive, curious designers who took on a complex and multi-faceted project with enthusiasm, and created something meaningful. They deserve tonnes of credit for balancing demanding work and life responsibilities with taking on this project to advance their skills and understanding of sustainability considerations in design. While I was the designated mentor, my role was to provide support and guidance; the work comes entirely from them, their creativity, talent and dedication." — Emma Segal RGD

"Being part of this program was incredibly valuable to me. I never realized how much thought and research go into something that seems as simple as a café brand. Emma opened my eyes to the depth of the branding and design process, sharing invaluable knowledge that will benefit my future work, regardless of the subject matter. I also learned about many sustainable services and initiatives available in Canada. The experience inspired me to rethink some of my everyday habits and make more sustainable choices for a better future for us all." — Zhanna Postupaylo Associate RGD 

"This program was a really valuable experience because I got to learn new design skills and step outside my comfort zone. Working with Zhanna was one of my favourite parts of the program. We had to deal with tight deadlines and different ideas, and learned how to  communicate, work and support each other as a team. I gained a lot of meaningful lessons from the program and am better prepared to work in the design industry in the future." — Phan Gia Linh Vu Student RGD

---

Neighbourhertz

Credits: Francisco Javier Reyes Delpech RGD, Emily Gouveia Associate RGD, Amanda Meya Associate RGD, Jessica Dela Cruz Student RGD

Our project involved developing a brand identity for Neighbourhertz, a new product of Tessera Records, a licensable EDM party for coffee shops.* The work explored how the brand could communicate its values, personality and visual voice in a clear and consistent way. Through my team's sessions, the project became an exercise in refining the brand's strategic foundation. The goal was not only to create a strong identity, but also to clarify what the brand stands for, define its voice and present it with greater intention and consistency.

*Neighbourhertz and Tessera Records were fictional clients created for the purpose of this mentorship project.

View Neighbourhertz presentation

"Leading this project was an honour. I had the opportunity to guide a group of talented emerging designers through the creative process: from strategy and direction to decisions, revisions and final delivery. I came in as the mentor, but I left feeling like I was the one who learned the most. This experience helped me understand mentorship beyond giving feedback. It reminded me that leadership is also about creating structure, asking better questions and taking responsibility for the process. I shared what I have learned through years of professional practice, but the work presented here belongs entirely to the designers who made it happen. They invested their spare time, their energy and their talent into this project. My role was to support the path. The result is theirs." — Francisco Javier Reyes Delpech RGD

"This was a fantastic opportunity to gain experience working on a design project as a team. As Student RGD Members, our experiences with branding projects in an educational setting are often independent and fast-paced. The chance to spend weeks at a time to ideate, design and deliberate what is best for a project felt like what working in the design industry could feel like. I owe the quality of this experience to my fellow designers, Jessica and Amanda. Our mentor Javier is incredibly knowledgeable, and it was an honour to work under him. Although I leave this project very proud of our outcome, I feel proudest of the process that led us to this design solution." — Emily Gouveia Associate RGD

"What I take away from this experience is the importance of process. As someone who has a passion for music, I knew choosing this project was going to be a rewarding experience, and it was exciting to bring my passion into the work. It was great to experience the process of refining my work and understanding how each round of critique brings you one step closer to the desired goal. I'm immensely grateful for Javier's guidance, and getting to work with Jessica and Emily was a great opportunity to learn from them, share ideas and see how they present their work." — Amanda Meya Associate RGD

"This was a great opportunity to work on a creative B2B project, developing both technical and conceptual design skills. That our team of junior designers came from different schools, diverse backgrounds, perspectives and strengths shaped the project. Working closely with our mentor, Javier, encouraged creative exploration and challenged our creative thinking. This experience provided a collaborative and supportive environment for us to learn from one another, strengthen our technical skills and grow as emerging creatives." — Jessica Dela Cruz Student RGD

---

Pulse

Credits: Magued Hanna RGD, Ronald Gieng Associate RGD

Pulse is a mobile-first concept that helps groups coordinate travel to major events when plans change unexpectedly. By bringing together event information, travel planning and group coordination, the project explores how UX can reduce uncertainty and help people make confident decisions under pressure.

View Pulse presentation

Explore the Pulse website mock-up

"Mentoring this team reminded me that great UX is less about designing screens and more about learning how to ask better questions. Throughout the project, I encouraged the team to resist jumping to solutions and instead spending time understanding the problem, challenging assumptions and letting research guide their decisions. Watching them evolve from individual designers into a collaborative product team, conducting research, synthesizing insights, debating trade-offs and refining ideas together, was the most rewarding part of the experience. The final prototype is something they should be proud of, but the real success for me was watching their confidence, critical thinking and design judgement grow over the course of the project." — Magued Hanna RGD

"Working on Pulse helped me understand that great UX begins with deep empathy and strong research. Turning user insights into an intuitive tool was the most rewarding part of the project. Thanks a lot to Magued and my teammates for making this project possible." — Ronald Gieng Associate RGD

---

SciSpark Explorers

Credits: Marlo Biasutti, Hannah Drennan

The goal of this project was to create an engaging and recognizable visual identity for SciSpark Explorers, a STEM camp for kids. SciSpark is all about curiosity, discovery and having a safe space to try and fail.

The challenge was to create a brand that was appealing to kids and adults alike, creating trust for parents. The project challenged the team to create a playful and energetic brand for the camp without being juvenile. The colour palette needed to be bright and inviting, while ensuring accessibility standards were met.

As well as creating the main identity, the brief required four sub-brands for the different divisions of the camp: Science, Tech, Engineering and Math. The team decided to create characters that would be the mascots for each division. These characters would let kids identify and engage with the camp from the get-go. The team also considered how the characters would be expanded upon within the camp to include other areas of learning. The final brand system is fun, memorable and adaptable to all areas of the camp: signage, print, digital and merchandise.

"As a recent graduate, this mentorship was the perfect way for me to continue learning and gain experience working as part of a team. Marlo's guidance and support were amazing. She supplied us with resources and the encouragement we needed to push in the right direction. The end product is something that I'm very proud to include in my portfolio." — Hannah Drennan

---

Rooted Together

Credits: Mairin Deery RGD, Faith Innes Student RGD, Rileigh Belarmino, Elliot Dang

The team chose a community gardening nonprofit that they called Rooted Together to demonstrate their ability to work for a mission-driven organization that needed brand, web and product thinking to work together. With an audience that spans young adults, parents and experienced older gardeners, the team needed to balance and address the interaction and accessibility needs of these diverse groups.

That breadth forced the team to make strategic decisions about voice, accessibility and hierarchy rather than designing for a single user. The subject matter is also approachable enough that no one needed domain expertise to contribute meaningfully, while carrying enough emotional and social weight to keep the work motivating. Themes of belonging, sustainability and learning by doing map naturally onto what a mentorship is trying to teach, so the content and the process reinforced each other.

Structurally, the team built the program to mirror professional practice. They opened with discovery and direction-setting before locking a brand direction, then moved into componentized design and mid-to-high fidelity execution.

Explore the Rooted Together mock-up

"It was a joy to work with young people so committed to working together to develop a project that went strategically and philosophically over and above the project brief. The team treated each other with kindness and prioritized practical efficiency over individual excellence or ego. Each team member brought individual strengths, and intentionally created a space where each other's strengths were celebrated. Their final product and participation far exceeded my expectations, and I hope they enjoyed the process as much as I did!" — Mairin Deery RGD

"A huge thank you to my mentor, Mairin, for her thoughtful feedback and guidance throughout the design development of Rooted Together! This project was especially meaningful to me as it was my first time stepping into a design lead role, while it was my third time participating in this program. I really enjoyed the opportunity to balance project management with hands-on UX work, from conducting user research to translating insights into design decisions and developing the UI to bring the final product together. This experience challenged me to grow as both a designer and a leader, and I'm incredibly grateful for Mairin, Elliot and Rileigh's support throughout the process!" — Faith Innes Student RGD

"As a recent grad, I found this program to be such a beneficial opportunity to continue my exploration with illustration and design, as well as collaborate in a team and create within parameters. Each team member had our own strengths to play to, with more interconnectedness than I had originally conceived. I produced many illustrations to add a visual narrative to the brand; later on I realized that it was a style that I might continue personally pursuing. Working with Mairin, Faith and Elliot was such a blast—every touch-base call was incredibly encouraging as our work slowly came together each week to create our wonderful final project!" — Rileigh Belarmino

"Throughout the making of this project, I learned a lot about the process of designing an app, especially how much discussion, feedback and iteration goes into it. I think the RGD has created an amazing opportunity for mentors and mentees to connect and learn from each other. I really appreciated all the input and feedback throughout the process, which helped shape the final product we have today. It was a great experience working with Mairin, Faith and Rileigh!" — Elliot Dang

---

Living in Colour: A New Language for Trauma

Credits: Rachel Simms RGD, Ariba Khayyam Associate RGD, Cathy Ye, Angela Drupsteen Associate RGD

Living in Colour: A New Language for Trauma is a mental health education project designed to make information about PTSD and CPTSD more accessible, human and inclusive. The project challenged the clinical, sterile and "one-size-fits-all" perception of PTSD and CPTSD by highlighting the diverse ways people navigate healing. 

By using expressive design, the project made "heavy" information digestible, encouraging the public to engage with, rather than avoid, the topic of trauma. Designed primarily for digitally native adults aged 18 to 35, the brand feels approachable and community-driven while remaining useful to educators and workplace leaders seeking more empathetic ways to understand neurodiversity and trauma responses. Accessibility was a key consideration, with the visual system designed to meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards. Warm, energetic colours, accessible typography, abstract shapes and illustrations create a supportive visual language without relying on stereotypical representations of mental illness.

The project includes a responsive visual identity, an interactive one-page landing page with infographic content, a myth-busting social media series and comprehensive brand guidelines. Together, these elements create a cohesive platform that transforms trauma education from something clinical and intimidating into something engaging, understandable and community-oriented.

Explore Living in Colour: A New Language for Trauma mock-up 

"Participating in this program was an immensely rewarding experience. Guiding mentees through the design process was a privilege, especially since we were spread across different time zones. Despite this challenge, the team collaborated seamlessly and exhibited genuine passion for the project, often wanting to explore advanced ideas beyond the original scope. Helping them channel their enthusiasm, while ensuring we met the required outcomes and also allowed room for their ambitions, was one of the most fulfilling aspects of the process. Witnessing designers grow through an experience like this is what makes mentorship so gratifying. It's not just about the final product; it's about the lessons learned along the way." — Rachel Simms RGD

"This program is both informative and supportive in ways that are difficult to replicate in a traditional academic or work setting. It meets you at your current level while constantly pushing you to produce work that is cohesive, intentional and professional. What made this experience exceptional was the collective ownership everyone felt for the project. When the people around you are truly invested, it naturally compels you to show up more fully as well. Rachel's guidance was invaluable, moving us beyond surface-level thinking and helping us bring a concept to life with depth and intention. The combination of accountability, expert perspective and collaborative momentum created an environment where we evolved not just technically, but professionally. I am grateful for this experience and will carry both the insights and skills gained here into my future endeavours." — Ariba Khayyam Associate RGD

"As a graphic design student, collaborating with fellow designers on a meaningful mental health project was an incredibly valuable experience! Taking the project from concept to completion challenged me to ask thoughtful questions while strengthening my skills in brand identity and landing page design. Learning from my teammates and receiving feedback from our mentor, Rachel, gave me actionable insights that I can carry into my future work. Seeing the creativity and quality of my teammates' work also inspired me to continue learning and developing into a more well-rounded designer!" — Cathy Ye

"Participating in this program gave me the opportunity to apply my design skills to a personally meaningful project while collaborating with other emerging designers. I really enjoyed working alongside my team and learning through the process of developing a project from concept to completion. Our mentor, Rachel, provided thoughtful feedback and was always available when we needed guidance. The experience helped me grow as a designer and gave me a greater appreciation for the value of mentorship, collaboration and community within the design industry." — Angela Drupsteen Associate RGD

The RGD's Volunteer Committee that organizes the Project-Based Mentorship Program:

Logan Chapman RGD, Angela Drupsteen Associate RGD, Cess Idul Associate RGD, Rupsha Mutsuddi Associate RGD, Samiksha Makhijani RGD and Preet Soni Associate RGD