Skip to main content

2019 Student Award Winners

Congratulations to our 2019 Student Award-winners

Clear Space Award for Story-telling
Winner: Mohit Gupta

Winning Project: Storytime

The product is aimed to be used in a hospital/clinic setting by doctors or nurses for children. Storytime is an app that transforms existing picture books into immersive storytelling experiences. The app allows children to tag along with their favourite characters and unfold the journey together. The VR experiences are designed in a way so that patients are not required to move around and can watch the story from one place.

Award Sponsor: Clear space; School: York/Sheridan Joint Program 

Honorable Mentions: 

Judges:

Advertising/promotional material for #Runnerds campaign for Brooks. It features a blue shoe over a red/orange background and large 3D type that says "When you pass a runner while driving. Ultimate jealousy."

52 Pick-Up Award for Typography
Winner: Judith Aldama

Winning Project: #Runnerds

Brooks is perceived as old-fashioned and out-of-date. I chose to embrace their retro vibe with an 80s inspired typographic treatment without making them feel like they are out of style - it's about embracing you and showing it off.

Award Sponsor: 52 Pick-up; School: Alberta University of the Arts

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

  • Sarah Di Domenico, Partner, Creative Director at Wedge, Montreal
  • Nick Monteleone, Principal at 52 Pick-up, Toronto,
  • Kevin Moran RGD, Designer at Kira Systems, Toronto
  • Linna Xu, Principal Designer & CEO at Studio Wulf, Toronto
Horizontal Signage that reads "Dont Let Social Media Alter You", placed on an interior wall near an elevator door

Gravity Inc Award for Social Good Design
Winner: Patrick Carter & Reid Plaxton

Winning Project: CAMH: Altered

Social media isn't going anywhere any time soon. As it becomes more integrated into our daily lives, its potential for having a negative impact on our mental development grows considerably. We wanted to raise awareness of this and promote self-reflection amongst those who may be worried about their social media usage and how it makes them feel about themselves.

Award Sponsor: Gravity Inc; School: Humber College

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:


Five (5) mobile phones showing different screens of the Adidas Unite app

john st. Award for Strategic Design
Winner: Stefany Bakelaar

Winning Project: Adidas Unite

I created a prototype of an integrated app and gave it to people to test. This ensured that the prototype helped answer the brief. I used geolocation and gamification to provide insight and ease of use for these users, and gathered research from parent groups to ensure the app was safe and trustworthy for this age group to use. My explorations, research, and iteration testing led to my solution, which I then communicated through a case-study video.

Award Sponsor: john st.; School: George Brown College

Honorable Mentions:

  • Haluka Yagi, Capilano University (Braille Literacy Canada Annual Report)
  • Jordan Yep, Elena Hsu, Kristina Kim, Elizabeth Lo, Macguire Rintoul, Isabelle Soares, Simon Fraser University (Vancity MyCredit), 
  • Theresa Carbonaro, Durham College (Stories. Art. Design. - Magazine Reimagined)

Judges:

Multiple mobile phone devices showing different pages from the redesigned Wynn Las Vegas & Encore Resort App

Quarry Award for UX Design
Winner: Kori Skeffington

Winning Project: Wynn Las Vegas & Encore Resort Mobile App Re-Design

Using the primary and analytical research, personas were created to represent the users this product is being designed for. This helped to understand and empathize with those who might engage with the product, who might benefit from using it, and to also ensure that multiple user groups were taken into consideration.

Award Sponsor: Quarry; School: York/Sheridan Joint Program

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

  • Michael Palmer, Executive Creative Director at Quarry, St. Jacobs
  • Richard Plantt RGD, Senior Designer at SchoolBundle Inc., London
  • Peter Pimentel, Design Director at Engine Digital, Vancouver
  • Daria Shepelenko, UX Manager at Canada Post, Toronto


Black and white photo of a woman skateboarding in a skating rink, tinted with red and pink colours with the Rosedive brand

Zync Award for Concept Development
Winner: Charmaine Cheng

Winning Project: Rosedive

Rosedive was created because I wanted to empower girls during a vulnerable point in their lives. I decided to create a skateboarding school because skateboarding is an incredibly male-dominated sport, and it felt like a great space to try to disrupt and make waves. The basis of the concept is the juxtaposition between femininity and grit. Every touchpoint of Rosedive aims to challenge the preconceived notions that girls are weaker or lesser than.

Award Sponsor: Zync; School: Capilano University

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

  • Tim Hoffpauir, Creative Director of Design at Cossette, Vancouver
  • Robin Honey RGD, Brand Consultant, London
  • Marko Zonta RGD, Principal & Creative Director at Zync, Toronto

screenshot of Jonathan Collie's portfolio website landing page

.design Award for Self-Promotional/Personal Website
Winner: Jonathan Collie

Winning Project: Jonathan Collie's Portfolio Site

My recently rebuilt portfolio site is designed to express bits of my personalty and passion for design. The site speaks to potential freelance clients or employers, allowing them to preview my work. Alongside my work I walk through some of my design process, helping to explain the 'why' behind my work.

Award Sponsor: .design; School: Conestoga College

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

Side by side comparison of the previous Edmonton Nordic logo and the redesigned version by Peter Elima

Tony Jurgilas Award for Logo Design
Winner: Peter Elima

Winning Project: Edmonton Nordic Ski Club Logo

The refreshed logo aims to represent winter sport, the Nordic, and the community that it builds. The logo is made up of multiple repeated lines which represent the track skiers create on the snow. The vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines mimic the corner of a snowflake, while the uniqueness of its form can be compared to patterns of a Nordic sweater. The lines intersect because this represents how Edmonton Nordic connects people through winter sport.

Award Sponsor: Tony Jurgilas; School: University of Alberta

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

  • Tony Jurgilas RGD, Principal & Design Strategist at 50 Carleton, Sudbury
  • Monica Martinez RGD, Principal & Creative Director at Monolab Design, Ottawa
  • Amanda Schutz CGD, Owner & Creative Director at CURIO STUDIO at Edmonton
Access Design event information booklet front and back covers

BOLD Award for Accessible Designn
Winner: Valery Marier

Winning Project: Access Design

I decided to create an event information booklet for an accessible design lecture series called Access Design that would use English, French, and English Braille. My goal was to create a scenario with which the three languages could play off of each other in an aesthetically interesting yet non-intrusive manner.

Award Sponsor: Bold; School: York/Sheridan Joint Program

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

Five (5) mobile phones showing different screens of the Adidas Unite app

Entro Award for Placemaking Design
Winner: Stefany Bakelaar

Winning Project: Adidas Unite

I was challenged with breaking down the physical and mental barriers that stop girls from being a part of the sports world. adidas unite is a mobile community set on breaking down the barriers that keep girls from being a part of the sports world. Using geolocation technology, gamification, and real community leaders, the service breaks down mental and physical barriers to encourage girls to find their confidence by joining, and staying, in sports.

Award Sponsor: Entro; School: George Brown College

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

Three (3) White Raven Beer bottles shown side by side, with an overlayed large illustration of a white raven

Greenmelon Award for Packaging Design (Single)
Winner: Lily Tiffin

Winning Project: White Raven Beer

My main goal was to create a beer package that catches the eye with detailed illustration and unique, hand done typography. The biggest challenge was to make sure that the illustration did not overpower the type, or vice versa, and that they flowed together seamlessly. To achieve this, I illustrated the ravens beak holding the w, as well as using the claws of the bird to highlight the alcohol percentage and volume of the bottle. As well, I kept the ravens design somewhat minimalistic, forgoing shading or grey tones to create simplistic, stark line work that stands out against the matte black bottle...

Award Sponsor: Greenmelon; School: Conestoga College

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

Three (3) Vancouver Folk Festival posters side by side, displayed on an outdoor wall

lg2 Award for Print Design
Winner: Jominca Engelbrecht

Winning Project: Vancouver Folk Festival Poster

The challenge was to create a poster that highlights folk music’s rural roots as well as evoke the atmosphere the music creates. This was achieved through the imagery of the moths flying around the light bulb, which represents the friends and family that initially gathered around the fire to sing folk songs. There their music was lively and intimate; and even today you can’t help but be drawn to the music. The type reflects the mood with the typewriter slab serif that echoes to another space in time.

Award Sponsor: Ig2; School: Capilano University

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:


Multiple shots of the Overfishing information brochure

Pivot Award for Information Design
Winner: Hillary Chen

Winning Project: Overfishing

In order to design for the target audience (children), I took inspiration from children’s books and animated movies to create illustrations that serve a purpose. The statistics and information use ocean imagery to display the data in a fun and enticing way. The app uses motion and interactions that are simple to use but make learning about overfishing more approachable. I selected the font GT Pressura to pay homage to the "fishermen aesthetic" as it's reminiscent of type found painted on boats or in fishing towns. To balance out the title I chose a more round and clean font for the body text. The color palette is inspired by the soft pastels and colour found in fishing towns and colors that complement blue as the ocean was a big component of the project.

Award Sponsor: Pivot; School: York/Sheridan Joint Program

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:


Still shot of the "You Are Here" book trailer video

Forge Media + Design Award for Motion Design
Winner: Luxvna Uthayakumar

Winning Project: You are Here

You are Here is a book trailer for Thich Nhat Hahn's book of the same name. The trailer embodies the calmness of the self-help concepts that are described by the Buddhist monk, through simple yet abstract audio and visuals. It was imperative to create a trailer that described the words of the monk through abstract means, rather than literally...

Award Sponsor: Forge Media + Design; School: York/Sheridan Joint Program

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:


various Zafrane Spice & Tea products displayed diagonally

q30 design Award for Brand Design
Winner: Charmaine Cheng & Jominca Engelbrech

Winning Project: Zafrane Spice & Tea

Zafrane is a Moroccan inspired spice and tea shop that focuses on delivering authentic products and experiences. The brand focuses on welcoming newcomers into Moroccan culture, which is why the logo is based off of the silhouette of a door. It symbolizes Zafrane's owners inviting newcomers into their homes, and showing them a glimpse of Morocco through cuisine. Inspired by Moorish architecture and design, I also created a patterning system that anchors the brand’s visual language.

Award Sponsor: q30 design; School: Capilano University

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:


Saintly Flavours products and packaging displayed on a grey background

Shikatani Lacroix Award for Packaging Design (Series)
Winner: Bonggu Kang

Winning Project: Saintly Flavours

Saintly Flavours is a gourmet food gift set to be sold in the deli section of high-end shops. Along with the trend that food and the act of eating have become fashionable, the inspiration for the project comes from 2018’s Met Gala fashion theme of Catholicism.

Award Sponsor: Shikatani Lacroix; School: LaSalle College Vancouver | Applied Arts & Design School
Honorable Mentions:

Judges:


Custom illustration for the Firetold website by Valeriya Kim

The Works Award for Visual Web Design
Winner: Valeriya Kim

Winning Project: Firetold

My goal was to spark interest in the truth about the Indigenous culture and fight prejudice. The name of the website comes from the idea of bonfire storytelling. Bonfire associates with being welcomed and invited which is suitable for the target audience - the newcomers...

Award Sponsor: The Works; School: Capilano University

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:


Your University Rebranded Student Welcome Package booklet cover and flat spread

Zulu Alpha Kilo Award for Advertising Design
Winners: Holden Kao, Carson Young, Yasmin Mukino Livia Widjaja, Mirabelle Wang

Winning Project: York University Student Centre Rebrand

Straying away from visually expressing ‘design and tech’ in clichés, the event booklet and website display the theme through an abstract approach by consisting the main design elements of a unified pattern created by custom typography juxtaposed with different textures of circular elements. The design follows a theme of unity through consistency: each language has its own distinct characteristics through typographic contrast of weight and form.

Award Sponsor: Zulu Alpha Kilo; School: York/Sheridan Joint Program

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

  • Ryan Booth RGD, Creative Director, Design, at Zulu Alpha Kilo, Toronto
  • Amanda Phillips RGD, Art Director at Generator, Thunder Bay
  • Pamela Rounis, Associate Creative Director at Rethink, Vancouver


Multiple editorial publications layed open on a flat surface, and a hand browsing through the pages

Workhouse Award for Book Design
Winner: Charlotte Latraverse

Winning Project: The Embrace Project

The Embrace Project explores how storytelling and photography can be tools to help women feel sexually empowered. It is primordial for the photographer to let each participant choose how their body is being photographed, and therefore, tell their story. The photographer wants to rethink the concept of the subject-object in order to make her subjects active in the creation process of her images.

Award Sponsor: Workhouse; School: OCAD University

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

Control OS printed poster that reads "The average person checks their phone 150 times a day. Why do we do this?" "Are we making 150 conscious choices?" "--Tristan Harris"

Premise Award for Promotional Web Design
Winner: DoHyun Kim

Winning Project: Control OS

Smartphone addiction is affecting thousands of kids and adults to the point where it negatively affects their life, both mentally and physically, and that's because smartphones are designed to be addictive. Control OS eliminates distractions and gives users the push they need in order to untether themselves from the phone. It's intentionally designed to look bland and have an unintuitive user experience.

Award Sponsor: Premise Award; School: York/Sheridan Joint Program

Honorable Mentions:

Judges:

On the left, the "EatTogether" wordmark. On the right, two mobile devices showing previews of the app.

Milestone Integrated Award for Digital Marketing Design
Winner: Candice Zhou, Leah Wei, Cheston Sin, Ian Orden

Winning Project: Eat Together

Eat Together creates a new way of meeting new people through partaking in the communal eating experience. To solve the problem of loneliness, you can join a group or club if you’re really keen on a particular topic.
 Attend a networking event or social gathering in attempts to find one meaningful connection. Or like most people, download a socializing app for a specific type of relationship like dating.

Award Sponsor: Milestone Integrated; School: York/Sheridan Joint Program

Honorable Mentions:

Judges: