Award for Strategic Design
Award Sponsor: Vocabulary™
Winner: Esabelle Chen
Winning Project: Kerbee — Build Her Up
Award Sponsor: Vocabulary™; School: George Brown Polytechnic, Toronto, ON; Educator Support: Dominic Ayre RGD & Kristine Do
Kerbee is a female-run construction crew built to separate itself from stereotypical contractors by offering a modern, female-centred, human-centred renovation experience. Research revealed that what drives women away from the trades isn’t a lack of training but hostile working conditions — so Kerbee was designed to serve both tradeswomen seeking a safe, empowering workplace and homeowners who feel anxious inviting unfamiliar contractors into their homes.
A proprietary client portal app counters the industry’s reputation for poor communication by giving clients transparent access to project information, anchored by the brand promise to “listen before measuring” and the “build her up” slogan. Visually, a palette inspired by “a construction site on a sunny day” swaps hyper-masculine construction cues for a cheerful, approachable personality, reframing renovation as an exciting, creative process rather than a stressful one.
Honourable Mentions
- anew by Vachara Chhut, George Brown Polytechnic, Toronto, ON
- Align by Yuki Huang, York University, Toronto, ON
- TWO FOLD by Patricia Marinay, George Brown Polytechnic, Toronto, ON
- Fuel by Julianna Mayan, KPU Wilson School of Design, Richmond, BC
- Canada's Loudest Night in Music by Sachin Tartamella & Saba Rahimi, George Brown Polytechnic, Toronto, ON
Judges
- Alex Boland RGD, Creative Director at Vocabulary, Toronto, ON
- Erin Solano, Creative Director and Supervising Designer at The Alberta Teachers' Association, Edmonton, AB
- Shannon Tierney, Senior Graphic Designer at EY, Toronto, ON
Sponsored
