Banff, AB — On April 29, 2011 the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC), at its National Annual General Meeting in Banff, Alberta, honoured Casey and Ray Hrynkow with Fellowship status.    

Fellowship is awarded by the National Society to a professional graphic designer who, by accomplishment or influence, has made a major contribution to graphic design in Canada. It is the highest honour that can be bestowed by the Society and has only been granted to 64 other individuals since 1960. Casey is the 14th woman to receive the honour.

Casey and Ray Hrynkow founded Herrainco, a brand strategy + design firm in Vancouver, British Columbia in 1986. Both are graduates of the Vancouver School of Art and later Emily Carr University, they both have worked in a broad range of retail, editorial, and financial design which has fuelled their passion and love of strategic branding & design. For over twenty years this duo has produced award winning branding and design for diverse national and international companies.

Ray Hrynkow has been a Professional Member of the GDC since 1977. He began his career after graduating with a diploma in Graphic Design from Vancouver School of Art in 1977, working as a designer with Westworld Magazine in 1978. He became its art director shortly thereafter, and built the magazine’s reputation, winning awards for art direction and design. After leaving Westworld he began designing award-winning annual reports, first with MacMillan Bloedel and then with many more of British Columbia's and Canada's largest companies creating some of the most memorable work presented in the American AR100 show.

Casey Hrynkow has also been a Professional Member of the GDC since 1978, and has a design diploma from Vancouver School of Art and Bachelor of Design in Communication Design from Emily Carr University. She has been creating compelling ideas for over 25 years and has been recognized for her skill in helping her clients clarify their objectives and goals for their communications tools. Her knowledge of sociology and semiotics allows her to refine the ideas that drive effective design. Casey is currently a Sessional Instructor at Emily Carr University and BC Institute of Technology and an advisor to Applied Arts magazine.

Casey and Ray’s knowledge of design and design process has launched successful brands and communications for companies as diverse as AOL/Tegic, Aboriginal Tourism BC, City of Coquitlam, Petro-Canada, Methanex Corporation, Citizens Bank of Canada, Nisga’a Lisms Government, the University of British Columbia, Escents Aromatherapy, Granville Eyeland, and the Aboriginal Tourism Association of BC.

They have both frequently served on national design panels and judging committees, and actively volunteered to the BC Chapter executive over the years, Ray as Ethics Chair and the Casey as the Resources Chair. Ray is currently part of the Portfolio Review Committee and he and Casey are active mentors to young designers looking for GDC certification and guidance on ethics and professional best practices. They go beyond the call of duty and keep helping the BC Chapter with many of its initiatives of professional development for students as well as for seasoned practitioners. Casey single-handedly started the GDC BC blood donation drive and made the BC Chapter part of the Canadian Blood Services’ Parters for Life team, now on its third consecutive year.

Together they have been honoured with over 200 national and international awards. Within these they have received 3 Canadian Design Effectiveness awards in conjunction with the Design Exchange/Financial Post Awards in 1993, 1997 and 2001, several AR100, numerous Graphex awards and many more awards. In 1997 the firm was also nominated for outstanding restaurant graphics at the prestigious James Beard Foundation Awards in New York. Herrainco has been featured in three international design magazines; Studio 1994, How Magazine 1996 and Applied Arts in 1993, 2001 and 2005.

Notwithstanding their design achievements and their impact in Canadian design and culture, the Fellowship status bestowed upon Casey and Ray goes beyond their career achievements. It is a matter of recognizing the profound influence this couple has had on the British Columbia design community and how their commitment to design, best professional practices and community support has been a major factor to the sum of who we are as a profession and as a Society as a whole.