The bar is raised even higher!
Committed to supporting those engaged in design education, the GDC is pleased to announce the results of our National Scholarship Awards
2009 marks the seventh year of this annual competition open to student members completing or returning to continue a program of design study.
The purpose of the scholarships is to recognize emerging excellence in design achievement and encourage a desire in students to go beyond expectations as a natural progression to professional practice. These awards have been funded by some of Canada’s most well known supporters of the design industry, including Veer, Adobe, Aquent, and Applied Arts.
The panel of judges comprised of professional members of the GDC, Société des designers graphiques du Québec (SGDQ), and International Council of Design Associations (Icograda) included: Luce Beaulieu SDGQ (Montreal), Susan Colberg, MVA, FGDC (Edmonton), Rod Roodenburg MGDC, GDC President (Vancouver), Dean McNeill, GDC Past-President, MGDC (Halifax), Matt Warburton FGDC, GDC VP Communications (Vancouver) and Brenda Sanderson MGDC, Director, Icograda (Montreal). The adjudication was hosted by Spacecadet Design in Winnipeg and overseen by May Chung MGD, MGDC (GDC Vice-President Education Chair).
The criteria for eligibility was rigorous with submissions of: grade transcripts, a letter of endorsement from a design educator, a personal letter discussing their experience with design and reasons for applying, and one project that exemplifies their abilities and potential (including a description of project requirements and detailed rationale). Submissions were plentiful and the quality continues to be consistently high overall. Judges were asked to weigh all aspects of the submission in respect to cohesiveness of elements, quality of presentation, innovation and suit to purpose as well as demonstration of strong potential. This competition was initiated to provide a way to recognize Canadian design achievement and to fund deserving students to allow them to expand their understanding of the profession. The personal letters and design rationales enabled judges from different regions, backgrounds, and approaches to work to arrive at a high level of consensus
in the results.
Judges were pleasantly surprised with the quality of writing accompanying the projects, and the presentation of pieces that stood out from the rest provided some lively discussion during the adjudication process. An indication of judges' sentiments regarding this year's applicants is expressed in Rod Roodenburg’s remarks, "I was pleased to see the quality and scope of work this year in the GDC Scholarships, with an increased attention paid to sustainable practices and content related to social issues. This speaks volumes for what concerns emerging design professionals in Canada and shows that our best schools are doing their part to engage students with relevant and challenging design problems."
The purpose of the scholarships is to recognize emerging excellence in design achievement and encourage a desire in students to go beyond expectations as a natural progression to professional practice. These awards have been funded by some of Canada’s most well known supporters of the design industry, including Veer, Adobe, Aquent, and Applied Arts.
The panel of judges comprised of professional members of the GDC, Société des designers graphiques du Québec (SGDQ), and International Council of Design Associations (Icograda) included: Luce Beaulieu SDGQ (Montreal), Susan Colberg, MVA, FGDC (Edmonton), Rod Roodenburg MGDC, GDC President (Vancouver), Dean McNeill, GDC Past-President, MGDC (Halifax), Matt Warburton FGDC, GDC VP Communications (Vancouver) and Brenda Sanderson MGDC, Director, Icograda (Montreal). The adjudication was hosted by Spacecadet Design in Winnipeg and overseen by May Chung MGD, MGDC (GDC Vice-President Education Chair).
The criteria for eligibility was rigorous with submissions of: grade transcripts, a letter of endorsement from a design educator, a personal letter discussing their experience with design and reasons for applying, and one project that exemplifies their abilities and potential (including a description of project requirements and detailed rationale). Submissions were plentiful and the quality continues to be consistently high overall. Judges were asked to weigh all aspects of the submission in respect to cohesiveness of elements, quality of presentation, innovation and suit to purpose as well as demonstration of strong potential. This competition was initiated to provide a way to recognize Canadian design achievement and to fund deserving students to allow them to expand their understanding of the profession. The personal letters and design rationales enabled judges from different regions, backgrounds, and approaches to work to arrive at a high level of consensus
in the results.
Judges were pleasantly surprised with the quality of writing accompanying the projects, and the presentation of pieces that stood out from the rest provided some lively discussion during the adjudication process. An indication of judges' sentiments regarding this year's applicants is expressed in Rod Roodenburg’s remarks, "I was pleased to see the quality and scope of work this year in the GDC Scholarships, with an increased attention paid to sustainable practices and content related to social issues. This speaks volumes for what concerns emerging design professionals in Canada and shows that our best schools are doing their part to engage students with relevant and challenging design problems."
^ $2,500 Veer Scholarship: Jennifer Thai
York University/Sheridan Institute, Toronto, ON
Project: Sprouted Brown Rice Packaging
Instructor: Albert Ng, FGDC
^ $2,000 Adobe Scholarship: Edeline Bernal
York University/Sheridan Institute, Toronto, ON
Project: RAW Magazine
Instructor: Mary Ann Maruska, FGDC
York University/Sheridan Institute, Toronto, ON
Project: Sprouted Brown Rice Packaging
Instructor: Albert Ng, FGDC
^ $2,000 Adobe Scholarship: Edeline Bernal
York University/Sheridan Institute, Toronto, ON
Project: RAW Magazine
Instructor: Mary Ann Maruska, FGDC
.jpg)
^ $1,000 Aquent Scholarship: Emery Lane Norton
University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta))
Project: Re Purpose Poster
Instructor: Aidan Rowe MGDC
.jpg)
^ $1000 Applied Arts Magazine Scholarship: John A. Larigakis
Capilano University (North Vancouver, BC)
Project: WWF Campaign
Instructor: Carol Aitken MGDC
_______________________________________________
The GDC National Scholarship Awards are Canada's pre-eminent educational awards, funded by Canada's top design-related companies, and coordinated by the GDC. Since 1956 the GDC has been dedicated to improving graphic design standards and practice, in the workplace and in schools. The GDC National Scholarship Awards encourage and support students in taking their design education to a level that will better prepare them for professional practice.
Talented individuals from across Canada who are full-time students enrolled in a 2-, 3- or 4-year graphic design program, who are returning to continue their studies, and who are also Student Members of the GDC, SGDQ or RGD Ontario are invited to enter the GDC National Scholarship Awards Program.
Winners receive scholarship awards which are applied directly to their next year's tuition fees. The winning students are profiled on the GDC national website, the national newsletter, and also receive prominent coverage in Applied Arts Magazine as well as other Canada design publications.
Adobe Canada
Aquent
Applied Arts Magazine
Veer
Sponsor a GDC Scholarship: Your company can support graphic design education in Canada. Click here to request information. Design firms wishing to sponsor a scholarship award must employ at least one MGDC certified designer.
University of Alberta (Edmonton, Alberta))
Project: Re Purpose Poster
Instructor: Aidan Rowe MGDC
^ $1000 Applied Arts Magazine Scholarship: John A. Larigakis
Capilano University (North Vancouver, BC)
Project: WWF Campaign
Instructor: Carol Aitken MGDC
_______________________________________________
The GDC National Scholarship Awards are Canada's pre-eminent educational awards, funded by Canada's top design-related companies, and coordinated by the GDC. Since 1956 the GDC has been dedicated to improving graphic design standards and practice, in the workplace and in schools. The GDC National Scholarship Awards encourage and support students in taking their design education to a level that will better prepare them for professional practice.
Talented individuals from across Canada who are full-time students enrolled in a 2-, 3- or 4-year graphic design program, who are returning to continue their studies, and who are also Student Members of the GDC, SGDQ or RGD Ontario are invited to enter the GDC National Scholarship Awards Program.
Winners receive scholarship awards which are applied directly to their next year's tuition fees. The winning students are profiled on the GDC national website, the national newsletter, and also receive prominent coverage in Applied Arts Magazine as well as other Canada design publications.
Adobe Canada
Aquent
Applied Arts Magazine
Veer
Sponsor a GDC Scholarship: Your company can support graphic design education in Canada. Click here to request information. Design firms wishing to sponsor a scholarship award must employ at least one MGDC certified designer.
An outline of the annual scholarship awards programme
The bar is raised even higher!- Awards now open to GDC Student members.
The GDC VI is proud to bring you the first scholarship available exclusively to professional members of our chapter, as well as three new scholarships open exclusively to GDC VI students.
Canadian design students win big at national awards programme
Take a peek at the winners!
Read about our previous scholarship winners
Your company can support graphic design education in Canada.
Local scholarship information
