Graphic design students from across Canada submitted an exceptional body of work to the 2012 GDC National Scholarship awards competition. 2012 marks the 10th anniversary for the annual competition, which is open to students engaged and continuing in graphic and communication design studies at post-secondary institutions in Canada, and who are also student members of the GDC, SGDQ or RGD Ontario. The winning entries are reflective of a national representation and demonstrate high calibre cross-platform design solutions that encompass social responsibility, innovative thinking and strong communication design skills.

The motivation behind the national scholarships is to support emerging talent and encourage students to expand their potential in their development towards professional practice. These awards have been generously funded by some of Canada’s leading partners in the design industry, including Veer, Adobe and Applied Arts.

GDC Fellows, Ray and Casey Hrynkow created the Ray Hrynkow Scholarship through the GDC Foundation, shortly before Ray's passing earlier this year. This new national scholarship is for the thinking designer, honouring Ray Hrynkow’s professional career and his creative philosophy of intelligent design and commitment to best practices.

The entries were ambitious and the criteria for eligibility rigorous, and as a result the adjudication process was challenging. Students were required to submit grade transcripts, a letter of endorsement from a design educator, a personal letter discussing their experience with design and reasons for applying, as well as one project that exemplified their abilities and potential (including a description of project requirements and detailed rationale). These criteria enabled the judges to carefully consider the entire student experience related to each project and select the winners. The Ray Hrynkow Scholarship was awarded based on special criteria to "the thinking designer".

The panel of judges, all certified graphic designers (CGD) from throughout Canada, included practitioners, educators and industry leaders: Jennifer Luckay CGD (Yellowknife, NWT), Jim Hudson CGD (Moncton, NB), Larry Burke CGD (Halifax, NS), Michael Maynard CGD, FGDC (Fredericton, NB), Brenda Sanderson CGD, (Montreal, QC), and Ana Herrera CGD (Edmonton, AB). The adjudication took place in Moncton, NB and was overseen by May Chung CGD (Halifax, NS), past GDC National Vice-President, Education, and Karin Jager CGD (Surrey, BC), GDC National Vice-President, Education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ $1,000 Adobe Scholarship: Alex Tench
Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
Project: Sustainable Cities: Affluenza. Guerrilla marketing campaign.
Instructor: Vida Jurcic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ $1,000 Adobe Scholarship: Henry Slaughter,
Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
Project: 24 Years of the Michael Jordan Sneaker Legacy. Information design.
Instructor: Karin Jager

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ $1,000 Applied Arts Magazine Scholarship: Alexis Young
Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
Project: The City Farmer.Think Dirty. Promotional campaign.
(also pictured at top of article)
Instructor: Karin Jager

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ $1,250 Veer Scholarship: Pascal Lefebvre
Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, QC
Project: Literature Series: Albert Camus, Ideas on the Absurd. Book Cover design and packaging.
Instructor: Louis Gagnon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ $1,250 Veer Scholarship: Stéphanie Turgeon-Girard
Université Laval, Quebec City, QC
Project: Jardins Van den Hende, savoir-vert. Branding project.
Instructor: Pier Tremblay

 

 

 

^ $500 Ray Hrynkow Scholarship: Cheryl Loh (Click to read Hrynkow scholarship article)
Emily Carr University of Art and Design, Vancouver, BC
Project: CEWIGO: The Centre for Women in Governance. Branding project.
Instructor: Chris Hethrington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ Honourable Mention: Caitlyn Neufeld
Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC
Project: Locate: Tracking the environmental impact of personal food choices.
iPhone app.
Instructor: Vida Jurcic

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^ Honourable Mention: Dorothée Cadiot
International Student (France), Université Laval, Quebec City, QC
Project: Jardins Van den Hende, savoir-vert. Branding project.
Instructor: Pier Tremblay [Dorothée Cadiot worked with Turgeon-Girard in developing this brand identity project, but the committee was unable to offer her the scholarship because she is an international student studying  in France in 2012.]

---

The GDC National Scholarship Awards are Canada's pre-eminent educational awards founded in 2003, 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.

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
Applied Arts Magazine
Veer
GDC Foundation: Ray Hrynkow Scholarship

Sponsor a GDC Scholarship: Your company can support graphic design education in Canada. Design firms wishing to sponsor a scholarship award must employ at least one CGD certified designer.

To make a donation to the Ray Hrynkow Scholarship Fund or to find out more about the GDC Foundation, visit http://www.gdc.net/about/foundation.htm.