“I knew I would return to school for graphic design, but I didn't think it would be now,” shares Jennifer Sutherland, a student in our online Graphic Design program. Balancing family responsibilities with two young kids alongside in-class instruction seemed like an unrealistic undertaking to Jennifer. “If I committed to school, I wanted to ensure I could succeed,” she explains. That is until she discovered the program she is in today.
“When I realized Centennial College had a full-time graphic design program online, I knew this would be my school,” she says. “Attending class remotely and working on my own time fits my lifestyle. I work weird hours because my kids take priority over school, but the online platform lets me access the materials I need and communicate with my classmates anytime.”
Jennifer first discovered graphic design while working in a small marketing firm, where she explains she had direct exposure to her graphic design colleagues and their responsibilities on each project. “I liked how they contributed to the artistic aspects of projects. Once I decided on a career in design, I looked for opportunities in my next job, and they let me take on some design work within the company,” she says. “Moving into a full-time design position without education was challenging, so I knew I would eventually return to school.”
Equipped with an interest in graphic design and motivation to pursue an educational path in this industry, finding the program that worked best for her lifestyle and schedule was the final piece of the puzzle. Jennifer's decision to enroll in our Graphic Design program, despite the unexpected timing, was a testament to her unwavering determination, and while currently in her second year of the program, this step has proven to be a particularly rewarding journey, as she was awarded the Student Award for Editorial Design Cover/Spread—Series at the 2023 Applied Arts Awards by Applied Arts Magazine.
THE PROCESS OF CREATING HER AWARD-WINNING WORK
What started as a project turned into a submission to the Applied Arts Awards that eventually made its way into an award-winning piece. How did it get to this incredible conclusion? Jennifer was tasked with a semester-long project in her Editorial Design class to create a magazine. Gil Martinez, a Professor in our Graphic Design program who teaches this class, shares, “Students must research their market, create the content, develop the design for the magazine, and produce print-ready files at the end of the semester. Because it teaches so many foundational skills for the discipline, it is a challenging class with a steep learning curve.”
Although Jennifer submitted her magazine’s cover for the award, it was the steps required of her for the project that helped lead to creating the cover in the first place. “My professor, Gil Martinez, requested a clear creative brief for our magazine's focus. His questions helped create a solid foundation for this project and led me in the direction I took for the cover,” Jennifer shares. “I started by imagining the team behind the publication and building an internal story about how and why the magazine existed. Creating detailed character stories helps me focus, especially when the topic could be too broad.
Jennifer's imaginary story was about an independent magazine that achieved new success, granting them access to a budget for full-colour print. “The exterior cover features abstract shapes masking and revealing a classical portrait below. The cut-outs reveal a woman's smile, and as you flip the cover back and forth, the abstracted forms change her facial expression, making her come to life,” she shares. “An illustrator I admire, Lindsay Stripling, taught me to always reward a thoughtful audience in my work. The fluctuating smile in this publication is my reward to those paying attention.”
Evident in Jennifer’s design is a laser-cut cardstock cover, which she notes would be very expensive to produce in the real world. “Luckily, in school, my budget had no limits. This is a good tip for design students—let your imagination run wild when no one is asking, how much will this cost?”
Reflecting on Jennifer’s work, Gil shares, “There were two things about how she approached this project that impressed me. First, instead of the list of sources provided for imagery, she reached out to the copyright owners of one image she wanted to use and secured written permission to use the photo. Second, she asked if she could specify a special execution (laser cutting) for the cover of the magazine when the possibility was not part of the assignment. In other words, she went above and beyond the assignment description to make the magazine match her expanded vision rather than the more basic requirements of the assignment.”
He adds, “Jennifer is a terrific student and has the three qualities that I think are necessary in a great designer: creativity, an eye for detail, and solid organizational skills. She is a good design thinker, meaning she approaches graphic problems methodically and in steps, tests her work, and then refines it based on what she learns.”
WINNING THIS AWARD
“To be acknowledged with the award was really a gift. It's nice to know that others see your work and value it, especially in juxtaposition to the other incredible entries. The best part of winning was sharing the news with my young kids and watching them get excited for me,” Jennifer shares.
After hearing about the award from her professor, Peter Robertson, who shared the award submission link and previous award-winning submissions with the class, Jennifer submitted four projects she worked on. She explains that while the win for this particular project is great, she is prouder of the fact that she had four presentable projects to submit.
“I say this to encourage others to focus on something other than winning, on doing work you are proud of. Don't worry if your projects win awards; focus instead on doing work to the best of your abilities. Do work that if someone asked, did you do this? you would confidently answer yes. If a project reflects this effort, it is worth sharing with others. People will notice your enthusiasm, care and love—that's what to aim for,” she says.
The professors at Centennial know their industry well and are passionate about teaching. Their commitment to being enthusiastic about design helps prepare students for successful careers. If you enjoy learning about design, you’ll enjoy working in it; at least, that’s what I gather from successful designers that have come before. The teachers reflect that industry enthusiasm well, which makes it easy for us as students to be passionate about learning design. - Jennifer Sutherland
HOW THE PROGRAM PREPARES STUDENTS FOR THEIR CAREERS
Real-world, hands-on experience is one of the key components of each program at the School of Communications, Media, Arts, and Design, and the Graphic Design program is no exception. “I think the Centennial Graphic Design program is unique because it gives students a solid overview of design as a professional practice. It empowers them to find the information they need when they need it, and I believe that we prepare them to hit the ground running when they leave the program,” Gil shares. “From my conversations with other faculty and with students, I know we are also preparing them to adapt effectively in what is an ever-changing industry.”
Jennifer acknowledges that graphic design is a unique field of study, as students entering the program will have a range of artistic skills. However, she encourages students new to graphic design to embrace the skills they have to develop design solutions that are uniquely their own. She also emphasizes the importance of collaboration and supporting classmates with feedback, especially those entering the program who are already strong in some design aspects. "Design school is collaborative; sharing your work, asking for help, and providing feedback should always be part of your experience," she says.
Jennifer adds, “I want to thank all the educators who have adapted to teaching virtually. The platform is undoubtedly different from the traditional classroom, and I'm sure that comes with challenges. Many students choose online learning because this is our best option for success. Thank you for your willingness to teach over digital platforms and for helping us overcome classroom barriers so we can participate.”
Congratulations, Jennifer, on this outstanding achievement! We look forward to following your graphic design journey.
Article by: Alexandra Few
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