CONESTOGA COLLEGE
"Untitled" showcase presents final projects in Bachelor of Design program

Graduating students in Conestoga's Bachelor of Design program presented their innovative and creative final projects at a show called Untitled on August 15 at the Kitchener - Doon campus.

"The grad showcase is a culmination of the students' work over their four years in the program and is also an opportunity to share their thesis projects with the community," said Josh Peressotti, program co-ordinator and professor.

The thesis is an eight-month, self-directed research and visual design project that is supported by feedback from faculty, alumni and industry experts.

"Students develop a project that uses creative problem-solving and business strategy to address a contemporary issue and/or gap in the market. They are also encouraged to develop a project that aligns with their creative passions and career goals for use in their portfolio to support their next steps into the design industry," Peressotti said.

Those creative passions were on display, often highlighting issues the students were also passionate about - from combatting diet culture to encouraging men to talk about mental health.

Rachel Primeau created an awareness campaign about drowning - a topic close to her heart as a lifeguard. "It can happen in 30 seconds, which is the scary part," Primeau said.

Primeau explained that many people don't know the warning signs of drowning and preventive steps that can be taken to lower the risk, such as picking a child's bathing suit colour that doesn't disappear underwater. The campaign included posters, social media posts and a website to inform more people of the danger.

"I just thought it was very important."

Jerry Quartz used his interest in photography and photo manipulation to create an immersive virtual experience that could provide a calming escape for people struggling with burnout, especially those who may not be able to access therapy. Simply scan a code on the poster and be transported to a quiet beach, tropical rainforest or desert at sunset. "You can move your phone around in each of these scenes," he said.

Defeating diet culture is at the heart of Lauren Theal's project, which included a journal for guided reflection along with social media and online elements. Theal wanted to make something that could help people who wanted to foster a healthy relationship with food and body image.

"It really came out of my own reflections," Theal said. "What I learned was I really needed something to guide me through that."

Aidan Marsh focused his campaign on men's mental health and getting out the message that it's OK to be vulnerable and talk about feelings. "Part of being a man is also taking care of yourself."

Marsh made eye-catching images in black and white with bold yellow accents and provocative messages to capture attention and prompt men to think differently about engrained ideas of masculinity.  

"Let's change what that means just a little bit," Marsh said. "It's striking and it's polarizing - that's the point."

The projects impressed professor JD Bradshaw. As a creative director in the advertising and marketing industry for nearly four decades, Bradshaw wishes a Bachelor of Design program like Conestoga's existed when he went to school because it would have accelerated his career by years.

As someone who interviews potential new hires, the Conestoga students have exactly what he looks for in a junior art director coming into an agency: an understanding of business, strategy and media, and how to bring them all together into a successful campaign.

"It is very encouraging for the future of the advertising industry to see students of this calibre entering into the marketplace," Bradshaw said.

Conestoga's Bachelor of Design is a four-year degree in visual design with a complement of courses in entrepreneurship, marketing and management. The degree is unique in Ontario, offering students an interprofessional perspective that blends visual design, entrepreneurship, and liberal studies courses with co-op opportunities, enhanced studio space, and access to advanced technology.

The program is part of the college's School of Creative Industries.