Students in the Graphic Design program at St. Clair College get to try their hands at all sorts of different projects but they have never had the opportunity to put their skills to the test on something that moves so fast.
A Graphic Design student works on their race car wrap design as part of their Agency Design class on Jan. 17, 2025. (Nick Kuipers/St. Clair College)
The third-year Graphic Design students were approached with an idea by recent graduates Joline Driedger and her boyfriend, Nathanial Greenaway, who is a racecar driver in the Ontario Sportsmen Series.
"In my eyes, the car design is very important in any form of racing, as on the track, the design, for us drivers, is our identity," said Greenaway, who bears the number 93. "We want something that represents us, but also represents our partners as well."
"The design gives young fans something to cheer for as a lot of kids cheer for the racer they think looks the best. Us drivers take pride in our wrap design, as it's with us all season long and we show it off every chance we get," Greenaway said.
The pair cooked up the idea of having students design Greenaway's 2025 race car wrap.
"The race car wrap project came to be on a random day driving into work," recalled Driedger, who now works as a graphic designer at Impact Graphics and Signs in Chatham. "I was reflecting on my time in school and all my projects, thinking of any design ideas towards vehicles and remembering that there wasn't a project that specified in vehicle graphics."
"Later that day, I pitched the idea to Nate, and he absolutely loved the opportunity for the students and to involve the College," she said.
St. Clair Graphic Design professor Nick Kuipers said the students in his Agency Design class jumped at the opportunity.
"This is a very unique project and one that our students don't normally get the chance to experience," said Kuipers, noting the students immediately bought into the task.
Agency Design is a six-hour class which is delivered on the same day. It was introduced a few years ago to help prepare students for their internships and their first job in the industry, emulating the demands of a real-world design job.
Students were given the assignment at the beginning of class and had the entire day to complete it, with both Driedger and Greenaway in attendance to introduce the project, answer questions and provide feedback throughout the day.
"Our students rose to the challenge and I, along with our new clients, were very impressed with the level of work that was achieved," said Kuipers, who adds 26 students submitted a design.
"We were very impressed by what the students submitted. Every student was creative in their own way. It was a challenge for us to choose our top five and it was an even more of a challenge to choose our winner," said Driedger.
The winner is now chosen, but they are keeping it under wraps until a special vehicle unveiling in the near future.
"As a professor for the last 25 years, it gives me great pride seeing our graduates succeed in the industry," said Kuipers. "Even more, I love seeing them foster relationships with the next generation of designers. Every year at our annual grad show the place is filled with our graduates offering support, advice, and jobs to our most recent graduates."
Greenaway, from Tilbury, Ont., is excited to unveil his 2025 car wrap, and said working with students on the design was an honour.
"Not only am l a former Saint, but I get to see the passion in the students' eyes for design that I get when I drive the race car," Greenaway said. "Sharing my passion for racing with others makes doing what I love even better, because racing is also about family."
"And the winning entrant will now be a part of the Greenaway Motorsports Family."
