Welcome to the Design Loop Roundup, Issue #5. This online space is dedicated to sharing, celebrating and collaborating on all-things-design.
Every few weeks, we compile highlights of the breadth of activity that takes place at the Wilson School of Design, and we are always reminded…there’s a lot to share!
We are a small but mighty design school and are continually inspired by our students, faculty, alumni and industry. Thanks for following us, and be sure to subscribe!
In This Issue
- Upcycled Design Competition – Round 1 Winners
- Degree Advisor – “Ask Me Anything” – March 1
- Apparel Camp – March 4
- Fashion Marketing Event – March 23
- Coffee with President Davis – March 30
- Big Pictures – May 5-7
- Alumni Spotlight
- Info Sessions
- Peer Mentor’s Instagram Takeover
- Spotted On Social
Upcycled Design Competition – Round 1 Winners
This year’s Upcycled Design Competition kicked off with some incredible student submissions. The panel judges reviewed all Round 1 entries and on February 17, announced the Top 10 Round 1 submissions, who will now move forward to the final round.
The Upcycled Design Competition is a partnership with Our Social Fabric, a local textile recycling initiative. This year marks the 4th consecutive design competition and the competition seeks to combine reclaimed materials with the skill and expertise of KPU’s design students to demonstrate the viability of transforming fabric/material waste into upcycled design concepts. Our goal with the competition is to create awareness of Our Social Fabric’s efforts and inspire the many talented, emerging designers at the Wilson School of Design.
In the spirit of this year’s theme, “Protopia”, eligible participants will create a 3-dimensional design using recycled textiles and found objects. The term Protopia (attributed to futurist Kevin Kelly) commits to a better world. We know that Utopia is perfect (and therefore impossible to attain) and Dystopia is an intolerable concept. Protopia is about making today better than yesterday.
The criteria are simple. Transform fabric/material waste into an upcycled design that expresses an idea of how to make the world a better place. Protopia, by it’s nature, looks to achievable, incremental changes that can improve our world. Concepts include but are not limited to: garments, soft products, art pieces, interior design products, creative packaging, zero or minimal waste designs, to name just a few ideas.
Top 10 Winners
- Emma Juhala – Fashion & Technology, 2nd year
- Eren Berg – Fashion & Technology, 1st year
- Evelyn Wang – Fashion Marketing, 2nd year
- Hana Story – Fashion & Technology, 3rd year
- Joshua Swanson – Interior Design, 3rd year
- Mehdi Abbasi & Elise Charpentier – Fashion & Technology, 1st year/2nd year
- Nina Rozin – Fashion Marketing, 1st year
- Rachel Denison – Fashion & Technology, 1st year
- Samantha Spencer & Nilvia Rojo – Product Design, 1st years
- Victoria Chew – Fashion & Technology, 2nd year
Stay tuned to get sneak peeks of these students’ concepts, development of their submissions and their inspiration!
To learn more about the 2023 Upcycled Design Competition visit our event page here.
Need fabrics or supplies? Visit Our Social Fabric.
In Their Own Words
We believe in a future where no usable fabric ends up in Canadian landfills. Our Social Fabric is a non-profit fabric recycling initiative, selling donated fabric and fibre arts supplies online and in-person. We keep ‘waste’ fabric out of landfill by getting it into the hands of the fibre arts and slow-fashion community.
Shop with us for apparel fabric, quilting supplies, notions, patterns, new-to-you sewing machines and so much more! We have so many beautiful and unique deadstock fabrics and sewing materials to share with you. We add new products several times a week.
Our Social Fabric
Design Degree Advisor Hosts “Ask Me Anything” Booth
Wednesday March 1, First Floor – Grand Staircase
- 9-11am and 12-3pm
Design students are invited to drop by degree advisor Gerri’s Ask Me Anything booth! Have questions about summer course options or maybe you’re looking ahead to plan for Fall? Gerri is here to help any and all Wilson Design students. Spin the wheel to win some sweet WSD swag! Catch Gerri’s cameo on the Peer Mentor Takeover?
Apparel Camp
March 4th
ApparelCamp Vancouver is a user-driven, collaborative “unconference” for people who work in the apparel and soft goods industry. The one-day event brings together passionate people who are interested in collaborating to share insights, learning best practices, and networking with other top professionals in Vancouver’s apparel and soft goods industry. The Wilson School of Design is proud to once again sponsor the upcoming Apparel Camp conference. This year’s event promises to be chock full of interesting speakers and breakout sessions, and with iconic keynote speakers such as fashion historian Ivan Sayers, this event will sell out fast.
Tickets available here.
Learn more about the event, schedule and speakers here.
Future Fashion Marketers of 2023
March 23, from 4:30pm to 7pm / Wilson School of Design
The 2nd year Fashion Marketing students invite all to attend their year-end event. Experience the curated work of graduating students and network with industry professionals. Pick up a few new finds at the Pre-Loved Clothing Sale, with all proceeds going to Aunt Leah’s Place.
Coffee with the President – Richmond Campus
Thursday March 30th, 2023 11:00 am – 12:00 pm
Join Dr. Davis at an upcoming Coffee with the President event on the Richmond Campus. You can ask him a question about KPU or just get to know him better.
Light refreshments will be provided.
Please rsvp to president@kpu.ca
Big Pictures Conference
May 5-7, 2023
Artwork is increasingly appearing in unexpected places in Metro Vancouver – on unsold advertising billboards, in transit stations, on walls of commercial buildings – as part of a growing movement to add art to public spaces.
Hodgkinson and fellow graphic design instructor Erin Ashenhurst are lead organizers of a new academic conference taking place at the Wilson School of Design (WSD) at KPU May 5 to 7. Big Pictures: Murals, Billboards, and Urban Interventions, will bring together art and design experts from both academia and industry to discuss the role of imagery in the built environment.
With keynote speakers, presentation panels, digital projects and walking tours, the Big Pictures conference is the first of its kind for WSD, KPU’s interdisciplinary design school that offers seven programs, including four bachelor of design degrees.
It’s these moments of encountering imagery in unexpected places — this is exciting in Vancouver. It asks you to experience this young city as a site of possibility, of creative potential.
Carley Hodgkinson, program chair of graphic design for marketing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU).
The conference is a way for students to discover more about the urban landscape outside of the classroom, and for the Wilson School of Design to embrace its growing role in research and interdisciplinary academic study.”
Big Pictures will examine the development of imagery in the landscape – and how designers are actually contributing to making culture, adds Hodgkinson.
“This idea of murals, billboards and urban interventions, I think our students sometimes think that they are other to that process, but in fact they are engaged with it and can create that community-based culture.”
Keynote presentations from a pair of dynamic Vancouver-based visual artists are in store for the conference’s opening day. Elizabeth Zvonar, who works with mixed-media collage and sculpture, and Sandeep Johal, whose practice includes large-scale murals, will speak at an evening event that will appeal to a wide audience of students and anyone with an interest in art and design.
Day two of the conference will feature several panel discussions, in which attendees from a wide range of creative and academic focuses, as well as industry representatives, are invited to share their work.
On day three, conference participants will have the opportunity to take part in two custom-curated guided walking tours in Vancouver that will showcase examples of murals, public art and architecture in the West End and Downtown Vancouver.
There’s been a cumulative effect of more and more imagery in the public space. As a pedestrian, how does that visual evidence of individual agency influence our experience of the built environment, a space that would otherwise seem to exist beyond our control?
Erin Ashenhurst, Faculty of Graphic Design for Marketing at Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU)
WSD graphic design students are also involved in the design of Big Pictures, having been challenged to create mini mural festival themes as a response to their walking tours of Vancouver Mural Fest. Their work is featured on the Big Pictures conference website.
The conference builds on the design school’s growing capacity for research and industry partnerships. In October 2022, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) announced a $1-million grant to assist the Wilson School of Design to establish an applied design research centre to meet the innovation needs of industry partners.
Tickets to Big Pictures can be purchased for one or more days, and range from $35 to $125. For a full schedule and ticket information, visit the Big Pictures Eventbrite page. For information about presenting at the conference or submitting a video for projection, visit the Big Pictures website.
Chelsea Nielson—2015 Fashion & Tech Grad
Manufacturing Project Manager, Arc’teryx—Congratulations on your 9 year anniversary!
Jackie Frydenlund—2022 Interior Design Grad
Interior Design & Project Coordinator, AllSPACES Design & Management—Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary!
Eyshr Sahota—2018 Product Design Grad
Senior Product Designer, Firetech Manufacturing—Congratulations on your 4 year anniversary!
Lauren Corrado—2019 Interior Design Grad
Congratulations on your newest position as Interior Designer at Mosaic Homes!
Natasha Bajwa—2018 Fashion & Technology Grad
Congratulations on your newest position as Product Development Coordinator, Danica!
Chris Chang—2016 Graphic Design for Marketing Grad
Graphic Designer/Art Director, Skunkworks Creative Group—Congratulations on your 5 year anniversary!
Cathy Do—2021 Fashion & Technology Grad
Product Operations Manager, Revol Undies—Congratulations on your 1 year anniversary!
Mackenzie Gooch—2014 Foundations in Design & 2018 Graphic Design for Marketing Grad
Designer, Free Agency Creative—Congratulations on your 4 year anniversary!
Alyssa Scott—2020 Interior Design Grad
Congratulations on your appointment as Designer, JV Design Group!
Erika Watson—2022 Fashion & Technology Grad
Congratulations on your new position as Assistant Product Developer, Lululemon!
Denia Cárdenas—2020 Technical Apparel Design Grad
Graphic Designer & Social Media Manager, Bushido Enterprises—Congratulations on your 4 year anniversary!
Peer Mentors Instagram Takeover
Early in February, our Peer Mentors hosted an Instagram Takeover that featured a variety of tips, little known facts, resources and favourite spots on campus. They shared some great insights! Watch the video below.
We love to follow the online posts of our students, faculty and alumni. Here’s a few really cool posts!
Product Design and Canadian Coast Guard
“The challenge is “How to extricate victims from cold water.” This is one of the main responsibilities of the Canadian Coast Guard . Students are learning about hypothermia and how to position the victim to get them from the water into the vessel, safely and quickly, for rewarming and medical care. The coast guard has a range of vessel types and sizes, so the 2 teams of students will design solutions the work for the crews and the different vessels: the Fast Response Craft (smaller) and the Hovercraft – both require the design solution to integrate with existing systems on the vessel. What you see here is what I like about teaching : the experience, on site, the demonstrations, learning from crews with senior and new staff, all incredibly skilled at what they do. I also like seeing the students join in the hands on demos, onboard, pulling crewmembers from the water… getting a feel for the context. Over the next few weeks their learning will result in concepts and many prototypes that will get tested and improved with the input of these experts. Stay tuned… Thanks to the crew at Sea Island” Product Design Instructor & Researcher, Sue Fairburn @granitegirl18
Interior Design On The Town
“A great site visit today @mott32van with 4th year students. A big thanks to Robert for hosting us.” Mark Pritchard, Interior Design Faculty
Fashion Marketing Out And About
“Love field trips! Thanks @jimmychoijinwoo for capturing us in action! Marketing show and share, use farm voice to highlight portable classrooms aka offline retailers! First year Fashion Marketing students out exploring flagships and branding on West 4th! Pop up ideas, potential locations and building respect for community.” Sharon Greeno, Fashion Marketing Faculty
