Two recent Conestoga graduates have been honoured with Awards of Specialty from the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD). Jonathan Collie and Lily Tiffin’s work were among the 950 submissions from design students at more than 30 post-secondary institutions across Canada.
2019 Bachelor of Design graduate Jonathan Collie was honoured with an RGD student award of specialty for his online portfolio.
Collie, a 2019 Bachelor of Design graduate, received the .design Award for Self-Promotional/Personal Website for his online portfolio. Developed throughout his studies, Collie’s site features clean layouts and detailed descriptions of each project and allows visitors to navigate design work with ease.
“My final graduation portfolio site is strategically designed to speak to potential freelance clients and employers, allowing them to sample my projects and discover the critical thought that goes into my work,” said Collie. “The site is a culmination of the work and skills that I have developed throughout my studies.”
This marks the second year in a row that Collie has received an RGD student award of specialty for his work. Last year, he received the BOLD Award for Accessible Design for his ONGuide Transit App, an accessible digital wayfinding service that allows users to navigate the Ontario transit system with ease and confidence.
“I feel grateful to have my work recognized by the design community for a second time and to have received valuable feedback from industry professionals,” said Collie. “The practical, hands-on knowledge, as well as the research skills that I learned in my program, are what I feel led me to these wins, and I’m proud that work from Conestoga and the college’s relatively new Bachelor of Design program is being recognized alongside work from other established design programs across the country.”
Tiffin’s design for White Raven Beer earned top marks in the Greenmelon Award for Packaging Design (Single) category. Created with detailed illustration and hand-drawn typography, the beer package features a raven with stark line work that stands out against a matte black bottle, ensuring the illustration and type achieve a seamless flow. Tiffin is a 2019 graduate of the Graphic Design program.
Submissions were reviewed and scored by a panel of industry experts. Collie and Tiffin will each receive $1,000 cash prize with their award.
Judges also awarded honourable mentions to several other Conestoga students and recent graduates:
- Tanner Garniss-Marsh, Graphic Design program - Greenmelon Award for Packaging Design (Single)
- Aleksandra Isakov and Haily Gao, Graphic Design program - Pivot Award for Information Design
- Anna Moriarty, Graphic Design program - BOLD Award for Accessible Design
- Nick Stevenson, Bachelor of Design program - BOLD Award for Accessible Design
A full list of student winners is available through RGD.
RGD sets professional standards for more than 4,100 registered Canadian design practitioners including firm owners, freelancers, managers, educators and students. Those permitted to use the RGD designation have met industry standards that include specific levels of education and experience.
To learn more about Conestoga’s Bachelor of Design (Honours) program and Graphic Design advanced diploma program, visit the School of Creative Industries.