Two students in Conestoga’s Graphic Design advanced diploma program designed a new visual installation at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) in Cambridge that celebrates the plant’s past, present and future.
Graphic Design students Estrella Turner (L) and Jaylan Cruz (R) designed a visual installation for TMMC as part of their capstone project.
Second-year student Jaylan Cruz and third-year student Estrella Turner collaborated on the design as a capstone project developed for the 2019/2020 academic year. As the North Plant shifted vehicle production in 2019, TMMC connected with Graphic Design faculty at the college to help update a mural known as the Corolla Wall at the plant’s team member entrance to better represent current and future vehicles, including RAV4 and Lexus NX. First-year and second-year students were paired into 22 teams to develop a design concept for the updated visual installation.
Teams met with TMMC in early 2020 to tour the plant and learn more about project objectives. Students then worked with faculty to develop a creative brief before independently working as teams on concepts. The projects moved through two stages of internal review before short-listed concepts were presented to TMMC by faculty. Through a process of review and edits with senior management and officers, TMMC chose Cruz and Turner’s design.
Occupying a space of 12.5 by 54 feet, the mural celebrates TMMC’s history as well as current and future production models and highlights the organization’s leadership. The installation wrapped on April 9 after a delay due to the global pandemic. Cruz and Turner were each awarded an honorarium of $1,000 for their work.
A long-term partner and supporter of the college, its programs and students, TMMC is a world-class automotive facility with manufacturing plants located in Cambridge and Woodstock. Recognized on the global stage for vehicle quality, TMMC began producing Corollas in 1988 and currently produces the best-selling Toyota RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid and the Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h vehicles with plans to expand production models to include Lexus NX and Lexus NX Hybrid models.
Conestoga’s three-year Graphic Design advanced diploma program is recognized as one of the top design programs in the province. It employs a project-based learning approach that addresses design, digital content creation, communication, inter-personal, mechanical, technical and enhanced employability skills.