A campus space that was appropriated for a modular classroom/meeting space for media arts students and faculty was in desperate need of interior design and functionality planning. The brief was to design graphic artwork that would feel trendy, but also keep the space feeling modern for years to come. 

The college got its start in the 70s, so I thought it might be fun to give a nod to that. The use of the chevrons in the school's logo has worked well in past college design initiatives so I chose that for the theme. The original Canadore Logo was round, with chevrons in the centre and the type “Applied Arts and Technology” in a circle around it – this is now the official seal for diplomas/certificates. The original logo was redesigned by the Marketing-Design Department in 2011 and introduced to the Canadore Community in 2012. The redesign went from 7 chevrons to 5 chevrons. The .ca was added to the logo a few years after – which is our present logo. 

 

The colour palette has both a functional and aesthetic balance. The space is used for conducting interviews and other camera work and the feature wall serves as a backdrop. Research and interviews conducted with the TV / Broadcasting program coordinator showed that red and blue communicate well on camera. I also brought in the colours of new Steelcase furniture for the room. Further to a broadcasting studio, the space is also used as a modular classroom, large event/meeting space and for various student training and social activities. 

 

 

Having defined the theme and the colour palette, the design process went very quickly. The approval process was tiered, beginning with my boss, the Associate Dean, then Marketing, then the President's office. Approval was unanimous with no changes to the artwork. 

 

 

Feedback on how the feature wall design has dramatically improved the space has been overwhelming. It helps the space feel more modern and adds an interesting spin on the otherwise white/red/photography branding typically leveraged by Corporate, while not detaching from the college communications completely. The interviews and other live shows that have been shot in the space look great as well. 

 

 

The artwork is so beloved that it is now being reproduced and installed in two additional spaces in the media arts department. 

 

 

 

 

Eryn has successfully worked on and delivered various stages of a design/production lifecycle. From brand, campaign, signage and point-of-sale, to team leadership, supplier management and everything in between. With a keen mind for user experience and customer decision making, Eryn enables clients to visualize design operationally, as well as throughout their customer-facing efforts. She has won and delivered national creative and campaign messaging for McDonald’s, Home Depot, Infiniti, American Express, Liberal Party of Canada, Thornbury Cider and more. After an 8-year stretch in Toronto, Eryn has returned to her home town of North Bay as Technologist/Part-Time Professor at Canadore College in the Graphic Design Program. 

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