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The RGD is proud to announce 7 finalists for our first-ever ULTRABOLD Awards, celebrating Canadian designers 35 years of age or younger making an impact in our community.
Each finalist receives a $500 cash prize, RGD Membership for 2 years, free attendance at DesignThinkers for 2 years. A winner will be announced as part of this year's virtual DesignThinkers with a video produced by Storia Photo + Video.
The initial plan was to have only 5 finalists but given the quality of the many entries we received, the judges made the decision to award 7 finalists. Thank you to Mosaic, Fusion Design Group and Pound & Grain who are covering the cost for 5 finalists. The funds collected from the sale of Designers Supporting Designers t-shirts have enabled us to provide prizes to two additional finalists. We thank everyone who provided their support!
The 2021 Awards will open for submissions in February 2021. Please email if you are interested in becoming a supporter of this program.
Finalist 1: Loren Aytona Arena, Vancouver
Loren’s work is a delight to the eyes and the heart! She understands how tomake the content compellingly effective and empathetic on any visual platform. With just two main ingredients, her sophisticated taste in design and the sense of passion in her work, she brought life to every piece she submitted. This is brilliant. Bravo! - Fadi Yaacoub
from brand identities and social media content, to research reports and large-scale exhibits. She is a relentless problem-solver and an imaginative thinker. Her design approach is inquisitive, empathetic and always joyful. She adores collaborating with subject matter experts, researchers, writers, marketers and creative folk of all stripes. Her passion and expertise lies in supporting research, educational and public service programs through graphic design. Her information design work has been showcased internationally – with permanent exhibits displaying in museums in Vancouver and Toronto, United States and Iceland. It is her hope that when people engage with her designs, they walk away with a better understanding of the world, themselves and issues around them.Finalist 2: Logan Brazeau Provisional RGD, Peterborough
Design can basically be boiled down to two things: Concept and Craft. In 2020 however, it is harder than ever before to achieve both of these things on a consistent basis. Logan seems to have found a way to do it. In his work I see a high level of sophistication in both his ideas as well as his execution. - Dave Watson
Finalist 3: Lin Oosterhoff Provisional RGD, Calgary
Lin's work is at once approachable, elegant, understated and interesting which together make for uniquely fresh identities and frameworks for future expression. - Ian Grais RGD
Born and raised in the Netherlands, Lin’s design aesthetic has always been influenced by the Dutch design — characterized as minimalist, experimental, innovative and quirky. Lin blends these bold, hard edges with Canadian thoughtfulness to create design concepts that are beautiful, meaningful and full of stories. The majority of her work has been created for brands and people that are like-minded and draw awareness to the community, environment and outdoor culture. By providing her skillset, Lin has managed to amplify the voices of artists, outdoor enthusiasts and book publishers locally and internationally.
Finalist 4: Mustaali Raj, Vancouver
At a time when our industry is struggling to come to terms with the Western European aesthetic that has governed our stylistic tastes, Mustaali's work stands out for its quality and effectiveness in ways quite apart from the traditional industry mindset. Cultural expression is not always a safe or appreciate space in the mainstreams of design. However, I hope other young designers will see that it is appreciated and that there is great value in exposing design from non-dominate cultures to new and wider audiences. Mustaali's work most definitely identifies him as Ultrabold! - Angela Bains
Finalist 5: Ronald Tau RGD, Toronto
When packaging design achieves object quality! Dynamic and fresh, Ronald’s work stands out as an irresistible blend of Eastern and Western cultural influences creating something completely new. Challenging category conventions, the work has impact and a rawness that inspires intrigue while maintaining relevance for the product and target group. His work is concept-driven and well-executed with a brave typographic exploration, strong sense of colour and appreciation for materiality. We look forward to seeing Ronald’s work develop and his contribution to a new generation of Canadian design. - Susanna Nygren Barrett
As a Chinese Canadian, Ronald's path of enquiry has always been about embracing the crossroads between east and west, both in terms of aesthetic form, cultural context and societal values and connotations. He strives to foster communication and truth in different cultural contexts through his work, to facilitate communication and cultural exchange between different cultures. In his work, this is achieved by a direct and somewhat classical typographic approach. Ronald strives to create a the tone of the typography that bridges languages and brings together a unified voice. He believes that design has the ability to inspire positive change and surprising intersections of culture. If design is created with values of simplicity and honesty and timeless form and aesthetics, it becomes a powerful and positive channel of dialogue.
Finalist 6: Paul Twa Provisional RGD, Edmonton
Constraints like expanding an existing visual identity can feel limiting to some designers. Not Paul Twa. He successfully used illustration to build robust visual platforms and add vitality to two established brands. A standout finalist - Howard Poon
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Finalist 7: Jay Wall RGD, Toronto
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