Submissions are made by applicants and adjudicated by a panel of CDP Certified designers and educators from across the country. Recipients receive financial awards that are applied directly to tuition fees.
The work below is by our 2022 DesCan scholarship recipients.
This national scholarship was created through a generous donation from Mark Rutledge CPD, to support an indigenous design student pursuing an education in graphic/communication design at a Canadian post-secondary college/university. This scholarship is established in honour of Mark’s mother, Cheryl Lynn, who was his support and inspiration and who passed away in 2016.
Winner: Olivia Smreciu
School: MacEwan University, AB
“Overall, I’m continuing my education to better prepare myself for the next stage of my career. I hope that I can continue to create and share stories from new, old, and unheard voices.” — Olivia Smreciu
Judge’s comments:
“Strong illustration. I wanted MORE! That lemon? Love it. That poster had a nice creepy vibe.”
“The illustrations are very beautiful!”
Winner: Manesha Dulay
School: Wilson School of Design, Kwantlen Polytechnic University, BC
This national scholarship is awarded to a third-year student in a Canadian program whose submission has demonstrated a deep understanding of problem-solving through communication design. Created in honour of Ray Hrynkow, a respected Vancouver, BC design professional, teacher and DesCan Fellow who passed away in 2012. It is supported by Casey Hrynkow FGDC and other donors.
“I wanted to address the injustices against Indigenous people and the intergenerational trauma that is ongoing. These feelings, combined with a powerful presentation by DesCan National President Mark Rutledge on the history and future of Indigenous people regarding Residential schools, moved me with the idea of reconciliation as it brought hope back into this subject.” — Manesha Dulay
Judge’s comments:
“Excellent, understated concepting and presentation of ideas, materials and subject matter here.”
“This project was so well designed, unique and well thought out. I loved the idea of engraving the statements and facts in the wood, as a reminder of the effects of the residential school system.”
Winner: Rohail Khan
School: Sheridan College, ON
The DesCan Foundation UX Design Scholarship recognizes a promising interactive design student who exhibits passion and proficiency in the area of experience design. This scholarship encourages students to take a user-centric approach to interactive design while exploring the design process in its many forms. The scholarship is donated by former DesCan member, Ryan P. Senger.
“It’s here where my passion for UX design sparked. I found myself gravitating towards solving unique user problems while providing realistic digital solutions in web or mobile formats.” — Rohail Khan
Judge’s comments:
“Strong design thinking, research and interface design packed beautifully in presentation.”
“This presentation of the app was well designed. Very clean typography.”
The DesCan Foundation and seven Manitoba design studios have come together to provide two annual scholarships, from the Manitoba Studio Fund, to support historically marginalized students, Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour, (BIPOC), who are pursuing a degree or certificate in the field of design and design communications.
Winner: Songkyung Kang
School: Red River College, Manitoba
“I am grateful to be considered for this scholarship because it provides an amazing opportunity for me to focus on my ultimate goal — to become a role model to other BIPOC students both present and future, to demonstrate that capacity for success can be self-determined and not limited by the obstacles we face.” — Songkyung Kang
Judge’s comments:
“I was blown away by her clear and concise images. Top notch skill and craftsmanship. Her aspirations were clearly delineated in the intro letter, as were her objectives in the briefs for each project.”
“Very good conceptually. Good understanding of the principle, and colour.”
Winner: Kyungdeok Park
University of Manitoba, Manitoba
“I want to inspire people with my design and commit myself to develop a healthy environment and community, especially for BIPOC designers to help each other to improve ourselves by sharing ideas, opinions, and goals.” — Kyungdeok Park
Judge’s comments:
“Concise, good concepts, great explanations, good presentation. Reads like a proper submission.”
“I love the mockups! Everything felt tangible. Minimalist goodness. The overall design of the PDF was unified and nicely put together.”
The judges for the National Scholarships were were Andrew Boardman, Sarah Jackson, Jocelyne Saulnier CDP, Allan Lorde, Leticia Spence and Shaun Vincent. Judging took place remotely in June 2022, and was coordinated by DesCan Education Chair, Aidan Rowe CDP.
Recipients receive scholarship awards that are applied directly to their tuition fees.
The DesCan National Scholarship Awards are funded through the DesCan Foundation and are coordinated by DesCan. Since 1956, the DesCan has been dedicated to establishing professional standards and supporting design practice in the workplace and in schools.
Click here for Information about the DesCan Foundation
For information regarding DesCan scholarships or other education matters please contact Aidan Rowe, DesCan Education Chair
Want to give back to your community by establishing or supporting a scholarship to honour a designer, educator or company?
Contact Peggy Cady, DesCanFoundation Committee Chair