Calling all creative industries high school educators — Are your students curious about creative careers? Bring them to CapU! Are you interest in digital media and technology? If so, we’d love for you to share this exciting opportunity: CapU’s NEW Interaction Design Diploma!

Meet second-year student, Charis Catotocan (IDEA BDes Grad 2027)! Her first-year self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.

“Admittedly, the first year felt like a sudden shove into the water... However, the more I worked with my peers and found comfort in the deep end, the more I realized we were all in the same position: anxious and afraid, but relentlessly pushing our way to the surface... Whether the tides are unforgiving or calm, I will continue pursuing the passion I love most, design,” writes Charis.

Read Charis’ story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.

Caleb Tsai, a 2025 Bachelor of Design (BDes) graduate from IDEA School of Design, has achieved significant recognition in the design industry. He won the 2024 Applied Arts Student Award, was shortlisted for the 2024 ADCC Student Awards, and received an Honourable Mention in the 2024 RGD Award for Advertising Design. These accolades were awarded for his project titled “Good:Morning,” showcasing his talent and creativity in the field of design.

Good: Morning is a mentorship project with Alex Bakker (IDEA Grad 2014).

Check out this multiple award-winning student mentorship project!

Taught by Christina Lee Kim Koon and Elyssa Schmid, the Digital Music Festival project invites students to create and promote a bespoke music festival through a consistent design system that makes noise!

Check out this story!

Cassie Valenzuela Poon (IDEA BDes Grad 2025), a student from the IDEA School of Design at Capilano University, has won an Honorable Mention at the prestigious Graphis New Talent Award 2024 for her Orbit Centre Logo Design.

Cassie is one of six IDEA School of Design students recognized at the 2024 Graphis New Talent Awards, which celebrate the innovative work of students and emerging creative leaders worldwide.

Check out this award-winning student project!

Meet third-year student, Louis Yau (IDEA Grad 2026)! His first-year self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.

“IDEA School of Design stood out to me the most for producing the most ‘industry ready’ graduates compared any other school in the Vancouver area,” writes Louis.

Read Louis’ story and check out some of his other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.

Anya Ali Mulzet is an 18-year-old artist and first-year student in the Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication program at IDEA School of Design, Capilano University.

In this student spotlight, Anya shares their passion for art, which began in childhood, and their love for music, movies, and video games like Stardew Valley. They highlight their experiences in their first term, including an oil painting project where they painted their best friend and a memorable photography field trip to Lonsdale Quay that helped them bond with classmates.

Check out this student spotlight story!

Chris Rodgers and Kyle Rask (IDEA Grad 2025) partnered up as Humble Hound Creative. Check out this story and some of their recent design work!

Natasha Lee, a 2024 graduate from the IDEA School of Design at Capilano University, has won the prestigious 2024 Graphis New Talent Silver Award for her “Commit Offal Meats” branding and design project. This project targets adventurous carnivores interested in reducing their diet’s environmental impact by promoting offal consumption. The design combines bold copy with humorous illustrations, using a red and white colour scheme to balance the graphic nature of butchery with a sense of cleanliness.

Her project, which focuses on branding for offal meats, demonstrates her ability to tackle unique and challenging design briefs with creativity and skill. This accolade not only celebrates Natasha’s individual success but also brings recognition to the IDEA School of Design as an institution that nurtures top-tier design talent.

Check out this award-winning student project!

JJ Eng, a 2025 graduate from the IDEA School of Design at Capilano University, has been awarded an Honorable Mention at the 2024 Graphis New Talent Awards for their typography and design project, “Decipher - Spoken Word Festival.” The project, which involved creating a brand identity for a music festival, included posters, social media posts with motion design, and an interactive augmented reality experience. Inspired by redacted and fridge magnet poetry, the design features a modular font and abstracted slam poetry scorecards, capturing the spirit of a young, discerning audience.

JJ is one of six IDEA School of Design students recognized at the 2024 Graphis New Talent Awards, which celebrate the innovative work of students and emerging creative leaders worldwide.

Check out this award-winning student project!

Meet third-year student, Maren Brophy (IDEA Grad 2026)! Her first-year self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.

“IDEA has been a transformative experience for me so far. My skills have grown substantially. I can’t wait to see what’s in store,” writes Maren.

Read Maren’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.

Congratulations to Neeka Yazdani (IDEA BDes Grad 2026) for winning the Top 10 in the CAPIC Rodeo 15 student contest for Illustration with “Escapism” (shown above).

Many congratulations to Capilano University's IDEA School of Design students who continue to dominate the CAPIC student awards in illustration!

Check out this award-winning student illustration project!

Meet third-year student, Neeka Yazdani (IDEA BDes Grad 2026)! Her first-year self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.

“I have been pushed beyond my creative limits and discovered new talents with them and it is so helpful to learn about all the different career paths I can achieve with the skills I am learning... I would recommend including a range of mediums in your portfolio,” writes Neeka

Read Neeka’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.