Sara Nguyen (IDEA21) wins the 2019 GDC Foundation Ray Hrynkow Scholarship

Many congratulations to Sara Nguyen (IDEA Grad 2021) for winning the 2019 GDC Foundation Ray Hrynkow Scholarship for “Cheers: Craft Sparkling Water” brand identity.

“The Cheers logo (shown above) is influenced by linocut illustration style. Whenever someone drinks the sparkling water, they can pop open a bottle and say cheers!”

— Sara Nguyen (IDEA Grad 2021)

Cheers Sparkling Water from left to right: Spruce Tip & Blackberry, Cedar Bark & Huckleberry, Big Leaf Maple & Salmonberry

Cedar Bark is the wise old soul of the group and Evergreen Huckleberry is the ultimate free spirit that goes at their own pace. Together, they balance each other out and create a refreshing tartness.

Big Leaf Maple stands out from the crowd with his colourful personality and Salmonberry fades into the background but has his own unique sweetness. When they come together, they bring out the sweetness in each others' flavours.

Wild Spruce is the friend that doesn't hold back what she says, but always has your back, while Trailing Pacific Blackberry is the underdog that is always fighting against invasive species. They support each other and create a distinctive, earthy flavour.

Cheers Sparkling Water is a fictional brand situated in BC focused on sustainable growth through the community. They believe growth is rooted in the celebration of the land of which they came from, the community they laugh with, and the roots that nourish them. That is why they infuse the most natural ingredients native to BC to flavour their sparkling water and raise a toast to all they hold dear.

The design reflects on the forging and hand-crafted culture of Cheers. With spot illustrations and custom typography that integrate the linocut technique, the packaging highlights Cheers playful and unique personality and lets it stand out against other commercialized sparkling water, making it more approachable. To convey the brand’s heart for the community through the product, the back panel contains the brand story and fun descriptions that personifies the drinks’ ingredients into everyday people in the community which consumers can imagine and relate to.

It was a challenge to take elements from the rough, gritty nature of the forging and hand-crafted culture but still keep the sparkling water looking clean, refreshing, and modern. In the process of figuring out how to balance the colour, various graphic elements, and text, many revisions, and an entire direction change was made before I landed on this current design. The white space was emphasized and the one-of-a-kind typography was created to showcase the brand's point of difference. The subdued colour palette chosen was to keep the flavours looking natural. And the illustrations were pushed back and done as a spot UV coating to add another layer of interest and visual communication for the flavour profiles, but keep the layout remaining clean.

“During a time when information is constantly flooding our view, we as consumers can only afford to focus on things that we can immediately resonant with. That’s why I always strive to convey to the target audience the voice and story which every brand contains, in hopes that the lives of the people it reaches might be made better or easier.”

— Sara Nguyen (IDEA Grad 2021)

Sara Nguyen
Bachelor of Design Program
Capilano University
North Vancouver, BC
Project: “Cheers: Craft Sparkling Water”
Instructor: Dominique Walker
Course: Branding IDES 249

Judges’ comments:

"I thought the research and strategies presented were very clearly communicated, thorough, and well-considered. "

"Really tight response: well-considered branding, product design, package development and labels."

“This course introduces students to the field of brand identity by following the process of a branding assignment as it would typically be handled in a design studio or advertising agency. Students are guided through the process from creative brief through strategic framework to logo development and design of a variety of marketing materials. Presentations are conducted in a simulated “real world” environment.”

— IDEA School of Design

About the GDC Foundation Ray Hrynkow Scholarship

This national scholarship is awarded to a third-year student in a Canadian four-year program whose submission has demonstrated a deep understanding of problem-solving through communication design. The Scholarship was created in honour of Ray Hrynkow, a respected Vancouver, BC design professional, teacher and GDC Fellow who passed away in 2012. It is supported by Casey Hrynkow FGDC and other donors.

One step away from joining the professional ranks, the promise of the design talent in Canada is demonstrated by the recipient providing great design for social innovation and sustainability in a robust package with a strong rationale and supporting research.

For all the winners, see gdc.design.