Rachel Caelum (IDEA Grad 2025) loves critiques but putting her work out there makes her a little nervous each time
Meet first-year student, Rachel Caelum (IDEA Grad 2025)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“I first came across the IDEA School of Design by stalking the multiple class Instagram pages. I love the environment the cohort creates, it’s allowed me to come out of my shell more and grow with like-minded individuals. Getting to try a little bit of everything before choosing your focus area makes a strong multifaceted creator who can keep up in the ever-changing industry.”
Read Rachel’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into first-year student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Self-Portrait
I wasn’t really sure how to approach the self-portrait assignment. This was a challenge as I don’t often take pictures of myself so I wasn’t sure how or where to start. I put on a playlist of songs I really like and then went outside just after sunset and started taking photos. I made a mood board of images I found that I liked and tried to emulate the general theme from there. After taking the photo and photoshopping in some newspaper clippings, a couple of doodles, and a grain filter I was done. I didn’t have a particular message I was trying to get across through the photo, but when I make a piece I can usually remember what I was listening to at the moment I was making it. So by some backward means, I managed to capture something personal about myself at that moment, even if I’m the only one that knows it.
Self-portrait mood board by Rachel Caelum (IDEA Grad 2025)
“The Assignment” by Jay Bassan, Instructor
Create a mood board visualizing your Passion, Super Power, Values, Purpose and differentiation (students can use any medium for this).
“The Goal” by Jay Bassan, Instructor
To have students think clearly about how to imagine themselves as a brand and use their final self-portrait as an expression of that. This becomes one of the more interesting projects since it happens near the end of class and students are now comfortable enough with the camera.
I remind students that similar to sketching, where you decide where to put the pencil, pen, or mouse to compose your drawing, where do you put the camera to capture a moment or tell a story?
I get some interesting work.
Experience so far in first year at IDEA School of Design
So far I’ve really been enjoying the environment at IDEA! The work is challenging me in different ways, and the cohort environment allows me to get peer feedback easily along with people I’m now comfortable sharing my work with. I love the environment the cohort creates, it’s allowed me to come out of my shell more and grow with like-minded individuals. Everyone is so nice and willing to help in any way they can!
Featured Work
Oil Painting Portrait
This was without a doubt the most time-consuming project I’ve made so far. My sister was nice enough to pose for this portrait project in our Survey & Principals Illustration I class. I’m not familiar with oil paints so struggled a little, but overall had fun with this project. I think I got the same amount of paint on my carpet as I did on the canvas but this project introduced me to a new medium that I want to continue to explore in the future.
‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald Book Cover Design
For the book cover design assignment in our Survey & Principles of Design II class we had to take a classic novel, in this case, ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and re-design the cover. There are many re-designs of The Great Gatsby already out there, so I wanted to try a completely different direction than what I remembered reading in my 10th grade English class. I took a modern approach with a blue monochrome silhouette of a flapper with gold art-deco-inspired embellishments to capture the glamour of the roaring 20s.
Conceptual Poster based on Wes Anderson’s ‘Bottle Rocket’
This is also a project from our Survey & Principles of Design II class. The goal was to create a conceptual poster based on a film. I decided upon ‘Bottle Rocket’, Wes Anderson’s directorial debut. I’ve been meaning to watch this movie so I used this project as an excuse to see the film. I also used this project as a challenge for myself. I didn’t want to rely on a face or figure as I tend to do. So I used iconic items from the film that represent larger ideas or moments central to the theme and feel of the film. I ended up really liking the result and want to continue exploring this style and push myself to try new things.
Why did you choose IDEA School of Design over other schools?
I first came across the IDEA School of Design by stalking the multiple class Instagram pages. I was really impressed with the work of current and past students. Ultimately, the fact that you get a really well-rounded educational experience was something I found really valuable. The program gives a strong foundation in branding, illustration, and interactive design. Getting to try a little bit of everything before choosing your focus area makes a strong multifaceted creator who can keep up in the ever-changing industry. This is something I really value and continue to appreciate as I progress through the program.
“The Bachelor of Design program at IDEA School of Design is a 4-year degree program with an enduring reputation for industry-prepared graduates. We are a career-oriented program for the next generation of creative professionals, with concentrations in branding, illustration and interactive design.”
Advice for those considering applying to IDEA School of Design
Don’t stress yourself out too much! Applications can be a nerve-racking experience so start early and don’t leave it to the last minute. I used videos I found on the IDEA blog that gave examples of previous successful portfolios. The Bachelor of Design program gives you a taste of everything so try and show off a variety of skills and mediums. Most importantly a good portfolio gives the viewer an idea of who the artist is. Make work that you love and work that inspires you to create. As vague as it sounds, personality really shows through in a portfolio and can help differentiate your work from others applying. Just making a portfolio is a great achievement so be proud of your work regardless!
“The purpose of your portfolio is to demonstrate your creative potential. We assess portfolios on drawing skill, design and creativity.”
“Breakthrough Moments” at IDEA School of Design
It’s hard to pick a particular moment but within every project, there is a challenge or moment that once I figure out is what I consider the breakthrough. Generally, with each project, I’m pretty hesitant to show my work. I love critiques but putting my work out there makes me a little nervous each time. It's something I'm continuing to work on, but every time I put myself out there is a little breakthrough moment for me.
What’s your favourite music video?
I don’t really have a favourite music video, but Glass Animals - Hazey (Live in London) is the video I’ve been watching a lot recently. I love anything by Glass Animals, they fit so much story and meaning into anything they create and I’ve spent way too many hours decoding and reading into their work. This isn’t their most impressive video visually as it’s a live recording but I’ve been watching it a lot as it’s the closest I’ll get to see their concert in person for now.
