“’90s Delinquent” by Alexis Chiang (IDEA Grad 2026)
Meet second-year student, Alexis Chiang (IDEA Grad 2026)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“A breakthrough moment for me was when I realized that I am my biggest enemy, and I need to toss away unnecessary doubts and just trust the process.”
Read Alexis’ story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Self-portrait: ’90s Delinquent
Alexis trying to emulate the 90s look for her self-portrait project. Photographed by Charlie Wongpisethkul.
Self-portrait mood board by Alexis Chiang (IDEA Grad 2026)
“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.
As someone with a background in filmmaking, Alexis demonstrated a strong sense of composition and a keen eye for visual storytelling with her self-portrait.
Experience so far at IDEA School of Design
My experience so far at IDEA School of Design has been great! I really wanted to learn about both design and illustration and so far the classes have been pushing my growth and also inspiring me to be a better designer/artist. It is also great to meet and discuss with like-minded people who are just as passionate about the arts.
Featured Work
Beverage Packaging for Yomeishu
Course: IDES 243 - Design Studio I
The project was to design packaging for a beverage brand. I chose to work on the brand Yomeishu, a herbal health tonic.
Introducing Goodie!
Course: IDES 151 Digital Media I
Creating a solution for the feature design project. The project was completed with Sophia Pan (IDEA BDES Grad 2026).
Book Design Project
Course: IDES 142 - Survey and Principles of Design II
Redesign of the book cover for ‘Cloud Atlas’ by David Mitchell using photography and Adobe Illustrator.
National Shopping Bag for Singapore
Course: IDES 142 - Survey and Principles of Design II
I decided to represent my country for this project and after thinking for some time, I wanted to present our food culture on the shopping bags.
Why did you choose IDEA School of Design over other schools?
I chose IDEA School of Design’s Bachelor of Design at Capilano University because it had a course structure that suited my interests, what I wanted to learn, and my learning style.
“IDEA School of Design’s Bachelor Of Design in Visual Communication is a career-oriented program for the next generation of creative professionals with concentrations in branding, illustration and interactive design. IDEA School of Design’s Interaction Design Diploma is a two-year program with career outcomes in the field of digital product design and user experience.”
“The purpose of your portfolio is to demonstrate your creative potential. We assess portfolios on drawing skill, design and creativity.”
Advice for those considering applying to IDEA School of Design
My advice for those considering applying to IDEA School of Design Bachelor of Design at Capilano University is that they should take the leap if they are hesitating, present their strengths in their portfolio, and most importantly, present their authentic self!
"Breakthrough Moments" at IDEA School of Design
A breakthrough moment for me was when I realized that I am my biggest enemy, and I need to toss away unnecessary doubts and just trust the process.
What's your favourite music video?
My favourite music video would be 红 (Love) by 告五人 (Accusefive). This song describes how experiencing love in general can be like, and in the music video, the band chooses to represent the song as the familial love between mother and son. The story is understandable despite it being in a language that isn’t English, and I cry every time I watch it.
