“Bunny Boy” by Mikhail Basco, a student spotlight story
Mikhail Basco, a second-year Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication student at Capilano University’s IDEA School of Design, shares his creative journey and experiences. Born in the Philippines and raised in a conservative household, he discovered his passion for design through film photography. His self-portrait, “Bunny Boy,” reflects his exploration of identity and sexuality.
Mikhail highlights the program’s rigorous coursework, which has improved his illustration and teamwork skills. Memorable experiences include his first life drawing class and leading the second-year gallery poster show. He looks forward to a potential field trip to New York City and further specialization.
His projects, such as the men’s mental health campaign “Boys Don’t Cry” and the playful beverage packaging “Drunk Duchess,” showcase his creativity. Mikhail chose IDEA School of Design based on a teacher’s recommendation and advises prospective students to attend open houses and embrace growth. His breakthrough was realizing that executing ideas is harder than generating them, pushing him to adapt and innovate. Outside school, he enjoys photography, painting, and writing, constantly pushing creative boundaries.
“You don’t have to be the strongest illustrator, your first year is going to be extremely traditional and progress will come as you go. Also, go to the open house!”
Read Mikhail’s story and check out some of his other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication degree program at Capilano University.
Introduction
Hi! I’m Mikhail Basco and I am a second-year IDEA School of Design BDes student! I was born in the Philippines and moved to Pitt Meadows, BC when I was 10. My home in the Philippines and where I live now both exist in a space between rural and suburban, which has shaped both my upbringing and my creative approach. It’s where I learned how to see things in the middle, where I can move forward to bigger and brighter ideas, but also be able to look back at the past to see the sentiment in memory and history.
I was raised in a strict Catholic household that was pretty much black and white and that suppressed a lot of my creative energy until late high school, where I fell deeply in love with film photography and began working at a print shop to learn how to develop film. It was there I realized I was passionate about design and art and started to really tap into my creativity.
“Bunny Boy” self-portrait photography (shown above)
IDES 133 Visual Studio | Faculty Jay Bassan
I was inspired by the concept of using the white rabbit as a symbol of innocence and purity and combining it with the essence of boyhood. I found that the two themes combined would tell a story of a struggle between coming of age and sexuality, which was a deep and personal battle I was fighting in my adolescence figuring out I was bisexual.
About the course
IDES 133 Visual Studio provides an introduction to line, form, and light through an exploration of drawing and photography. Students develop skills in the use of drawing tools and a digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera. Principles of perception, observation, proportion, and perspective are covered through drawing and photography of man-made and natural objects, including the human figure.
“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.
Experiences so far at IDEA School of Design
IDEA School of Design BDes has been treating me well so far! I feel that the program really pushes my limits with every course I take. I can personally admit that if I was still the unorganized and carefree student I was at the very beginning of first year, I would not have made it this far. This program really whips you into shape. It teaches you the demands of the industry through its course load and shows you that if you do not adapt, you’ll be betting on your own downfall, as each assignment and project takes you so many steps forward from where you were before.
I entered the program with very few illustration skills and have improved significantly in only a matter of time, thanks to my classmates and instructors and all the knowledge they had passed down to me. The most important thing this program has taught me so far is how to work with a team of people and how to go the extra mile as a team player.
A memorable or impactful experience from your first year at IDEA School of Design…
The most memorable moment I had in my first year was my first life drawing class because I had never done it before nor had I heard of it. I drew anime figures and faces throughout high school and never really progressed from there, so being put into a situation where there would be a naked person posing in front of me that I had to draw for three hours straight was mind-boggling. It was there that I really felt like a university student in an art school and that there were so many things I didn’t know about the world because that experience was extremely mind-opening.
I come from a very conservative background, so being nude was only something you would acknowledge in the bathroom or while you’re changing and that’s all I pretty much knew. I wasn’t exposed to the arts that much growing up because the school district in the small town I grew up in had its arts budget cut to support its sports teams. So knowledge of a class where the school would pay for someone to stand nude in front of a bunch of students would seem bizarre and otherworldly to a younger version of me. But once I got out of that circle of knowledge and got into higher education, I began learning things that I had never even thought of while living in a small town. The only things I knew were church, basketball, and spending half of my teenage years running around the local grocery store parking lot for fun. So the realization that I was missing out on so many unique experiences led me to open my mind because I would hate to miss out now that I’m in my 20s.
A memorable or impactful experience from your second year at IDEA School of Design…
The most memorable moment for this year hasn’t happened yet sadly. But I know for sure it’s going to be the second year annual gallery poster show. I’m currently the gallery liaison and I’m in charge of communication between my team and the gallery. So far it has been pretty memorable because this is the first time my class as a whole is working hand in hand to achieve the same goal, and it’s starting to feel like an actual job because we’re being assigned to set up our own success. It’s also awesome to see the class dynamic and how very different people collide and find a way to work together.
What are you looking forward to in your third year at IDEA School of Design?
I’m looking forward to the big field trip we get to go on next spring! The instructors and class seem to be set on New York City! I’m currently saving up for it. I’m also really excited about the concentrations and how everything just gets so much deeper from there. Oh, and I also hope I’m way better at public speaking and presenting by then.
Featured Work
“Boys Don’t Cry” Social Cause Campaign
IDES 243 Design Studio | Faculty Vida Juric
For this project, I focused on men’s mental health because it remains heavily stigmatized and lacks visibility. To reinforce the theme, I consistently used baby blue and hot pink— blue to represent traditional masculinity and pink as kind of an opposition to the element of stereotypical masculinity. The writing is also meant to signify mental turmoil—scratchy, disproportionate, and chaotic.
For the guerrilla marketing, I used mannequins as a metaphor—they are lifeless, artificial representations of men, expected to be nothing more, nothing less. I staged them as if they had been stolen, vandalized, and abandoned, covered in spray-painted taunts of “Boys Don’t Cry.” This setup creates an eerie, thought-provoking visual, evoking shame, mockery, and societal pressure. The shock factor and mystery behind it are meant to leave a lasting impact on the audience.
About the course
IDES 243 Design Studio I introduces students to the fields of communication design, information design, and advertising, and to the role of design in business and marketing. Students understand the design process by analyzing design problems, working through creative briefs, creating appropriate design solutions, and developing rationales. Instruction in design-related software supports the course.
“Drunk Duchess” Beverage Packaging
IDES 243 Design Studio | Faculty Vida Juric
The elegant elements of it are within the borders that frame the duchess, and the cap wrap that pays homage to different eras of art, fashion and design such as the Rococo, Baroque, and Victorian periods. I wanted it to look classy but in a way that it doesn’t take itself too seriously, and each bottle has a different story to tell, just like its wine. I made each wine from the series have a corresponding duchess with her very own lore to make whoever had bought it feel like they’re bringing a friend home to drink with them if they’re alone, or a valued entertainer if they’re bringing it to a dinner party.
I made the wine inside the bottle to be the colour of the hair of the duchess, so it feels visually interactive in a way, like a progress bar of how much you have left to drink. At first, I was going to give them all crowns, but I realized that giving them messy hair gave them so much personality and could be seen as a story and indicator of what this wine could do to you.
About the course
IDES 243 Design Studio I introduces students to the fields of communication design, information design, and advertising, and to the role of design in business and marketing. Students understand the design process by analyzing design problems, working through creative briefs, creating appropriate design solutions, and developing rationales. Instruction in design-related software supports the course.
“Tricked” Portfolio Duo
IDES 235 Illustration Studio 1 | Faculty Pascal Milleli
For this project, Pascal had tasked us to make two separate illustrations that tell different stories but when combined will tell a bigger story underneath. I envisioned a scene where two kids are trick or treating late at night on Halloween and are approaching this old woman’s house, unsuspectingly the woman is actually a witch with evil plans on what to do with them. I wanted it to be a modern retelling of Hansel and Gretel.
About the course
IDES 235 Illustration Studio I introduces students to illustration as visual communication. Students learn the process of completing an illustration project through concept, sketches, client approval, and finished work, and begin to develop style and voice. Skills are developed using various mediums and techniques including contemporary painting and life drawing.
Why did you choose the Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication degree program at IDEA School of Design, Capilano University?
I chose IDEA School of Design BDes at Capilano University because an art teacher I had in high school who went to Emily Carr University dissuaded me away from ECU and redirected me to Capilano University’s IDEA School of Design. She had known people who had landed very good opportunities out of the program, and I trusted her wholeheartedly. She was the one to open my eyes when it came to creating my art.
About IDEA School of Design at Capilano University
IDEA School of Design offers two career-oriented programs for the next generation of creative professionals.
The Bachelor Of Design In Visual Communication is a four-year undergraduate degree with a variety of career outcomes in the creative field. Students can specialize in branding, Illustration or interactive design in upper years.
The Interaction Design Diploma is a two-year program with career outcomes in the field of digital product design and user experience. The focus is on creativity, design thinking, and problem-solving.
“The purpose of your portfolio is to demonstrate your creative potential. We assess portfolios on drawing skill, design and creativity.”
Do you have some advice for those considering applying to IDEA School of Design?
Be confident in yourself and be able to tell what the difference between art and design is. You don’t have to be the strongest illustrator, your first year is going to be extremely traditional and progress will come as you go. Also, go to the open house! I made my first few connections that helped me throughout the application process there and also gave me a friend to talk about during the interview process!
Student Application Work
“Occhiolist”
Submitted as part of the student’s application to IDEA School of Design
Occhiolist was a project I had with my friend Daylena who is a fashion design student at KPU, and we wanted to showcase her styling work through the theme of nostalgic dread and we shot it a freight train yard to signify a concept of a place where things that come and go way too fast (special moments in time as trains) can stay still to let us ponder what’s already passed.
“Teenage Folklore”
Submitted as part of the student’s application to IDEA School of Design
This project was one of my favourites because I got to work with all my best friends growing up. When you’re at that peak of adolescence and everything feels like it’s made to bring you down, most grown-ups would say that things do get better and that all it takes is time. But what happens in the meantime? This project explored the angst and darkness of all those negative feelings growing up brought and we showed it through visuals that pay homage to horror films.
Describe a “Breakthrough Moment” at IDEA School of Design.
A breakthrough moment for me at IDEA School of Design was realizing that the best creative ideas are easier said and thought of than done. I realized that great ideas come pretty easy to a lot of creative people, but the process of execution carries so many ups and downs that lead your motivation and creative energy to falter and then potentially disappear. I learned this through working on projects (whether for passion or school) for a significant amount of time and realizing that my perspective on everything is constantly changing and that how I feel doesn’t stay stagnant long enough to keep the same ideas I had at the start of it all. This realization pushed me to constantly adapt, explore, and challenge creative boundaries, knowing that growth is an ongoing process and there will always be new limits to push.
Describe your creative life outside of IDEA…
I have a few creative outlets outside of the program. Photography is what I’m most savvy and experimental with and I’m really inspired by how movies look and I try to evoke that feeling in all my work. I have friends and my siblings who always help me out whenever I have a great idea for a shoot.
Just last year though, once I got into university I realized that I had a pretty good eye for painting and illustration. I drew pretty rarely growing up, but when I do I don’t stop until I’m sick of it and drop it again for a significant amount of time; I usually would just give up after trying to draw the second eye on a portrait and it ends up not looking like the other. I also write, like a lot. If I had a Spotify wrapped for my notes app my phone would combust trying to display it.
What’s your favourite song or music video?
For more on Mikhail
instagram.com/mihkale
linkedin.com/in/mikhail-basco-632257271
