Student Spotlights
Featuring IDEA School of Design student spotlights.
It has been an illustrious year for CapU IDEA School of Design student Celina Zhong. The fourth year Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication student has received a long list of awards for her design project titled Soya Fusion, most notably the 2023 DesCan Jim Rimmer Scholarship and 2023 RGD Q30 Design Award for Brand Design.
Check out this story!
Meet second-year Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication student, Siobhan Barry (IDEA Grad 2026)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“A big shift happened when I began to seek advice and input from classmates who are skilled in the areas I am weak in. I began to really lean into asking for help. It has enhanced my work, learning, and process immensely,” writes Siobhan.
Read Siobhan’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
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,” writes Alexis.
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.
Arsheya Seraji (IDEA Grad 2024) took the lead on this anthology comic which began as an assignment. It collects 3-page stories from each artist in the IDEA Grad 2024 cohort and covers a broad range of genres including comedy, adventure, horror, auto-bio, and slice-of-life. It is dedicated to retired illustration instructor, Jeff Burgess.
Check out some of the spreads in this comic and see some samples from Arsheya Seraji’s self-published comic series, FOURTH DIMENSIONAL!
Meet first-year student, Sarah Gee, IDEA Interaction Design Diploma Grad 2025! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan in BDES is shown above.
“The IXD Diploma was a great fit for me, as I wanted to fully understand User Experience and get working on those skills, as I knew coming from a Visual Arts background, is what I lacked,” writes Sarah.
Read Sarah’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Meet second-year student, Charlie Wongpisethkul (IDEA Grad 2026)! Their self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“My biggest fear before coming to IDEA School of Design was being unable to be creative enough with each project or running out of ideas. But sometime in the middle of the first year I looked back at my work and thought, ‘I can actually do this,’” writes Charlie.
Read Charlie’s story and check out some of their other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Meet second-year student, Mena McGill (IDEA Grad 2026)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“My journey at IDEA School of Design has been a transformative one. The 'real-world' environment offered here is incredibly beneficial. My art is all about crafting narratives from the echoes of old stories, and a rustic used bookstore provides the perfect stage for this artistic endeavor,” writes Mena.
Read Mena’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Meet second-year student, Brendan Hurt (IDEA Grad 2026)! His self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“I’ve learned more than I have in one year than I did in the last five throughout high school which tells me where my passions truly lie. The material I used as my portfolio at the time was nowhere near the level I work at now,” writes Brendan.
Read Brendan’s story and check out some of his other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Meet second-year student, Keira Schick (IDEA Grad 2026)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“Everybody shines in different aspects so don’t shy away from your strengths. Take one project and day at a time. And try to enjoy it as well!! Managing time wisely and trying new things will get you through the year,” writes Keira.
Read Keira’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
From the first interview Tiffany had, the third-year diploma exit was something she asked about since she had read about this pathway from some previous IDEA School of Design blog posts.
Tiffany signed on as a Graphic & UI Designer with a local brand and digital agency called The West Harbour in May 2023. On Day 2 she was illustrating, designing, and animating a few projects.
Check out Tiffany's story!
Meet second-year student, Angelica Blanch (IDEA Grad 2025)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“Everyone’s creatively strong in their own ways. One could be skilled at illustration, while the person sitting next to you is strong in their typography work. When it comes down to critique days or group assignments, it really helps to get opinions from people with different skill sets,” writes Angelica Blanch (IDEA Grad 2025).
Read Angelica’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Meet second-year student, Rachel Lam (IDEA Grad 2025)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“My digital media teacher in high school introduced me to multiple schools, I chose Capilano University at the end as students here have on-the-ground experience in the field upon graduation which is very important for their careers,” writes Rachel.
Read Rachel’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Meet second-year student, Liza Borissova (IDEA Grad 2025)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“After completing several projects in the first semester, I realized ‘I am a perfectionist with impostor syndrome.’ I like all creative areas and struggle with choosing a concentration,” writes Liza.
Read Liza’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 Kyle Rask’s team for winning the Brand Battle for Good! We asked Kyle to share his experience with this one-part conference and one-part idea hack-a-thon event to develop the most innovative, creative, and implementable solutions to Vancouver’s social isolation issues.
Check out Kyle’s story!
Several students in our first year, IDEA Grad 2026, had previous careers including a professional cross-country skier, pastry chef, and hairstylist. As part of our student blog committee, Sarah Gee (shown above in her previous career as a hair stylist) helped pull together this backstory on what inspired them to change careers and join the IDEA School of Design.
Check out this story for a glimpse into student life before and during IDEA!
Meet second-year student, Ananya Eriyat (IDEA Grad 2025)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“In Mumbai, India, students are expected to confer to the course norms and not break out. Here at IDEA, the priority is to reinterpret the scope of a course and expand the possibilities within. This has been a big change for me,” writes Ananya.
Read Ananya’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.
Jenna Weind (IDEA Grad 2025 Cohort 1) was commissioned to do a mural this summer.
“I was commissioned to do a mural with full creative freedom for the size of 12’3” w and 8’1” t. I took around 16 hours to complete, I used chalk markers and chalk paint.” writes Jenna.
Check out this story including the original sketch and some process work.
Tiffany Zhong (IDEA Grad 2024) was selected for the mural community grant from Student Affairs!
“They were looking to create a mural in the reception area of the space to welcome students looking to access a variety of services. They wanted a design that was colourful, lively, and warm that encapsulates CapU student life,” writes Tiffany.
Check out Tiffany’s mural project!
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.” writes Rachel.
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.
Meet first-year student, Sophia Spanos McGill (IDEA Grad 2025)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“I tried to channel the part of me that doesn’t like to be perceived into the portrait: It’s messy and chaotic, I layered many images of myself on top of each other, so that it’s hard to see the proper outlines of one or the other. I had so much fun putting this together!” writes Sophia.
Read Sophia’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.
Meet first-year student, Sol Yoon (IDEA Grad 2025)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“When I was applying to the IDEA School of Design, the idea of forming a community with other artists at IDEA and exchanging feedback with them felt like a studio or company experience to me.” writes Sol.
Read Sol’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.
Meet second-year student, Aibhlin Fowlie (IDEA Grad 2024)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
Read Aibhlin’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.
Last fall, Emily Carr graduate, Alex Westcott, transferred to 3rd Year (IDEA Grad 2022) of CapU’s IDEA School of Design Bachelor of Design. We just caught up with Alex to ask her about her experience at IDEA School of Design so far.
Check out this student spotlight!
Meet first-year student, Freya Emery (IDEA Grad 2024)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“My experience with the IDEA School of Design has been truly amazing. I became a stronger version of myself, and it’s only been what…. six months now *mindblown* 🤯” she writes.
Read Freya’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.
Meet first-year student, Ethan Woronko (IDEA Grad 2024)! His self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“My style evolved more in the first few months at IDEA School of Design than in the year and a half leading up to it!” writes Ethan.
Read Ethan’s story and check out some of his other work for a glimpse into first-year student life at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.