Georgian’s graphic design students make a difference for United Way clients

Oct. 31, 2016

Georgian’s Graphic Design program has a history of incorporating projects benefitting local non-profit groups into its curriculum. Over the past few years, students have partnered with United Way to assist their client base.

“A consistent message from our partners and colleagues within the community-based, non-profit sector is the challenge of resourcing affordable and professional marketing expertise to increase capacity to deliver mission-based programming,” says Dale Biddell, Chief Executive Officer of United Way Simcoe Muskoka.

“This partnership between Georgian College and United Way to connect local organizations with Graphic Design students on a marketing collaboration is a good news story for the entire community. The program’s popularity over its first two years speaks to the local need and to the quality of the solution. We applaud the college for co-creating this growth opportunity for students, agencies and our region.”

The projects are incorporated into Professional Practice 2, a third-year graphic design course. Students are paired with non-profit clients and help them with whatever design requirements they have.

Last year, students worked with 20 non-profit clients and there was a waiting list for more. This year, students are accommodating 31 clients with 12 on the waiting list. The wait list clients will be given preference next year.

The students work on the project from September to November; this includes weekly communication with their clients.

Some of the clients include Barrie District Injured Workers Group, Collingwood General Marine Hospital, Soldiers Memorial Hospital, Orillia Salvation Army and the Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority. They are also working with a few internal clients such as the Social Service Worker program – helping them with materials for an upcoming conference.

“The value of this partnership is many-fold,” says George Mashinter, professor, Design and Visual Arts. “Students are developing communication and interpersonal skills, and are gaining experience in the business side of the graphic design industry. The feedback we receive from students is always about how invaluable this experience is to them.”

Students design a variety of materials as part of their projects. This can include anything from designing logos, brochures, flyers and other promotional material; creating vehicle wraps; social media banners and websites; and other event materials.

“The project provides students with real-world pieces for their portfolios as well as client referrals,” says Mashinter. “It also gives students a sense of community involvement and the satisfaction that goes along with that.” This opens up a different aspect of the design industry where there’s a new trend with designing for the social good, he added.

The philosophy builds on what students learn in Professional Practice I. They’re exposed to the book Do Good Design: How Design Can Change Our World by David B. Berman. This book introduces students to the concept of how design can change the world and how to work with clients who are actually helping to create that change.

Marilyn Gregory, a recent graduate from Georgian’s Graphic Design program thoroughly enjoyed the partnership with United Way. She had the opportunity to work with two non-profit organizations.

“My experience with each of them was more than gratifying and gave a depth to my design skillset which in-class projects alone could not do,” says Gregory.

Gregory’s first client was a hospice offering end-of-life care. The project required a 28-page program for a gala fundraiser which included prepping advertisements, formatting program information, incorporating testimonials and design elements to ensure the document was print-ready by the deadline date.

“I was very aware of how important this event was to the organization and that timeliness and accuracy was essential. My contact person was excellent to work with and I learned a great deal about client communication and managing work timelines,” says Gregory.

For her second project, she created a logo for a community information organization whose clients are among the more vulnerable in the community and this service is vital to them.

As a result of her involvement with these projects, Gregory intends to continue setting aside design time for non-profits in the future.