A group of Kwantlen Polytechnic University design students were awarded by The Design Professionals of Canada.
Students in the Graphic Design for Marketing program at KPU's Wilson School of Design won two of four categories and received 10 honourable mentions at the Salazar Awards.
The awards recognize students and their exemplary design works in the branding, print, interactive and motion/video categories across the province.
These are presented every year by the B.C. chapter of the Design Professionals of Canada.
Elias Lemke, a 2024 KPU graduate, is among the students being recognized for his project titled Panagraph. This project focuses on the cultural preservation of endangered Salishan languages in B.C.
Lemke won the motion/video category and received an honourable mention in the branding category.
His project is a rebranding initiative for an organization supporting endangered languages and uses Typotheque’s November typeface to display the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ language accurately.
It highlights the importance of digital support for endangered languages and using proper typefaces to reintroduce traditional place names in the B.C.
“I feel very honoured to receive this award from DesCan. This project was very meaningful to me, and I am excited to see it gain recognition,” said Lemke.
“I hope it sparks greater interest in adding language support to more of the typefaces we use.”
Lemke and Cherlin Eggenfellner, who won in the branding category and were recognized with an honourable mention in the print category, each received a $500 cash prize and a DesCan Salazar Certificate.
Design instructor Michael Cober at KPU's Wilson School of Design described the award recognition for the students are "stamps of approval" by the industry.
“What is satisfying is that the industry recognized nine students as emerging designers doing noteworthy work," said Cober, adding it allows students to "jump from the classroom to the agency" because of these awards.
“Seeing our students recognized also acts as a validation of our program, process and approach.”
KPU students Veronika Kansaka, Bella Sanchez, Matteo Ferralasco, Rowena Huang, Georgia Stone, Cali Martin and Cody Garcia received honourable mentions.
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