Join us online Saturday, March 13 2021 from 1:00-3:00 pm for a short portfolio prep talk and open Q&A. Using Zoom breakout rooms, digitally share your portfolio or sketchbook for some friendly 1-1 feedback from our faculty!

RSVP today! We look forward to seeing your portfolio!

Happy Valentine's from IDEA School of Design! Check out some first-year student work from IDEA Grad 2024 students and RSVP for our upcoming IDEA Virtual Portfolio Day!

Freya Emery (IDEA Grad 2024) created “Let's be mushy”, a Valentine’s-themed digital illustration shown above.

Note: SlideRoom closes April 14, 2021. No submissions for Fall 2021 (IDEA Grad 2025) will be accepted after Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

Happy Lunar New Year of the Ox from IDEA School of Design at Capilano University! Lunar New Year 2021 falls on Friday, February 12th, 2021, and celebrations culminate with the Lantern Festival on February 26th, 2021.

Shown above: “Year of the Ox” illustration by IDEA School of Design student Imogen Pettyfer (IDEA Grad 2024).

Check out some first-year student illustrations celebrating the Year of the Ox!

Congratulations to Courtney Lamb (IDEA Grad 2020) for winning 2020 RGD SoGood Pivot Award for Information Design with 'Quakeable' App Design.

Quakeable simplifies the process of creating an emergency plan to help people stay safe and connected during an earthquake. The user-friendly format delivers essential information in an easily-digestible format to support safe decision-making and appropriate action in the event of an earthquake.

Check out this award-winning student project!

Congratulations to two IDEA School of Design grads for their amazing illustrated office mural collaboration project where every dot in the composition makes mathematical sense!

Last August, Diana Castaneda (IDEA Grad 2014) art directed a piece conceived and illustrated by Lillian T. Zhang (IDEA Grad 2019) for a shared office space for the Physical Sciences Division of TRIUMF, Canada’s particle accelerator centre.

“Connected” was created for the co-sharing space occupied by researchers and scientists of the Physical Sciences department at TRIUMF. The concept for “Connected” draws from the work culture and people at TRIUMF, each has its own very focused disciplines that contribute to the same purpose of innovation.

Check out this Grad spotlight story!

We’ve reached a milestone with the most ever received applications for Fall 2021. Thank you for your interest in IDEA School of Design at Capilano University!

Send us your mailing address and we'll send some swag your way while supplies last, as a thank you for your interest in our program.

Note: SlideRoom reopened Jan 25, 2021 and closes April 14, 2021. No submissions for Fall 2021 (IDEA Grad 2025) will be accepted after Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

Congratulations to Aidan Zecchel (IDEA Grad 2021) for winning the 2020 Jim Rimmer Scholarship with 'Level the Playing Field', a campaign aimed to raise awareness around the challenges of youth homelessness. Aidan is currently completing his studies at IDEA School of Design at Capilano University.

This campaign uses sports metaphors in portraying homeless youth as society's underdogs. The underdog is a relatable character archetype for most in one way or another, positioning them as such helps to engage viewer empathy.

Check out this award-winning student project!

Last fall, Langara College Design Formation Grad Michelle Taylor transferred to 2nd Year (IDEA Grad 2023) of CapU’s IDEA School of Design Bachelor of Design. We caught up with Michelle to ask her about her experience so far.

“Mini Amigos” (shown above) by Michelle Taylor (IDEA Grad 2023) as part of her application to transfer to IDEA School of Design from Langara Design Formation.

“This drawing is of two Guatemalan dolls I have had since birth. The medium I chose for this drawing is a fine liner with tips of varying sizes to create the impression of different textures and materials.”

Check out this student spotlight story!

Capilano University and Langara College announce new pathway partnership for Design in Visual Communication degree.

Capilano University and Langara College are pleased to announce a partnership to establish a pathway for Langara graduates to complete a bachelor degree at CapU in less than three years of full-time study. The partnership allows graduates of Langara’s Design Formation Diploma to transfer to CapU and complete a Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication.

First-year Langara Design Formation students exploring form and materials through basic design elements and principles (shown above).

Study design in North Vancouver at IDEA School of Design!

Entry to the Bachelor of Design program at Capilano University is competitive, and applicants must submit a portfolio and other documents through the online portal SlideRoom.

Shown above: Face of Technology — Acrylic on canvas by Natasha Lee (IDEA Grad 2024) as part of her application to IDEA School of Design.

Find out how to apply and check out additional samples of pieces from IDEA Grad 2024 student application portfolios.

IDEA School of Design students become each other’s greatest resource when they graduate, with studio insights, job leads and portfolio tips. Here are some of the number one idea generation strategies from each of our 4 cohorts.

Shown above: “First Snow” by Vylan Tran (IDEA Grad 2024).

IDEA School of Design hopes you are having a wonderful start to the New Year so far! 'To A Hopeful New Year' is a digital illustration by Juliana Vieira (IDEA Grad 2018) shown above. Her beautiful illustration is a sign of the times.

Early Applications for the Fall 2021 Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication close on Jan 20, 2021. Late Admission opens Jan 25, 2021, and closes April 14, 2021. No submissions for Fall 2021 (IDEA Grad 2025) will be accepted after Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

We recently caught up with Daniel Pauhl (IDEA Grad 2019) for a grad spotlight on life after graduating from IDEA School of Design. Many congratulations to Daniel on illustrating a new children’s book by author Nikki Hedstrom! “A Thought is a Thought” is available at Indigo, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon.

“It's the best feeling to see my work out in the real world.” he says.

Check out this grad spotlight!

Happy New Year from IDEA School of Design!

'Cheers to 2021' digital illustration by first-year student Celina Zhong (IDEA Grad 2024) shown above.

Early Applications for the Fall 2021 Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication close on Jan 20, 2021. Late Admission opens Jan 25, 2021, and closes April 14, 2021. No submissions for Fall 2021 (IDEA Grad 2025) will be accepted after Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

Cheers to a wonderful, restful break!

Here's a holiday-themed digital illustration done in Illustrator and Photoshop by first-year student Celina Zhong (IDEA Grad 2024).

Early Applications for the Fall 2021 Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication close on Jan 20, 2021. Late Admission opens Jan 25, 2021, and closes April 14, 2021. No submissions for Fall 2021 (IDEA Grad 2025) will be accepted after Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays from IDEA School of Design!

Here’s a digital illustration of Krampus by first-year student Freya Emery (IDEA Grad 2024). Krampus is a horned, anthropomorphic figure in Central European / Eastern Alps folklore.

Early Applications for the Fall 2021 Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication close on Jan 20, 2021. Late Admission opens Jan 25, 2021, and closes April 14, 2021. No submissions for Fall 2021 (IDEA Grad 2025) will be accepted after Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

Keep cozy, friends.

Here's a little wintery-themed frame-by-frame animation done in Photoshop by first-year student Tiffany Zhong (IDEA Grad 2024).

Early Applications for the Fall 2021 Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication close on Jan 20, 2021. Late Admission opens Jan 25, 2021, and closes April 14, 2021. No submissions for Fall 2021 (IDEA Grad 2025) will be accepted after Wednesday, April 14, 2021.

Congratulations to Coralie Mayer (IDEA Grad 2022) for winning Applied Arts 2020 Student Award with 'The Shadow' illustration (shown above).

Jungian psychology’s treacherous shadow-self is revealed in this piece for the IDEA School of Design Bachelor of Design program’s 2020 Evil themed poster project.

Applications for Fall 2021 at IDEA School of Design are open!

Entry to the Bachelor of Design is competitive, and applicants must submit a portfolio and other documents through the online portal SlideRoom.

First-year students (IDEA Grad 2024) offer their advice and experiences applying to the Bachelor of Design (BDes) program at Capilano University. We hope a first-hand student perspective will give you more insight and direction on the application process.

Shown above: “Self-portrait” by Kathleen Manuel (IDEA Grad 2024) using a photo reference of herself as part of her application to IDEA School of Design.

Congratulations to Atrin Yazdani-Biuki (IDEA Grad 2022) for winning 2020 ADCC Student Competition Silver Award in Graphic Design with 'Mountain Dew Flavours'.

Atrin received two additional awards for this project in addition to the ADCC award: RGD Student Awards 2020 — Zulu Alpha Kilo Award for Advertising Design Honourable Mention and RGD Student Awards 2020 — Haft2 Award of Colour Honourable Mention.

Keeping in line with Mountain Dew’s high sugar and caffeine content, various new flavours are introduced while maintaining the brand’s exhilarating and often bizarre personality.

Check out this multiple award-winning student graphic design and advertising project!