Last Wednesday, Dec 12, 2012, Digital Design’s 23rd Graduating Class presented their projects to invited Industry and other guests at the key event Appetizers: Delicious Bits of Digital Design. The event is put together by the department as a way of showcasing student work to leading representatives of the Design Industry. It was a great night that demonstrated the amazing talent of this hard-working group.

The students drove themselves hard, showing great dedication and determination to get their projects and portfolios finished on time, and to get their presentations together (with the help of the awesome faculty, including Head of Department Miles Nurse and senior instructors Myron Campbell and Kyle Norby) so they’d properly impress their audience — and they succeeded! They also did a great job of creating their own cards for the event.

The range of work was impressive: From projects that sought to create social awareness around issues of fair adoption rights and recycling toxic cigarette butts, to enhancing experience at Art Museums and the Library, to assisting the creative process, whether for musical ideas or the idea of creativity itself, to educational work that helps children develop memory skills, or that allows you to collect and manage memories in a unique way, to great branding and packaging designs. It was a rich palette of creative ideas and application.

And then, the following day, Thursday, Dec 13, after 12 intense months of hard work and discovery, it was time for the VFS Digital Design Graduation Ceremony and Awards Show. Of course, it being so near to the holidays, there was already a special feeling in the air, but the presence of the class’s families and friends, happy and proud, definitely made it all a great celebration.

Once again, HOD Miles Nurse introduced the evening, and throughout the event Digital Design Instructors, Staff, Industry Mentors, as well as the Graduates’ fellow students, all highlighted the aspects of the students’ work that showed their dedication and creative innovation, their ability to push themselves creatively and professionally, to collaborate effectively, and to understand their clients and their audience. They also took some time to underscore the value of fun, and entertained the audience.

We were all impressed by the Industry Mentors who spoke about the students they worked with and projects nominated for Best Graduate Project, including: Vinny Morales (from Kultnation, who advocated for David Emmanuel Calderon); Mark Busse (from Industrial Brand who advocated for Mariana Montes de Oca Rodriguez); Patrick  Grigsby (from BigPark who advocated for Gaby Serrato Elizondo) and Ben Garfinkel (from Industrial Brand who advocated for Andy Kang). Other mentors who spoke elloquently and proudly about students and their work included Digital Design Instructor Karen Whistler (for Ricard Adrianza), Senior Instructor Myron Campbell (for Jorge Ivan Aguilar Tapia), and Department Head Miles Nurse (for Ricard Adrianza).

Here are the results of the awards:

1) Best Communication Design

• Crocodile Tears by Ryan Ali
• Cozina by Laura Cortes
• Harvest Tea by Samantha Chow
• Adoption for All by Andy Kang
• Chocolate Factory by Ricard Adrianza

2) Excellence in Instruction

• Kyle Norby
• Myron Campbell
• Maria Kennedy
• Louise Lee

The Winner was Louise Lee

3) Best Experience Design

• ArtHive by Laura Cortes
• Creativate by Mariana Montes de Oca Rodriguez
• Memory Box by Ryan Ali
• Bookmark by Sarah Rosalie Fischer
• Team Mec by Ryan Ali, Samantha Chow, Alejandro Davila Martinez, Vio Sutherland, Luz del Carmen Mendoza

A Tie! The Winners were 1) Creativate by Mariana Montes de Oca Rodriguez & 2) Bookmark by Sarah Rosalie Fischer

4) Best Course

• Theoretical Approaches by Sergio Toporek
• 3D Graphics by Kai Pedersen
• Gamification of Life by Miles Nurse
• Branding 1 by Maria Kennedy

The Winner was Branding 1 by Maria Kennedy

5) Best Motion Design

• Eco — Relive the Experience by David Emmanuel Calderon Navarro
• Tim & Carl — The Laundry Adventures by Jorge Ivan Aguilar Tapia and Gaby Serrato Elizondo
• Saturne by Andy Kang and Rodrigo Moncada Diaz
• Ventus and the Lights Oddessy by David Emmanuel Calderon Navarro

The Winner was Eco — Relive the Experience by David Emmanuel Calderon Navarro

6) Best Designer in a Supportive Role

• Ryan Ali
• David Emmanuel Calderon Navarro
• Marianna Montes de Oca Rodriguez
• Ricard Adrianza
• Rodrigo Moncada Diaz

The Winner was Ryan Ali

7) Best Interactive Design

Stellar Air by Devin McInnis
Real Value — Local Products by Gaby Serrato Elizondo
Songsketch by Ricard Adrianza
Sphinx by Laura Cortes and Devin McInnis
Wedme by Samantha Chow

A Tie! The Winners were 1) Songsketch by Ricard Adrianza & 2) Sphinx by Laura Cortes and Devin McInnis

8) Best Team Project

Peak Oil Anonymous by Laura Cortes, Ryan Ali, Sarah Roselie Fischer and Andy Kang
Tim & Carl — The Laundry Adventures by Jorge Ivan Aguilar Tapia and Gaby Serrato Elizondo
Saturne by Andy Kang and Rodrigo Moncada Diaz

The Winner was Peak Oil Anonymous by Laura Cortes, Ryan Ali, Sarah Roselie Fischer and Andy Kang

9) Ironwill Award

The Winner was Ryan Ali

10) Faculty Rockstar

Danny Chan
Darren McQuaid
Stephanie Wu
Thomas McKeen

A Tie! The Winners were Danny Chan and Darren McQuaid

11) Outstanding Achievement

The Winner was Surface by Ryan Ali, David Emmanuel Calderon Navarro, Jorge Ivan Aguilar Tapia, Alejandro Davila Martinez, with sound design by Logan Smith

12) Best Graduate Project

• Adoption for All by Andy Kang
• Tim & Carl — The Laundry Adventures by Jorge Ivan Aguilar Tapia and Gaby Serrato Elizondo
• Creativate by Mariana Montes de Oca Rodriguez
• Eco — Relive the Experience by David Emmanuel Calderon Navarro
• Songsketch by Ricard Adrianza

The Winner was Tim & Carl — The Laundry Adventures by Jorge Ivan Aguilar Tapia and Gaby Serrato Elizondo

13) Social Impact Award

It was a Tie! The Winners were 1) Adoption for All by Andy Kang & 2) Butt Recycling Bin Project by Luz del Carmen Mendoza Estrada

14) Best Portfolio

Laura Cortes
Ricard Adrianza
Ryan Ali
Samantha Chow
Andy Kang
David Emmanuel Calderon Navarro

A Tie! The Winners were 1) Laura Cortes & 2) Samantha Chow  

Congratulations to everybody for all your hard work and your inspiration. We shall miss having you around — but we look forward to hearing the stories of all your success!