You’re invited to

The Intermission: Grad Show

When

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

Industry Reception

4:30pm—7pm

Doors Open

7pm—11pm

Where

The Liberty Grand

25 British Columbia Rd, Toronto

The Intermission is the 2016 York/Sheridan Program in Design’s annual showcase of the best work produced by its graduating class. It is a night for the industry to connect with emerging designers and explore their works, and for students to celebrate their past four years of hard work with you!

Getting to the Show

Getting to the Show

TTC
29 Dufferin → Saskatchewan Rd
504 King → Dufferin St
509 Harbourfront → Manitoba Dr
GO
Lakeshore West → Exhibition
Get directions on Google Maps

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the show free?

Yes, absolutely. However, we do help fund the event through sponsorships. If you’re interested in supporting this or future years, get in touch.

What can I expect to see and do at the show?

The show is an opportunity to browse the work and meet in-person with grads from one of Canada’s top design programs.

Will there be drinks?

Yes, we’ll have a cash bar available throughout the night.

What is the 'Industry Reception' portion of the show?

We dedicate a part of the night exclusively to people working in the design and creative industries. All students will be there to answer any questions about their work and experience. No ticket or registration is required.

I'll be at FITC on April 19th. Can I still come?

Definitely! The FITC schedule ends at 6pm on April 19th. We’re open until 11pm, so there’s lots of time if you’d like to swing by in the evening.

Where can I park my car?

There is a parking area located beside the Liberty Grand that will be available.

Come Meet the Cast!

Let us know if you're coming on Facebook and add the event to your calendar. We hope to see you there!

Grad Show Liberty Grand, TorontoApril 19
View Event Details
View Full Site
View Event Details
Menu
View Full Site
Information Design
A Dying Lake

The Brief

Create an information pamphlet and ipad publication highlighting a social issue

“A Dying Lake”, an information pamphlet and interactive IPad app, was a project I did in third year that draws together my interests in interaction design and information design. The project began with a research phase that established the scope, sources, and remedies of the chosen problem subject – harmful algal blooms (HAB’s) in Lake Erie – as well as an examination of who would be in a position to use this information to affect positive change, who would likely sponsor the publication, and who might be considered opposition to the changes that need to happen to solve the problem. The primary target was suburban homeowners, who might use fertilizer on their lawns, or may have pets (both of which contribute to the problem of algal blooms). For potential sponsors, I identified a number of different groups that might be interested in publishing this resource – conservation groups, tourism agencies, fishing industry – but ultimately decided on Ducks Unlimited, a conservation group with chapters both in Canada and the USA, and that focuses on environmental preservation for recreational usage, making it an ideal agent for representing various stakeholders in the Lake’s future. In terms of opposition, agricultural lobbyists were undoubtedly going to be a key antagonist, due to the massive contribution of agricultural run-off to the HAB problem.

The Challenge

Craft a narrative that encourages homeowners to reduce their phosphorus usage, while building social pressure on the agricultural lobby

Based on the research, I started to construct a narrative that would engage the primary target to reconsider certain habits, while attempting to portray who the major culprits are in a negative light. The information graphic starts off by introducing the problem to the reader, and then examines the population centres on the lake, bringing home to the reader the kind of impact the issue has. Once the problem and it’s impact has been established, the narrative looks at all the different contributions to the problem, such as fertilizer runoff and animal waste, and how the average reader can reduce their own contribution to the problem. This is so that the reader can place themselves within the system, and see how their actions can have an effect.

The final aspect of the narrative is a map of the lake’s various rivers, which reveal the sources of phosphorous runoff for each watershed. The watersheds that contribute the highest amount of phosphorous are highlighted below the main map, and the reader is struck by the fact that most of them are areas with high agricultural usage, with cattle also being a major source. The reader is thus able to identify who the major contributors are to issue at hand.

The Results

a publication that provides an easy to understand but informative narrative on how a variety of factors are destroying lake Erie.

The publication took the form of both a printed pamphlet and an ipad publication. In both cases I paid particular attention to how the reader interacts with the information and data. In the printed pamphlet, the more the user unfolds the pamphlet, the more detailed the information gets. In the ipad publication, the user can interact and explore with the information at their own discretion, giving them the ability to personalize their experience.