Their talent is indisputable: York/Sheridan design students have scooped up the top Canadian and seven major Ontario prizes – and more – for graphic design this year.
Right: Oleksandra Korobova's winning digital illustration, Toronto International Circus Festival: Vintage
They have distinguished themselves in four competitions – the Adobe Design Achievement Awards, Graphic Designers of Canada Awards, Reigstered Graphic Designers of Ontario Awards and the Applied Arts Student Awards.
On the international front, nine students in the York/Sheridan Joint Program in Design were semi-finalists – four of them twice – for the highly competitive Adobe Design Achievement Awards. One, Jacklyn Atlas, went on to earn an honourable mention at the finalist level. That’s no small achievement. The Adobe competition is open to graphic design students all over the world and judged by some the world’s leading design professionals.
"I am so happy to see the long list of our students who made it to the semi-finals," said Wendy Wong, Chair of the Department of Design in York's Faculty of Fine Arts. "The achievement of our students is impressive in being able to make it onto the semi-finalists list. If I'm not mistaken, we definitely have the most students as semi-finalists among all Canadian schools."
Left: Setarah Shamdani's winning book design
On the national level, Wong also waxed proud. Oleksandra Korobova won the $1,500 Veer Scholarship, the biggest of five national scholarships presented annually to students by the Graphic Designers of Canada. "This is the third consecutive year that York/Sheridan students have won the top award," says Wong.
The best showing came at the provincial level. York/Sheridan students won seven major awards and 18 honourable mentions in the 2007 Registered Graphic Designers of Ontario Awards competition. Setarah Shamdani and Julian Brown 
stood out as the winners of three and two major prizes, respectively, plus some honourable mentions. Stephanie Campbell and Edrea Lita each won one.
Right: Julian Brown's winning print design
Wong says grad student Debra Lau has also won two awards in the 2007 Applied Arts Student Awards competition. Winning work from the international competition will be showcased by the Canadian visual communications magazine in a special student awards issue in September and on its Web site at the same time.
Winners of the four competitions are listed below:
ADOBE DESIGN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS
Jacklyn Atlas rose from semi-finalist to win an honourable mention as a finalist in the category Print Design Multi-page.
In the following categories, semi-finalists were:
Digital illustration -- Oleksandra Korobova, Tae Eun Han
Interactive and Web design -- Julian Brown, Matthew Yu
Print Design Multi-page -- Amy Lee, Jacklyn Atlas, Julian Brown, Kristina Rostorotskaia, Matthew Yu, Young Seo
Print Design Single Page -- Amy Lee, Edrea Lita, Young Seo
2007 REGISTERED GRAPHIC DESIGNERS OF ONTARIO STUDENT AWARDS
Students won prizes and honourable mentions in three categories.
Awards of Excellence Across Media
Koskie Minsky Award of Excellence of Central Ontario – Setareh Shamdani (winner); – Ashley Edwards (HM), Edmond Ng (HM), Young Seo (HM), Emily Tu (HM)
Awards for Excellence in Specific Media
Adobe Design Award for Print Design – Julian Brown (winner); Mooren Bofill (HM), Matthew Yu (HM)
Applied Arts Award for Magazine Design – Mooren Bofill (HM), Julian Brown (HM)
Right: Stephanie Campbell's winning new media design
Barking Dog Studios Award for New Media Design – Stephanie Campbell (winner); Eleni Alpous (HM), Setareh Shamdani (HM)
Engine Room Creative Award for Direct Marketing Design – Heather Murray (HM)
Harlequin Award for Book Design – Setareh Shamdani (winner); Katherine Monteith (HM), Emily Tu (HM)
q30 Design Award for Corporate Design / Logo Design – Edrea Lita (winner)
Shikatani Lacroix Award for Packaging Design – Karl Chen (HM)
Somerset Graphics Award for Print Design – Edrea Lita (HM)
Left: Edrea Lita's winning logo
Awards for Excellence in Execution
M-real Award for Use of Paper – Setareh Shamdani (winner); Julian Brown (HM)
Philip Sung Design Associates Award for Typography – Edmond Ng (HM), Kristina Rostokostakia (HM)
Cahan & Associates Award for Best Rationale – Julian Brown (winner)