Winnipeg, Manitoba

Circle is pleased to play a role in the launch of Concordia’s largest fundraising campaign to date…  unveiling a drive to raise $45 Million for a new world-class health and fitness centre in the north-east corner of Winnipeg. The campaign went public last Friday, at Concordia Foundation’s 30th Annual Gala Fundraising Dinner.

Circle was engaged to design an identity for the state-of-the-art facility, as well as to create marketing tools (literature, exhibit, etc.) and a website for the initiative. Learn more about this exciting project here.

Images (top down) – The Concordia Health & Fitness Centre identity designed by Circle. Conceptual renderings by LM Architectural Group of the exterior, lobby atria, and gym areas. The website design features a “responsive” interface designed to optimize user experience based on the specific viewing device being used.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

The Circle team is proud to congratulate our designer colleague Adrian J.K. Shum, CGD, who has just taken on the mantle of President of GDC Manitoba (see a listing of other GDC Chapter executive members across Canada here).

Founded in 1956, the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC ) is Canada’s national certification body for graphic and communication designers, establishing professional standards and actively regulating professional conduct. The GDC is a member-based organization of design professionals, educators, administrators, students and affiliates in communications, marketing, media and design-related fields. The GDC’s members come together to network, grow professionally, mentor each other, show off their work, and enjoy professional fellowship and camaraderie.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

It’s the final day of Movember! Congratulations to all the Mo Bros and Mo Sistas who’ve supported this year’s campaign. Total funds raised for this year’s Movember campaign exceed $102,711,000 — with Canada once again leading “donations by nation” with a whopping $32,611,833+ !!!

We’re very pleased to report that the 4-man, GDC Manitoba Movember team (comprised of Adrian J.K. Shum, Robert L. Peters, Evan Kuz, and Kirk Warren) raised over $2500! http://ca.movember.com/team/633289 — thanks again for all of your support!

Images (top to bottom): 3 out of 4 members of the GDC Manitoba Movember Team (from left to right – Evan Kuz, Kirk Warren, Adrian Shum); Carisa Romans (Sugarcrumb Confections) our Mo’Sista who showed her support by baking the team “tasteful” moustaches; the gents behind their edible ‘staches; and a composite of “past ‘staches” from Robert L. Peters (who happened to be in Europe on the final day when the other team members gathered for the end-of-Movember lunch).

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Yesterday evening, Adrian J.K. Shum gave a presentation at GDC Manitoba’s Pecha Kucha Night Winnipeg – Volume 12. Adrian’s presentation was about Kyokushin Karate, and featured a live demonstration with students from the Guardian Dojo, culminating in a Tameshiwari (breaking) demonstration.

In addition to being a Senior Designer at Circle, Adrian is also actively involved with the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC), and is the current Manitoba Chapter Vice President and National Representative. Adrian recently also assumed ownership and operations for Guardian Dojo – Kyokushin Karate Canada, where he began his Kyokushin training not long after entering into the design industry.

A video (posted to Facebook via Jeope Wolfe) of his Pecha Kucha Night Winnipeg – Volume 12 presentation has been embedded below (sorry, it’s Flash)…

Images (top to bottom): Adrian meditating before the Tameshiwari (breaking) demonstration, performing a Yoko Geri (side kick – photo via Oliver Oike), embedded Flash video of the presentation (via Jeope Wolfe).

Edmonton, Alberta

On 9 October 2012, Circle’s founder/principal, Robert L. Peters, had the privilege to present Walter Jungkind (Professor Emeritus at the University of Alberta and Icograda President 1974-1977) with the Icograda Achievement Award at an evening event in Edmonton organized in his honour by the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada / Alberta North Chapter.

Created in 2001, the Icograda Achievement Award honours an outstanding career. The Award may be presented to an individual or a team in recognition of outstanding and consistent achievement in the practice, education, or promotion of communication design. Recipients receive a signed certificate and an engraved trophy.

Read more about the award and Walter Jungkind via Icograda here and the GDC here.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

We recently designed a “welcome” sign for the reception area of the West Central Women’s Resource Centre—a community-based initiative in the ethnically diverse West Central neighbourhood of Winnipeg. The sign incorporates 20 of the most common languages used by the centre’s constituents (Canada offers a remarkably multicultural milieu).

Earlier, Circle designed the West Central Women’s Resource Centre’s new graphic identity, stationery, interior and exterior signage, and various promotional materials.

Image: the multilingual “Welcome” we designed for WCWRC.

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Adrian Shum, CGD (a senior designer here at Circle), is an active Kyokushin karateka and black-belt instructor, teaching full contact karate out of the Guardian Dojo. Kyokushin Life is Adrian’s online custom apparel shop (powered by Spreadshirt), created out of a desire for fashionable, custom branded, high-quality apparel for himself, his fellow karatekas, and fans of Kyokushin karate.

The Kyokushin Life store inventory is constantly evolving and being updated—check it out here or contact Adrian directly with any questions or special requests.

Images from top: Mas Oyama (the creator of the Kyokushin Karate style) with the distinctive calligraphic Kyokushinkai-kan kanji; Adrian’s embroidered dogi (uniform) & obi (belt); a sampling of imaged custom apparel and accessories available at the Kyokushin Life online store; a limited edition OYAMA T-shirt featuring an original illustration of the karate master by Adrian (with a nod to the iconic ‘HOPE’ poster designed by Shepard Fairey).

Winnipeg, Manitoba

Besides her creative role as one of Circle’s senior designers, Carisa is drawn to another form of creative expression, one of a culinary nature—Sugarcrumb Confections. Sugarcrumb Confections specializes in hand-iced couture sugar cookies and cupcakes. Carisa’s inspiration came at a young age, spending time in the kitchen watching her mother make fantastic birthday cakes (and waiting to lick the icing off the spatula or beaters!). Her expressions of edible art are best described as beautiful, delicious, and unique handmade confections.

Tempt your taste buds by visiting the Sugarcrumb Confections website and see additional treats on Flickr here. 

Images from top to bottom: an inspirational quote; a trio of gold-specked owl cookies; first birthday cookie platter for Kasper (who’s favourite toy is a duck); pink puppy cupcakes for a little girl turning two; and a birthday cookie platter for Carisa’s ladybug-loving nieces.

Montréal, Quebec

In response to a request by its current board, Robert L. Peters is serving as interim Acting Director for Icograda (the International Council of Communication Design) for a period of several few months, helping this world design body bridge the gap between its outgoing Managing Director, Brenda Sanderson, and the inauguration of a new, incoming Managing Director in early July. Since April, he has been making regular visits to Montréal, where he is responsible for Icograda staff and management of the Icograda Secretariat, which shares office facilities with Icsid (the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design).

Together with IFI (the International Federation of Interior Architects/Designers), Icograda and Icsid constitute the International Design Alliance (IDA). Robert has a long history of involvement with Icograda; he served as its president from 2001-2003, and was involved in the formation of the IDA while serving as an Icograda board member.

Icograda is the world body for professional communication design. It is a non-profit, non-partisan, member-based network of independent organisations and stakeholders working within the multidisciplinary scope of communication design and expanded media. Founded in 1963, Icograda actively promotes the value of design practice, thinking, education, research and policy, representing more than 200 organisations in 67 countries and regions globally. As a partner of the IDA, Icograda’s members believe in interdisciplinary collaboration and the effectiveness of a collective voice to represent the design industry.

Captions for photos: Members of the current Icograda Board, left to right, who were present in Montréal for this term’s third board meeting in May: Jeffrey Ho (Singapore), Sophia Shih (Taiwan), Yesim Demir (Istanbul), Leimei Julia Chiu (current president, Japan), Iva Babaja (Croatia), Gaby de Abreu (South Africa), Kyle Kim (Korea), Sali Sasaki* (France), and Gitte Just (Denmark)—missing were Russell Kennedy (Australia), Vesna Brekalo (Slovenia), and Lawrence Zeegen (United Kingdom) | Outgoing Managing Director Brenda Sanderson and president Leimei Julia Chiu at the farewell dinner arranged in Brenda’s honour.

Winnipeg, Canada

We’re pleased to support the 29th Annual Gala fundraising dinner for the Concordia Foundation, a charitable organization dedicated to preserving the high quality of health and wellness services provided by Concordia (Concordia Hospital, Concordia Place, Concordia Hip & Knee Institute, Concordia Wellness Projects and Concordia Village). This year’s honouree is the well-known and widely-loved media personality Sylvia Kuzyk.

Circle is a sponsor of the gala event, designing the related graphics and collateral materials. Find out more about the Concordia Foundation on their website (which we designed several years ago), here.