Emily Carr's Degree Exhibition 2011 is an exhibit of works from this year's 306 graduates being shown from May 7-22 at 1399 Johnston Street on Granville Island. To raise awareness of what promises to be an incredible show we've invited a couple of the graduates to share their life and work in a couple of special editions of The Proof. First up is Shelagh McLellan who has just completed her Bachelors in Industrial Design!
I have been given the task of describing Shelagh. As her supportive partner (a.k.a. roommate, or, since dressing up as her bride last Halloween, the title of “wife” seems to have stuck among friends) you can only imagine the repertoire of fascinating information I could divulge, but I’ll reserve my comments to focus on her artistic profile. What makes Shelagh truly unique is her capacity to assume any means of solving a problem. She is rigorous in her ability to dissect any object, system, and (for those who know her have divulged many secrets) person. During her time in the Design program at Emily Carr, She had some successful encounters with private enterprise (the 2010 Olympic Visa project, an internship at Fluevog, etc.), but for a final project Shelagh chose to solve a very real problem in the public sector; working with physicians and youth at BC Children's Hospital, Shelagh contemporized the system of communication between these two parties to make it more engaging, ultimately improving the healthcare for young patients. This project is a perfect display of how Shelagh can yield to a complex process and somehow come out the other end delivering clarity. She has found balance between keen organization and genuine light-heartedness that characterizes her work and her person. Mixed with inquisitiveness and generosity, I give you Shelagh: Designer.
-Sarah Storteboom
The Proof
01 I had the opportunity to take a summer class at Emily Carr where we made a point of purchase display for Visa's Go World campaign during the Olympics. My group also consisted of Stephanie McCarty, Sam Dal Monte and was selected to go into production and was on display in 350 stores during the Olympics.
02 Let me introduce to you the AIESEC UBC executive board of 2009-2010 which I was a part of as Vice President of Outgoing Exchange. A year filled with laughter, struggles and endless learning experiences, I emerged as a confident leader. I learned skills I would never have developed in a school course.
03 This is my exhibit of "on trac" in the Emily Carr 2011 Grad Show, come check it out.
04 Proof of my B.DES in Industrial Design. Couldn't have done it without the support from family and the amazing friends I have made along the way.
05 Last summer I was a design intern for Fluevog. I learned something new every day, and I am honored to have a pair of shoes named after me, and obviously I had to have them. Shoe Family: Truth, Shoe Style: Shelagh.
06 Duck collection. The bride and groom duck were bought for our wedding as cup cake toppers.
07 The recycling station I have going on in my room. The labels are donate, sell, electronic recycling, garbage and paper. I am moving to Sweden and can only bring about 2 suitcases of stuff, so there is some drastic reduction going on.
08 I color coordinate my life. My gmail and my moleskin agenda and my notebook are all coordinated with the same colors for each project.
The Questions
What neighborhood do you live in?
I live in Marpole, which also happens to be the same area my grandmother was born, which a quite a co-incidence considering I am born and raised in Norway.
What do you do and where?
I have just completed my Bachelors in Industrial Design at Emily Carr University, and will continue to work on my graduation project "on trac" during the summer. As school is over and the 12 hour days in a hot pink house coat have come to an end, I begin to work from home and enjoy the city during daylight hours before I move to Sweden to do my Masters in Interaction Design in the autumn.
What are you working on?
I am currently working on my graduation project "on trac" where I have designed an iPad application to help facilitate communication between youth and doctors. It acts as a pre-screening tool with questions linked with actions and icons for the doctor to understand where the youth is at, so they can relay relevant information to them and start the conversation. Otherwise I am regaining sanity from a very intense school year.
Where can we find your work?
My website: ShelaghJoyce.com
Twitter: @Shelaghjoyce
