Graphic Communications Management students create 21 large-scale chalk murals in the SLC

Throughout the winter semester, students participating in the GCM 806 Advanced Typography class, led by instructor Diana Varma, worked in teams to ideate, mock-up and install large-scale, typographic chalk murals in the Student Learning Centre (SLC). Throughout the process, the SLC’s management team briefed students on the project and their mandates, heard live pitch presentations by the students about their concepts, and provided feedback and final approvals.

“It was wonderful to facilitate an activity that would allow students to leave a “lasting legacy,” existing to be seen by more than a single person in the D2L assignment submission,” said Varma. “It can be enjoyed by the community for months to come.”

The large-scale tactile nature of the project allowed students to bring their designs to life, outside of the classroom and beyond the computer screen. Students gained practical experience pitching to a client they received and applied feedback from, as well as mimicked professional relationships in a welcoming environment. Tasked with creating positive messages relating to the nearby floor themes, while maintaining space and flexibility for creative interpretation, they worked within the creative constraints and exercised creative problem solving in the process.

For fourth-year GCM student Kennedy Thornton, the project was an opportunity to apply course knowledge while developing instrumental career skills. She also mentioned that her peers liked the fact that they could create a mural like this in a high-traffic building on campus and it felt like they were creating for the community and in partnership with the campus-at-large.

"It was really exciting working in a group-like setting in this client-designer relationship scenario,” she explained. “This project felt like something I can expect when I graduate, where a team of designers all work together for one client. Working with my peers to creatively brainstorm a cool idea, then pitching it to a real client was a really fun, and practical experience."

According to Varma, these hands-on activities foster high levels of student engagement and participation throughout the whole process, contributing to high levels of agency and creative expression.

“Highly engaged students produce high-quality work, while also enjoying the process, is a rewarding outcome as an educator,” remarked Varma. “It was fantastic to see the levels of encouragement between different groups, seeing what others were working on and feeling a sense of community in a collaborative creative process.” 

Varma notes that she saw high levels of student engagement and participation throughout the whole process, even during a time that is usually busy and stressful for students. 

“The word “fun” was expressed many, many times, which was exciting and rewarding feedback as an educator,” she said. “It was amazing to see the buzz of the excitement of installation days, in particular.” 

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