CHALLENGE & STRATEGY:
As the lead creative strategist for the University’s primary recruitment tool, I was tasked with translating the Institutional Strategic Plan into a tangible brand experience for a discerning Gen Z audience. My objective was to move beyond traditional information delivery, creating a high-impact communications asset that balanced complex administrative "how-to" data with an emotive "why" narrative.
IMPACT:
The viewbook served as the cornerstone of the National Recruitment Strategy, successfully unifying disparate departmental messaging into one flagship piece that defined the University of Alberta brand for the 20XX recruitment cycle.
LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION:
Directing a multi-disciplinary team of photographers and copywriters to execute a "dual-entry" conceptual framework, the flip-book was conceived. Allowing for a non-linear user journey that respects the student’s specific stage in the decision-making funnel allowed us to maximize engagement across diverse demographics while maintaining a singular, cohesive institutional voice.
Additional credits:
Photography: Jeanette Sesay & Conor McCracken
Copywriting: Jessica Murphy
CHALLENGE & STRATEGY:
To support the University’s out-of-province awareness campaign, I spearheaded a multi-phased digital strategy targeting a highly competitive national high-school demographic. Recognizing the high level of "ad fatigue" among Gen Z, I moved away from traditional academic sales pitches in favour of an engagement-driven approach. The strategy was to build long-term brand affinity by integrating the University into the students’ social feed through seasonal cultural touchpoints rather than transactional recruitment messaging.
IMPACT:
This campaign successfully shifted the recruitment narrative from "information-heavy" to "experience-focused," establishing a unique visual vernacular for the University that significantly cut through digital noise. This series served as a high-performing proof-of-concept for non-traditional marketing within the institution, directly contributing to increased brand recall and positive sentiment among prospective national students.
LEADERSHIP & INNOVATION:
I oversaw the creative lifecycle for five distinct campaign flights, directing animation and videography to produce high-engagement assets, including claymation, gamified content, and motion graphics. By championing "surprise and delight" as a core tactical requirement, I pushed the boundaries of traditional public-sector marketing. I managed the project from behind-the-scenes conceptualization to final deployment, ensuring all non-traditional media remained strictly aligned with the overarching institutional brand identity.
Gamification, video, and animation content can be viewed here; a behind-the-scenes look at the claymation project can be viewed here.
Additional Credits:
Illustration, Sculpture, & Art Direction: Jennifer Kowton
Animation: Susie Scott
Videography: Jordon Hon
Copywriting: Adam Gaumont & Jessica Murphy
BACKGROUND:
In order to convert high-achieving, high-school students from applicants to attendees, the University of Alberta sent out direct-mail, swag boxes aimed at selling the university through its school spirit.
OUTCOME:
Generation Z views university as a “rite of passage”, and as such, the design system employs a feeling of nostalgia students associate with a transitionary period in their lives. My design concept leveraged this preference and utilized school-spirit-type messaging to reinforce the importance of this exciting time. A series of five 360-degree videos were created and used with the google cardboard also sent in the package.
This year, our yield package underwent significant changes to align with new brand guidelines — the updated box and its content can be viewed here.
Design:
Jennifer Kowton & Susie Scott
Art Direction:
Jennifer Kowton
Videography:
Jordon Hon
Copywriting:
Jessica Murphy & Becky Mildon
BACKGROUND:
In 2008 I began working on a side-project that quickly took over as my primary design-focus for almost six years. Alongside my business partner, Charlotte Falk, I published a quarterly, Canadian-focused magazine and subsequent website with a weekly blog article.
As described by the Globe and Mail, Display Magazine: “...galvanizes little-known designers from across the country and packages their work into an intellectual and sometimes irreverent representation of national cool.”
OUTCOME:
We promoted everything and anything about design in Canada. By drawing on the passions of creative individuals from all disciplines, Display was literally made by designers for designers — nothing creative was off limits!
BACKGROUND:
In support of our Institutional Strategic Plan and National Recruitment Strategy, these videos help support our efforts to attract top students from across diverse communities in Alberta and across Canada. As a part of a larger pool of resources available to students, these videos are an additional communications tool for our prospective student audience (Gen Z). Research shows that our target audience relies on our website as their most utilized source for information, and video is the way they consume most of their content.
OUTCOME:
Over the last few years, a number of recruitment videos were created to be used on our website as well as during in-person recruitment events. Our goal was to continue to build on the existing print materials and use our expertise, research, and consultations to make the most effective and impactful videos possible for our target audience.
Art Direction:
Jennifer Kowton & Susie Scott
Videography:
Jeanette Sessay & Jordon Hon
Copywriting:
Jessica Murphy
Posters are always a fun way to showcase your design-chops. They typically contain only a small amount of information necessary for the event and are a wide-open, blank canvas for creativity. As is the case with most designers, being asked to create a poster is one of my favourite requests. Here are a few of the ones I had a bit of fun designing for the Edmonton & District Labour Council, the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation, Strategic Alliance for Alberta Students with Learning Challenges, the Law Enforcement Torch Run (for Special Olympics), and the University of Alberta.
BACKGROUND:
Convocation is the largest and most anticipated event on campus each year. Shown are two different videos for the same event:
The first video is used as the intro to the ceremony, congratulating the graduates on their hard work in a very unique time.
The second was created to help students understand what to expect at their convocation event, demonstrating the lead-up process to Convocation as well as what happens during the actual ceremony.
Art Direction:
Jennifer Kowton
Videography:
Jeanette Sessay & Jordon Hon
Copywriting:
Jessica Murphy
BACKGROUND:
As part of the Yield package, top award recipients that accepted their offer to attend the U of A were invited to be part of an exclusive breakfast with the University President. This event was available only to a select group of students who received high-level entrance scholarships and awards. In addition to the university President, deans from faculties with student representation, the Board of Governors, and past recipients were in attendance.
OUTCOME:
For this event, the space was decorated with University of Alberta colours and paraphernalia. The event was branded using elements of the U of A crest but in a more youthful way, making it apropos of the event.
Design:
Susie Scott
Art Direction:
Jennifer Kowton
Photography:
Jeanette Sesay
BACKGROUND:
The University of Alberta updated the Student Service Centre with the intention of making the administrative process easier for both current and prospective students. By placing all student services under one roof and organizing the service delivery model under the Student Connect umbrella, students were better able to navigate university administration.
OUTCOME:
In order to make the space as user-friendly as the new service delivery model, I developed a series of wall decals and directional signs that lead the student through the building. Using data and experience from the previous system, I identified areas where branding and directional signage needed to be improved in order to optimize user flow and minimize confusion.
Design & Illustration:
Jennifer Kowton
Art Direction:
Jennifer Kowton
Copywriting:
Adam Gaumont
BACKGROUND:
University of Alberta student services are all accessed through the Office of the Registrar and are divided, internally, by unit type. However, this organizational structure is not accessible to the student audience, and as such, the administrative services required a rebrand to help students navigate their way through the services necessary to their degree.
OUTCOME:
The Student Connect visual identity was updated in 2016 to more accurately reflect the nature of U of A services from a student perspective. New service categories and a suite of icons were developed to provide a clear and cohesive identity for each category, making it easier for students to recognize and understand. They are all distinct but fit within the larger Student Connect identity.
Design:
Susie Scott
Art Direction:
Jennifer Kowton
Copywriting:
Alison Bulloch & Kennedy Anderson
BACKGROUND:
As University of Alberta recruitment efforts expand to include an out-of-province strategy, so does the need to communicate what living in Edmonton (and potentially on campus) looks like to prospective students. As such, a “campus life experience” program was developed for out-of-province Grade 11 students. By flying the participants into Edmonton and hosting them on campus, the goal was to excite and entice them with the chance to experience what the U of A has to offer.
OUTCOME:
The program was advertised via social media, direct mail, and in high-school advertisement outlets. A series of postcards, posters, and digital banners were created for the event, as was a marketing video to showcase the type of activities that were planned for the student guests.
Design:
Jennifer Kowton
Art Direction:
Jennifer Kowton
Photography:
Jessica Fern Facette
Videography:
Jeanette Sesay
BACKGROUND:
Every summer, West Edmonton Mall creates an ad-mail campaign that targets junior and senior high school students, as well as their parents. The goal is to promote the multitude of options available for their back-to-school shopping endeavours, while still acting as an attractive ad campaign for the rest of the population.
OUTCOME:
These are two examples of promotional items created for WEM in previous years. The first example was based on a history textbook that placed the students in the text, making them a part of their own history. The second was two large-format fold-out posters — both designs were mailed out, therefore allowing the student to self-identify with one of the individuals.
