Wanting a career-focused education, Siobhan Barry (IDEA Grad 2026) returned to university for a second undergrad and has learned to seek advice and input from classmates
Meet second-year Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication student, Siobhan Barry (IDEA Grad 2026)! Her self-portrait for IDES 133 - Visual Studio taught last year by Jay Bassan is shown above.
“A big shift happened when I began to seek advice and input from classmates who are skilled in the areas I am weak in. I began to really lean into asking for help. It has enhanced my work, learning, and process immensely.”
Read Siobhan’s story and check out some of her other work for a glimpse into student life at IDEA School of Design Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication at Capilano University.
Self-portrait: Fruit Bowl
I remember specifically feeling tight on time when it came to capturing my self-portrait. In a way, this was a good thing, because I tend to get overly introspective, and could have easily spent a bit too much time brainstorming the right way to express myself in a photograph. Instead, the time restrictions forced me to be creative with what I had around me, i.e., my fruit bowl. Prior to being in the IDEA School of Design’s Bachelor of Design in Visual Communication program, I worked on an organic vegetable farm for a couple of years. I also deeply love food and the potential it has to bring people together, through every step of the food system. Making myself into a fruit bowl was an ode to this part of my past. I literally grabbed what fruit and veg I had and took separate photos of each. Then, in Photoshop, I rearranged everything and created a kale background (I love kale).
I find I get the most inspired when I can channel a sense of play, or humor, in my work. This usually looks like employing lots of bright colors, and striking visuals, and maybe sometimes a bit of randomness too - it leaves the audience guessing! If my self-portrait leaves people a little confused or brings them a laugh, then I’ve achieved my goal. The separate elements of my mood board channel the sense of curiosity that I wanted to accomplish with my photo collage.
Self-portrait mood board by Siobhan Barry (IDEA Grad 2026)
“The Assignment” by Jay Bassan, Instructor
Create a mood board visualizing your Passion, Super Power, Values, Purpose and differentiation (students can use any medium for this).
“The Goal” by Jay Bassan, Instructor
To have students think clearly about how to imagine themselves as a brand and use their final self-portrait as an expression of that. This becomes one of the more interesting projects since it happens near the end of class and students are now comfortable enough with the camera.
I remind students that similar to sketching, where you decide where to put the pencil, pen, or mouse to compose your drawing, where do you put the camera to capture a moment or tell a story?
I get some interesting work.
Experience so far at IDEA School of Design
My experience so far at IDEA School of Design has been amazing. I am blown away by the talent and skill of my classmates and learn from them every day. Our access to instructors who all have industry experience, and provide one-on-one feedback is invaluable. The program has already provided me with so many opportunities to learn about process, brainstorming, and meeting deadlines. I have a liberal arts degree and tried for a few years to get an industry job with my self-taught illustration and design skills. However, since joining IDEA School of Design, I have learned a lot that would have taken much longer to figure out on my own and have access to so much support and tools for improvement. Working in visual communication is about a lot more than just coming up with creative ideas and solutions. I’m extremely grateful to be here and excited every day to get to be creative in this community.
Featured Work
Discrimination in Vancouver Zoning Laws
For this project in our Digital Illustration class, our instructor Shayne gave us the option to create an editorial piece for one of 3 different articles. I was drawn to the Georgia Straight article about how Vancouver’s zoning laws inherently discriminate against its racialized and marginalized communities, prioritizing zoning for single-family homes, (thus favoring a more economically stable—often mostly white—population). I think visual language provides an opportunity to communicate something with a punch, that the written word doesn’t always accomplish. Vancouver housing inequality and economic disparity is a topic that deserves attention, and it was interesting to explore how to portray the stark contrast in how zoning laws affect differently privileged groups with color, texture, and frequency.
Whoopsie! Gotta go!
This was also an editorial illustration, for Pascal’s Studio Illustration class. The ultimate message of the article was that it’s okay to embrace how time cannot be efficiently managed, despite all the ways one might try. This felt all too relevant as an IDEA School of Design student constantly juggling multiple deadlines, and as someone who really has a poor concept of how time passes. I’m still exploring my personal “style” in illustration, but I had fun delving into more of a vintage children’s book aesthetic for this piece. It is a style I’d like to explore more.
ShareGrocer Annual Report
For Vida’s Design Studio class this year, we had to create an Annual Report for an organization or business that serves the public in some way. I envisioned a fictional organization that works to redistribute leftover food from grocery stores and restaurants to food banks or people in need. The goal was to feature the organization’s focus on people, sustainability, and food access. I did this by using color and illustration to aim for an approachable look with a friendly tone.
Why did you choose IDEA School of Design over other schools?
Prior to being an IDEA student, as I job hunted in the Vancouver creative industry, I quickly learned that I needed to elevate my skills and expand my network if I wanted to be successful in landing a job. In my research of different schools, IDEA School of Design at Capilano University stood out for specifically preparing its students for industry work. I really wanted a career-focused education, and to come out of the program with applicable skills, especially because I’m an older student and returning to university for a second undergrad felt like a risky move. I also noticed that several of my favorite Vancouver artists, designers, and illustrators were all IDEA School of Design grads - which said something to me about the quality of the education at IDEA School of Design.
“IDEA School of Design’s Bachelor Of Design in Visual Communication is a career-oriented program for the next generation of creative professionals with concentrations in branding, illustration and interactive design. IDEA School of Design’s Interaction Design Diploma is a two-year program with career outcomes in the field of digital product design and user experience.”
“The purpose of your portfolio is to demonstrate your creative potential. We assess portfolios on drawing skill, design and creativity.”
What’s your first degree?
My first undergrad was a liberal arts degree at Quest University in Squamish. I majored in Cultural Studies and Media Studies. It was a unique educational structure that involved small classes, discussion-based learning, and a block program where we took one class for 3 hours a day, for 3.5 weeks. It was a relatively self-initiated learning structure, where instead of defining a major, you declare a research "Question" in your second year that shapes your final two years of concentration courses (similar to IDEA's program structure in many ways!)
My research question was: "What is the relationship between representation and discourse?" As a visual person, I was really interested in examining the social and emotional effects of visual communication and fine art on an audience, and how visual communication influences cultural norms in productive or problematic ways. In our 4th year, we had to create and present a Keystone project, similar to a thesis project, that could take any shape or form. I channeled my learning and research into a report on the self-representation of women in visual media. The "visual media" part included everything from selfies on Instagram to artistic expression in social justice movements.
My education at Quest greatly influenced my work as a designer and artist and introduced me to some really important academic perspectives on race, gender, and post-colonial studies. This background has definitely enriched my experience at IDEA so far, as I move from thinking more about the social theory of visual communication to creating and designing the visuals. In the time since I graduated in 2018, Quest has been absorbed by Capilano University.
Advice for those considering applying to IDEA School of Design
Don’t let imposter syndrome hold you back! We all struggle with it, and I am beginning to realize it never goes away. I highly recommend going to a Portfolio Review if you can, to get a sense of what instructors think of your work. When I went, I got feedback on what else I could include to have a more well-rounded portfolio. Also - there’s always room to grow, learn, and improve, and you deserve any and all opportunities to explore what that looks like for you. I sat on my dreams of being a design student for 10 years before acting on them - so don’t give up and keep trying!
Highlights from First Year at IDEA School of Design
I love group critiques on the hand-in day of a project when we get to see how each student has interpreted the brief in accordance with their style. Especially during First Year, when the first few rounds felt like a “discovery” of what our classmates are capable of. There were always lots of “awe-dible” gasps.
Fall Highlights from Second Year at IDEA School of Design
In the last month or so, I’ve had a couple of acquaintances reach out about getting some freelance work done for their business or brand - it’s exciting to see more interest in my work after sharing the projects I’ve been completing at IDEA School of Design.
"Breakthrough Moments" at IDEA School of Design
A big shift happened when I began to seek advice and input from classmates who are skilled in the areas I am weak in. Everyone brings different strengths to the class! At first, I felt shy about my weaknesses, but our class is so supportive that I began to really lean into asking for help. It has enhanced my work, learning, and process immensely.
What's your favourite music video?
This is more of a feature film than a music video but I think it counts! I recently saw the concert movie “Stop Making Sense” from The Talking Heads and it’s wildly entertaining:
For more on Siobhan
Insta: @shivrelle
Behance: behance.net/siobhanbarry
