Each year, the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD) invites designers across Canada to enter their work for award consideration. RGD has recently announced the winners of the 2026 RGD Student Awards, which received over 900 entries. This year, two of the 17 awards were given to York University students: Duaa Suhail and Richard Lau for UX (User Experience) Design, and Ashley Loyst for Storytelling.
Loyst, a Junior Information Designer at Klick Health and a class of 2026 York graduate, won with her project, “then/now.” She made the project in her publication design course from various entries into her Notes app, spanning from 2020 to the time of its creation in 2026. “then/now” is “an exploration of self but also an exploration of how we can make the digital into the physical,” says Loyst, calling her piece an “exhibitionist experience.”
Prior to her award, Loyst took part in the RGD Student Committee. Loyst describes the opportunity as “a good experience to connect with people across Canada” but has “no clue” as to whether it had any bearing on her eventual award. “I didn’t really do much,” she recalls, citing that most of the value stemmed from building connections rather than skill-developing.
Faith Innes, a fourth-year Design student at York and Graphics Specialist at The Starfish Canada, won an RGD Award for Editorial Design in 2025 with her project, “notes.” The project follows the mental deterioration of participants of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Innes’ goal when creating “notes.” was to use textiles to represent “different aspects of mental health deterioration through design.”
Innes participated in the RGD Mentorship Program when it first launched in the summer of her first year. As a design student with little experience, Innes says the program was “a pivotal moment.” She attributes much of her growth to “learning how to work with other designers that aren’t your friends,” recalling that her teammates “were all post-graduates working in the industry, so they had a lot more experience and advice to give.” While Innes found the program to be invaluable, she recommends it to designers just beginning their learning journey. According to her, “the more experienced you are, the less you need it.”
Opal P. is in her fourth year of York’s design program and has received two RGD honourable mentions: one in 2025 for Information Design and one this year for Placemaking Design. Opal sees the recognition as “a spotlight” for her projects, which advocate for social issues like supporting unhoused individuals who struggle with substance abuse. Innes shares a similar sentiment, saying that “winning an RGD award definitely puts a spotlight on you.” While Loyst “wouldn’t necessarily say [the RGD Awards are] a milestone,” she reflects that they’re “definitely something that brings people together.”
Although winning an RGD award is not one of Opal’s accolades, she has previously received the Student Award from The Advertising & Design Club of Canada and a Scholarship from DesCan. Recently, Opal sees her biggest accomplishment as winning the Young Ones Award for Branding with her project, “Muay Thai Fest 2027”. Opal finds that this award “focuses more on the design itself,” whereas RGD considers the social and environmental impact of the work in addition to its technical execution.
Design is an incredibly wide and varied field, and Opal believes that York should encourage its students to apply to awards other than RGD’s. “When I ask people, they don’t know about any other awards,” she says, “which is unfortunate.” To Loyst and Innes, the Design program’s support of their students’ long-term careers manifests in other ways. Loyst appreciates the freedom her undergraduate studies gave her in developing projects, explaining that the program “is really great in developing critical thinkers.” Innes cites her TA as somebody who forces her to “explore and keep challenging myself as a designer.”
For York students interested in pushing their skills to the next level, the 2027 RGD Awards will open in December of this year. Eligible competitors must be enrolled in graphic design or a related post-secondary program and become a member of the RGD, which is a $50 annual subscription.
