What they needed
Student voting in Canada was at an all-time low, with fewer than 40% of students casting a ballot in most provincial and federal elections.
The Canadian Federation of Students wanted to change that. So they looped us in to redesign their materials and share complex topics in ways that everyone can understand—and act on. In short, they wanted to spark a movement.
How we helped
So we got moving and designed appealing campaigns for two key groups. For decision-makers, we created a lobby document that highlighted key stats and issues facing today’s students. For students, we launched a campaign to encourage them to get out and vote. And we made this extra easy for them, by pointing them to advanced polling stations now available on their campus.
A record-breaking result
Their new campaigns moved mountains. Thanks to the clarity of the document for government officials, CFS was invited to a government roundtable to discuss their ideas to resolve student issues. That same year, 57% of students voted—the highest number in Canadian history.
Fighting for fair tuition
On average, international students pay four times more tuition than Canadian students. We worked on a campaign to highlight this fact, with a focus on Saudi students. Due to government changes, they were being forcefully deported mid-education. In this campaign, we were inspired by mosaics, which represent people coming together to support fairness for Saudi and other international students in Canada.








Knowing their rights
Too often, Muslim students at post-secondary institutions face discrimination or harrassment. To help them understand their rights, we designed a guide with tips for asking for religious accommodation and more. The layout uses beautiful Middle Eastern patterns and a green accent, a colour that is revered in the Muslim world.




Arming voters with the facts
With bold creatives inspired by redacted government documents, the It’s No Secret campaign exposed issues students face, such as rising debt. The visually arresting designs helped spur more students to vote at the next election.





Branching out
When the Manitoba branch of CFS saw our designs, they reached out for work of their own. We worked with them to recreate their website and design campaigns on the cost of textbooks.



