Erynn Hayden says she thought she knew what to expect at the 2017 CreateAthon Waterloo-Wellington.
But the third-year graphic design student from Conestoga College – who also participated in last year’s CreateAthon – admits she may have been mistaken.
“I came into this thinking I knew what I was getting into it and yet there were many challenges that came up,” she said Friday (Oct. 20), following a long night work at Alchemy Systems in Guelph.
However, Hayden says she relished these learning challenges at the annual 24-hour creative ‘blitz’ which provided 18 non-profit organizations, including one in British Columbia and Nova Scotia, with free design-and-marketing expertise. Hayden was among dozens of student volunteers from the college’s graphic design and public relations programs that were divided into teams to take part in the event which kicked off Thursday (Oct. 19) morning.
The teams also included art directors and account managers from Alchemy, as well as art directors and account managers and copywriters from Manulife. There were also four additional freelance art directors to round out a number of the professionals who volunteered their time.
The two companies, along with Capacity Canada, sponsored the event which developed from a concept launched in the late 1990s in South Carolina. Today, CreateAthons are held worldwide, with this one being the largest.
“It’s a really cool opportunity to be part of something like this,” said Hayden, whose team was tasked to create marketing materials for Mental Health Without Borders in Kitchener. “I really liked the client we had. It’s a great company to work with.”
Matt Miller, executive-in-residence at Capacity Canada and one of the event’s organizers for the past seven years, said all the pre-planning that went into CreateAthon this year was clearly worth it. It was the largest one to date.
“Just seeing the excitement of the teams on opening day gets you excited,” he said, adding the gratitude of the non-profits when the final projects were unveiled Friday was a bonus.
“We are really helping these organizations compete. This work is professional in every way and is the kind of work that businesses with big budgets expect.”
Miller said each of the non-profits was presented with an ‘invoice’ indicating in dollar amounts how much in design work was done for them. “They then learn how much this would all cost,” he said.
It’s estimated the event resulted in excess of at least $200,000 worth of pro bono design work. (This week is also National Pro Bono Week in North America).
But for the students, CreateAthon had its own value as they learned to test their creative skills and work as a team under tight deadlines, something they will face in their professional careers.
“I definitely work better under pressure,” said Candace Payne, a second-year public relations student.
This was the first year students in this program have taken part and Payne said she jumped at the chance. She was responsible for writing copy to accompany new infographics her team was designing for the Stratford Perth Community Foundation.
“I thought CreateAthon would be a great way to get a look at the business side of things and be great to add to my portfolio,” she said, seated at her laptop in a booth in the Alchemy cafeteria.
Working across from her on another laptop, Manulife volunteer Tanya Voisin was busy using her marketing skills to help Payne’s team bring their vision to life. She said she was thrilled to take part and after a few hours into the work, she was surprised by what the team had accomplished under pressure.
“This is the kind of project you would normally go back and forth with the client for a number of times before it even goes to a designer,” Voisin said, joking she was ready to pull an ‘all-nighter’ to get it done.
For her Manulife co-worker Teressa Van Vliet, who volunteered her graphic design talents to help a team working for the YWCA Kitchener-Waterloo, CreateAthon offered her the chance to return to her professional roots. Prior to joining Manulife, Van Vliet worked in the non-profit sector for 18 years.
“For one day I get back to being in that world, which is awesome,” she said.
As for the staff at Alchemy, which virtually shuts down its Guelph officer for two days, CreateAthon is seen as a way to give back to the community.
“We’re so extremely lucky that our head office gives us so much time to do this,” said Andrea Rudyk, a graphic designer at Alchemy who worked with a team of students creating material to promote summer programs at Chicopee Ski Club in Kitchener. “I think it flexes your creative instincts in a different way.”
“From the get-go, our client has been really great so we have enough information that we can really forge ahead without having to ask too many questions,” Rudyk said.
Hayden said teamwork was vital for helping her group meet its goal. Although she finished her part at around 12:30 a.m. Friday, Hayden stayed on to help the rest of her team.
“I felt we were all on the same wavelength and worked well collaboratively,” she said, joking she was tired after getting only three hours of sleep.
Miller said the unveiling Friday morning in front of many of the non-profit clients spoke volumes to the talents of the students and volunteers.
“I’ve heard from a number of account managers and art directors and they said their clients were amazed, overjoyed and gobsmacked by the amount of work they received and the quality,” he said.
Terry McGuire, Alchemy’s creative director, said CreateAthon has become the company’s major charitable event in Canada since it became involved in 2015. He said it’s also a great way for his staff to give back to the design industry.
McGuire said in the last three years, the CreateAthon program has been adapted slightly to meet the needs of the students.
“We want this to be an excellent experience for the students, that is one of our core beliefs going into this,” he said.
McGuire also hinted the event could be expanded, noting that in 2015, 10 non-profits took part and last year 12 non-profits from fire-ravaged Fort McMurray were the recipients of free design work.
“This year we had 18 clients. I can’t wait for next year,” he said.
Miller agreed and said CreateAthon experienced a 150% increase in the number of teams this year, not to mention additional volunteers from Alchemy and Manulife.
“If Alchemy can fit more teams into their space in Guelph, we certainly could increase our budget and workload to accommodate that,” he said.
Miller said getting non-profits to join would not be a problem.
“I can’t believe there will be a shortage of clients,” he said. “Every year more charities are hearing about the quality and the quantity of the work they get.”
