Wilfrid Laurier University

This piece was designed as part of the Welcome Centre for Wilfrid Laurier University. It reflects the journey through education and shows what it means to be a Wilfrid Laurier student. The school’s motto, “Stay Golden” is at the heart of the design, surrounded by imagery that relates to the university, both literally and symbolically. 
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Prior to starting the design process, plenty of research was done to establish what this piece should represent. Students were interviewed about what they would like to see in the space, and what it meant to them to be a Laurier student. Countless hours were spent searching through the school archives, gathering inspiration from their history.

Some of the key pieces that were included are buildings from the Waterloo and Brantford campuses, the Wilfrid Laurier statue, the maple leaf from the school’s logo, the Friendship Bench, and the Golden Hawk floor tile (which is also the Laurier Athletics logo). The school was also recently named Ontario’s most sustainable campus, which is represented by the flowers, foliage, and student riding a bike (which was also drawn to resemble the bike racks on campus). To further represent the friendly and caring nature of Laurier, hundreds of hearts were hidden throughout the design. They appear in the clouds, the flower petals, the leaves of the trees–nearly everywhere. 
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The overall style of the piece was inspired by the warmth and ease of 1970s illustration. The school officially changed its name to Wilfrid Laurier University in 1973, and this was an artistic way to represent that period in the school’s history. Additionally, it perfectly complemented the motto “Stay Golden” as well as the school’s colour palette of purple and gold.