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Savanna Lawless

Curious & Adventurous Designer

I am a Métis designer who enjoys all aspects of graphic design, approaching each project with thoughtfulness and excitement. Photography, relief, and screen printing fuel my creativity, while studying in the Netherlands sparked a passion for systems design. Lately, I’ve been combining my heritage with my love of design through thoughtful meaningful projects.

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My Design Process

Learning about systematic design has shaped my design process, and I apply it to everything I design.

01 Empathize

Engaging with users and empathizing with their needs at every stage of the design process is essential to good design.

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  • Flushed out personas

  • Interviews

  • Research

03 Ideate

The next step is to think as big and wide as possible. How can we solve this design challenge by thinking outside the box?

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  • Brainstorm

  • Go big!

  • Get crazy!

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02 Define

Now that I have gained critical insights it’s time to narrow the scope and distill the project down to it’s main goal.

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  • Narrow the scope

  • Define guiding principles

  • What are the users needs?

04 Deliver

It’s time to narrow the focus again and deliver a prototype, design, or solution tailored to each unique project.

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  • Have I met the user's needs?

  • Let’s start testing!

  • How will our stakeholders be supported
    after this project is over?

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Care to learn more?

Savanna Lawless uses her experience and work ethic to her advantage.

As a graduating graphic design student at Vancouver Island University, I have had the opportunity to work on diverse projects, including studying abroad in Utrecht, The Netherlands. Before university, I worked as a Red Seal carpenter on major commercial infrastructure and wood-framed construction projects. Recently, I combined my design, photography, and carpentry skills during an internship at Ron Anderson Sons (RAS), a prefab manufacturing and installation company in Chemainus.

My life experience has motivated me to excel at university, where I’ve participated in work-ops, including building a website in my second year and creating social media content for The View Gallery, VIU’s on-campus art gallery. Over the summer, the chair of the graphic design department invited me to serve as a student representative within the Arts and Humanities faculty. I now attend monthly meetings with student reps and Dr. Claire Grogan, the Dean of Arts and Humanities. I am also a student-member-at-large on CHLY, VIU’s campus and community radio station board.

Growing up in a multicultural, blue-collar neighbourhood in East Calgary and embracing my Métis heritage have shaped my values of connection, sustainability, and cultural awareness. While studying in Utrecht, I participated in the Co-Design Minor, a student-run studio tackling real-world challenges tied to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. I returned eager to apply these skills and am currently working on an Indigenous language app and a capstone project informed by my research.

Outside of school, I run a printmaking business, selling at markets and online. I love photography, travelling, and immersing myself in nature, music, and fiction whenever possible.

Contact

Looking forward to hearing from you

Email

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