DesCan

A Modern Identity for a Legacy Organization, Crafting a New Era for Communication Design

The Design Professionals of Canada (DesCan) is the national professional association for graphic and communication designers and has been setting standards for design professionals since 1956. Known as the “Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (GDC)” since 1976, feedback from the industry revealed that the name no longer reflected the evolving nature of the industry. To expand and advance its community, the Society sought a rebrand that better represented its mission and diversity.

Boyle Design partnered with DesCan to spearhead this evolution, which included a strategic framework, new naming, visual identity, and a reinvented digital presence.

Evolving the Brand to Reflect a Changing Industry

At the heart of this shift is a bold logo that identifies the Society. Collaborating with designer John Ngan and adhering to the organization’s tradition of leadership, support, and advancement, the new mark now also points to the future with one signal, a typographic “C”, symbolizing Community, Certification, and Canada. The visual identity includes a curated font and an evolved color system to modernize the organization’s aesthetic.

To align with DesCan’s mission, we worked closely with the DesCan team to define a digital strategy that focuses on the unique needs of each membership segment. Partnering with Christina Lauer, Glance Digital, and Cam Cavers, we integrated the new strategy, messaging, and visual identity into a clean, modern, and user-centric digital presence.

Many professional organizations are known by their initials or acronym. To distinguish the Design Professionals of Canada, and for practical use and branding, a shorthand name—DesCan—was developed.

Defining Excellence with CDP™ Certification

A key component of the rebrand was the redesign of the Society’s CDP™ Certification, the gold standard for professional design communication excellence. The certification signifies rigorous professional standards and leadership within the industry. The program featured collaboration with designer John Ngan, who crafted the distinctive CDP™ and Fellow certificates.

Positioning DesCan for Growth and Influence

The rebrand of the Design Professionals of Canada (DesCan) modernized its identity and broadened its appeal for professionals from diverse communication design disciplines. The updated CDP™ Certification reinforces DesCan’s leadership in the industry, while its digital presence enhances member engagement with tailored content and resources. The rebrand has been praised for its relevance and approachability, laying the groundwork for future growth and influence in Canada’s design community.

descan.ca

The association had the very good fortune to engage with Dennis Boyle of Boyle Design, who accepted the monumental task of updating our brand identity.

Altering an identity that has successfully existed for half a century is always high risk, but even more so given the exceptionally discerning audience base we serve. The task required a designer who could cautiously appreciate the risks while equally welcome the opportunities.

Boyle Design provided a comprehensive brand identity that we are confident will serve the association’s needs for the next several decades. Their strategic thinking went beyond creation of the identity and into deployment of the assets across the country.

We are the ever-grateful beneficiaries of Dennis’ thoughtful and creative guidance and stewardship throughout the process. It is not easy to provide a design solution that will satisfy a group of designers. And yet Dennis did. We are in his debt.

Melanie Macdonald
Director, CDP™