Project Dates: June – October 2026

Research Project Title: Place-Based Branding: Developing a Community-Rooted Identity for Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre in Surrey, BC

Shumka Centre is seeking two qualified communication design students for Research Assistant (RA) positions with the Shumka x Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre industry research project running from June to October 2026. RAs will work up to 11-12 hours per week for 21 weeks in a hybrid format with some work/meetings being done in-person in Vancouver and Surrey and some remotely.

This project is a collaboration with Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre (SHSC), a development of Unite Capital Partners in BC’s Lower Mainland—and will explore how place-based branding and participatory design can support the transformation of a suburban shopping centre into a vibrant, community-oriented cultural destination.

RAs will form an innovative design research team led by ECU research staff, Priyanka Poulose and sessional faculty, Sahil Mroke, collaborating directly with Unite Capital Partners’ technical and business leads to co-develop a new brand identity and visual system for Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre in Surrey, BC.

Between June to October 2026, student RAs will work through phased research, community engagement, concept development, identity design, and application cycles; collaborating closely with the industry partner to investigate how place-based branding can communicate local history, cultural identity, and community values.

This is an exciting opportunity to gain hands-on industry experience in research-driven branding, participatory design, and placemaking, contributing to the development of a full logo suite, visual identity system, brand guidelines, and digital + print application mockups for the Strawberry Hill Shopping Centre.

View the full call on The Leeway
Deadline to Apply: 11:59 PM PT on May 25, 2026

Role

• Meet regularly with the Research team to establish project deliverables and working processes, and work collaboratively to solve creative and technical challenges;
• Meet regularly with project partners to ensure that the work aligns with project goals and stakeholder expectations (both in-person and virtually);
• Work in phased sprints contributing to research, participatory engagement, concept development, and identity design activities as outlined in the project timeline;
• Conduct visual and precedent research related to branding, placemaking, community-oriented design, and cultural storytelling;
• Participate in the planning and facilitation of a participatory design workshop during the Strawberry Festival in Surrey (July 11);
• Develop moodboards, visual territories, logo concepts, typography explorations, and identity systems;
• Contribute to the development of brand applications across environmental, digital, and public-facing contexts;
• Integrate feedback from faculty and industry partners through milestone critiques and revision cycles;
• Organize and document digital files according to project standards and timelines;
• Contribute to final documentation and a closing presentation sharing outcomes and learnings with project stakeholders in October 2026.

Eligible undergraduate students may also apply to receive work experience credit for participating.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the project, RAs should be able to:

• Apply iterative branding and visual identity methods within a real-world community-facing project;
• Conduct participatory and place-based design research to inform creative outcomes;
• Develop cohesive visual identity systems across print, digital, and environmental contexts;
• Translate historical, cultural, and community research into clear visual communication strategies;
• Practice collaborative problem-solving within a hybrid academic–industry research environment;
• Communicate research findings, creative rationale, and technical processes through both written documentation and visual presentation;
• Build confidence navigating professional workflows, feedback, and stakeholder engagement through applied research and partnered collaboration;
• Engage with an external partner (Unite Capital Partners) as part of a creative ecosystem beyond the university;
• Manage time efficiently and work effectively in teams or individually, as required.

Eligibility Criteria + Required Qualifications

Candidates must possess the following to be considered for this position:

• Be enrolled at Emily Carr University of Art + Design (3rd / 4th year undergraduate COMD major; MDes program) with a GPA of 3.0 or higher;
• Must reside in British Columbia and hold valid work authorization;
• Demonstrated technical and creative skills across branding, visual identity, communication design, and/or environmental graphic design; and industry-standard tools such as Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign) and Miro;
• Possess strong conceptual thinking and visual storytelling skills;
• Have excellent organizational, research, communication, and presentation skills;
• Be comfortable working collaboratively and responding constructively to iterative feedback;
• Have interest in participatory design, placemaking, community engagement, and/or cultural storytelling;
• Be able to work independently and adapt responsively to changing project conditions;
• Have access to their own laptop/computer;
• Must be available to meet in-person and remotely with company teams and the internal research group as needed;
• Must be available to participate in a final project presentation in October 2026.

Nice-to-Haves

• Professional experience in branding and visual identity design
• Experience facilitating workshops or community engagement activities
• Familiarity with environmental graphics, signage, or placemaking projects
• Motion design, illustration, or photography skills

We encourage applications from students of all backgrounds, identities, and experiences.

For information on compensation and how to apply, visit The Leeway.

This position is contingent on external funding and may be delayed or modified depending on grant or partner commitments.