Meet Cassie and Karen, our talented Practicum Students from the Capilano University IDEAS Program. In their final semester, these two jumped straight into the deep end — tackling everything from internal projects to assisting with client work, including website design, production tasks, and charming illustrations for the Old Spaghetti Factory.
Whether working solo or teaming up, they brought fresh ideas, thoughtful solutions, and the kind of sharp design instincts that make you say, “Yep, they get it.” Always collaborative and always upbeat, Cassie and Karen were a pleasure to have around the studio—and we’ll definitely miss their energy, and their shared love of Mexican food and ketchup chips.
Read their Q&A below to find out more about their time at H18.
Q: QUICK WORD ASSOCIATION! WHAT WORDS BEST DESCRIBE YOU?
CASSIE (C): Expressive, illustrative, and pitifully funny
KAREN (K): Cats, tea, Figma, and super funny
Q: IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE (AND WHY)?
C: I’ve always wanted to fly! As a kid, I watched shows like Winx Club, and that’s always made me wonder if it’d be liberating to be suspended in the air and look over the whole world from that birds-eye perspective. It’d also be awesome to transport myself anywhere, anytime.
K: Definitely to be able to teleport. Commuting is the bane of my existence, and being able to zap in and out of places seems like the dream!
Q: WHAT WAS YOUR FOCUS DURING YOUR STUDIES AT CAPILANO U?
C: I was in the branding concentration, but I’ve dipped my toes into every concentration (UI/UX & Illustration). I feel like the branding concentration is pretty loose and can encompass a wide variety of media.
K: I was in open concentration at Capilano with a focus on UI/UX and illustration. But I then sided towards branding for my final semester, so a bit of everything, I suppose!
Q: WHAT ARE YOUR HOPES AND PLANS AFTER GRADUATION?
C: The dream would be to start as a junior designer at an agency/studio, then lead up to art director at some point. However, I’m taking on any opportunity that I can learn from!
K: I hope to enter a studio as a junior designer or junior art director. If anyone is looking for an upbeat and fast learning designer, please reach out!
Q: WORKING IN THE GASTOWN OFFICE OFFERS GREAT PLACES TO EAT, WHICH WAS YOUR FAVOURITE?
C: The temptations of getting a fresh onigiri from Takenaka Uni Bar always got the best of me and Karen. We found ourselves popping by even on days we brought lunch from home!
K: Cassie and I would often find ourselves at the Takenaka Uni Bar grabbing spicy salmon onigiri for lunch.
Q: WHAT IS THE MOST VALUABLE THING YOU LEARNED WHILE WORKING AT H18?
C: Not to worry about jumping in on brainstorming and pitching your opinion. A lot of the time, that shows you really care about a project, so people are pretty open to hearing that.
K: Not to be afraid to ask questions and get clarification on tasks. It can actually save you more time at the end of the day.
Q: YOUR FAVOURITE PROJECT YOU WORKED ON AT H18?
C: I enjoyed creating illustrations for the Old Spaghetti Factory. It felt like we got to be more creative and open with that project, and I love how all the illustrations turned out.
K: I had so much fun coming up with logo sketches for an H18 client. I had left before finding out what direction they chose to go in, so I am looking forward to seeing what happened!
Q: WHAT DO YOU SEE AS YOUR BIGGEST SUCCESS DURING YOUR PRACTICUM?
C: I felt like my mini win of the practicum was having my moodboard/colour palette selected for the brand refresh of BEST Mobility. I wasn’t entirely expecting that, so it was a pleasant surprise.
K: Honestly, I was really proud of how I meshed with the studio environment and working with the team. This was my first experience with industry, and the future seems way less daunting now!
Q: IS THERE ANYTHING THAT SURPRISED YOU ABOUT THIS PRACTICUM EXPERIENCE?
C: I didn’t really realize how much we’d be contributing to projects. I had this idea that entry-level ‘intern’ positions were more for doing the minor edits, following the rules to a specific task, and bringing the coffee (metaphorically speaking). I felt like I was open to making creative decisions at H18, and it took a bit of time for me to wrap my head around it.
K: It may sound silly, but I was surprised by how much I could actually do/help out with. I was given such a wide range of tasks and worked on things I had never done before. I never would have thought of myself as savvy with Photoshop, but that ended up being the program I spent the majority of my time in.
Q: WHAT MADE YOU GO WITH HANGAR 18?
C: I really loved the team energy and the projects that I saw when I was doing my research for practicum. I also remembered having Vida as a professor in first year, and she was super supportive and kind, so having that in mind made it all the easier to make my decision.
K: I knew I wanted to experience studio life with a small team. This would give me a wide range of responsibilities and get to know my colleagues better.
Q: WHAT’S YOUR GUILTY PLEASURE?
C: Salmon (in any variation! Cooked, smoked, sushi, sashimi…). I definitely feel guilty about it because I’m contributing to their endangered status.
K: A can of Coca-Cola ❤️
Q: ANY LAST WORDS (OR PARTING WISDOM)?
C: Don’t be afraid to say something; it shows your dedication and passion to a project, person, or event. I’m still working on putting this into practice myself, but I’ve usually had better outcomes from speaking my mind.
K: Trust yourself and don’t be ashamed/afraid to make mistakes! The most important lessons I have learned have been through messing up and asking for help! In life and in design—haha.