Client: George Brown College – Thesis Project
My Role: Brand Designer, Editorial Designer, Illustrator
Goals: Celebrate and preserve Ukrainian-Canadian cultural identity| Create a cohesive visual system for editorial, branding, and merchandise| Support community connection through storytelling and symbolic design.
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Toloka is a community-focused design project inspired by the Ukrainian tradition of toloka—a volunteer-based act of collective help. The project includes a cultural magazine, a souvenir kit, and a visual identity system rooted in both Ukrainian and Canadian symbols.
The brand name draws its inspiration from the Ukrainian tradition of “toloka,” which is a community-driven volunteer effort to help neighbors and friends with their harvesting or building, and renovating houses.
The letters of the logo are in a chaotic position to reflect the group’s work of people as though you are looking at them from above. The thread serves as the unifying visual element to express the word’s meaning. Besides, it gives the flow for the reader’s eye to read the word correctly.
First deliverable: a Ukrainian-Canadian cultural magazine. The publication focuses on the preservation and promotion of Ukrainian culture in Canada. It highlights the traditions, history, art, and other aspects of the Ukrainian community living in Canada, and provides a platform for Ukrainian Canadians to share their experiences and connect with their cultural roots.
Second deliverable: Promotional Kit of variable souvenirs with unique patterns so-called Ukrainised Canadian symbols. Supporting a Canadian - Ukrainian Community Organization by donations the client gets items with unique patterns, based on Ukrainian embroidery with elements of national Canadian symbols.
The icons draw inspiration from traditional Ukrainian embroidery, known for its talismanic significance. Combining Canadian symbols with Ukrainian vyshyvanka-style embroidery, they visually represent the fusion of Canadian and Ukrainian cultures, reflecting the richness and diversity of the Ukrainian-Canadian community.
The patterns are meticulously crafted in a stylized, geometric Ukrainian embroidery style, showcasing a blend of cultural artistry. These intricate designs capture the essence of Ukrainian heritage, adding a unique and eye-catching dimension to the portfolio.