Written by Stephanie, MSA Student Copywriter Lead. January 11th, 2024.
The South African national moved to Canada when she was eight years old. Later, Price discovered the graphic design program at her high school's college fair.
"I wanted to go to Mohawk, but my parents wanted me to go to university and get that experience," Price said. "So, I got a degree in art at Wilfrid Laurier University, majoring in sociology and environmental studies."
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Price was working to pay off her student loans and decided to enroll in Mohawk's one-year art foundations program to determine if graphic design was something she wanted to pursue. After receiving a 98 GPA in art foundations, she signed up for the three-year graphic design program.
According to Price, she moved to Hamilton for the graphic design program after living in Kitchener, Waterloo, for ten years.
"I'm really committed," Price said. "If I want to make these things happen, It's on me. I am in charge of how my future will unfold, so I want to put 110 percent in everything I do."
It's beneficial for all students to get as much working experience as possible before they graduate to ensure they can find work in their field. Price took that advice to heart, starting as a graphic design tutor with Mohawk's Learning Support Centre and progressing to work as a student graphic designer with the Mohawk Students Association (MSA) in the second year of her program while also doing freelance work.
"I like to share design tips and tricks to make people's lives easier," Price said. "You and I can have the same paintbrush, and that's okay because we both paint differently."
As she completed her second year in her program, The MSA promoted Price to Student Graphic Design Lead. Price is the first graphic design student the MSA promoted to a leadership position as part of its Journey to Leadership program.
According to Emily McGregor, the MSA user experience graphic design specialist, Price is resilient throughout the design process and maintains a good attitude.
"I'm so proud to have her beautiful artwork in our space; it makes me so happy every time I look at it," McGregor said.
Price has worked on various design projects at the MSA that have become permanent fixtures at Mohawk College, from designing the physical and digital versions of the MSA Impact Report to, most recently, the Clubs & Communities mural outside the Arnie.
According to Price, the concept for the mural came from the MSA Clubs & Communities Specialist, Hibo Ahmed.
"She wanted a place for Clubs and Communities to share information about what's going on," Price said. "So, we wanted to create something that would catch students' eyes as they walked through the halls and make them want to stop and look."
The mural follows a new design concept where the design begins on the wall and then bleeds onto the floor, creating an immersive effect for anyone who stands in front of it. There are multiple removable speech bubbles that students can use as props in their selfies and snap frames, which allows the MSA Clubs & Communities department to swap out their posters and flyers according to whatever they need to advertise that semester.
According to Hibo Ahmed, the Clubs & Communities Specialist at the MSA, the mural has positively impacted students and the Clubs & Communities program overall.
"When discussing ideas for the wall, I was overjoyed to see the light in Claire's eyes," Ahmed said. "...The wall turned out better than I imagined; watching the ideas come to life in such a vibrant, eye-catching way was thrilling."
According to Price, she used many MSA sub-brand colours throughout the design, with Clubs & Communities yellow dominating the mural.
"I wanted the wall to look like a giant, abstract, cool, curvy, motion full design," Price said. "I feel like the branding style at the MSA is to use dots, curves, and soft edges because we're just going with the flow and having a good time."
Many graphic design artists have a niche they like to work with—some like creating logos, print illustrations, or designing murals.
According to Price, she has yet to find her niche but is focused on illustration, print design, and UX/UI design as she finishes her final year.
"That's why I chose the name 'Price Design Studio' for my portfolio," Price said. "I don't want to confine myself to being Claire, the illustrator, because I like to do various things."
Check out the MSA Impact Report, the MSA Clubs & Communities mural, and some other original Price designs at PriceDesignStudio.com. Visit the MSA website to learn how to get involved and leave your mark at Mohawk College.