Art & Design graduate creates brand identity for the Edmonton Firefighter International Sky Climb

One of the perks of Art & Design instructor Sue Colberg’s Visual Communication Design class is the opportunity for students to tackle real world community projects. One such project came from the 2021 Edmonton Firefighter International Sky Climb. The inaugural fundraising event brought firefighters from across North America and the world to climb (in full gear) the tallest building in Western Canada, in support of people fighting cancer.

The event was held on September 19, 2021, at the Stantec Tower in downtown Edmonton. In the months leading up to the event, Sky Climb invited Colberg’s class to design its entire visual identity, including its logo, website imagery, and other marketing materials. Each student presented their vision to Sky Climb, but ultimately it was Angus Bryan’s concept that would be chosen to represent the event.

This was a special honour for Bryan, who was personally familiar with Sky Climb’s co-host, Wellspring Edmonton, a cancer support centre serving Edmonton and Northern Alberta.

“My dad’s a cancer survivor who used the programs at Wellspring,” said Bryan, “so this was a project I felt a personal connection to, and wanted to help in any way I could.”

What would eventually become the Sky Climb logo was inspired by a number of things familiar to firefighters. The “starburst” shape was reminiscent of the firefighter’s cross, the badge seen on firefighters across the world. The logo also alludes to “hovering over a downtown core,” as the shapes make up the facade of buildings similar to those being climbed at the event. And the gradient between red and yellow represented the element of fire, and the danger firefighters protect us from.

“In addition to fire, the red and yellow also symbolize cancer awareness,” says Bryan. “They’re the colours of a sunrise. Every person battling cancer looks forward to seeing that, because it means one more day on the road to recovery, or one more day with their family.”

The Sky Climb is a partnership of Edmonton Fire Rescue Services and Wellspring Edmonton. Since designing the visual identity for Sky Climb, Angus Bryan was further contracted by them to provide additional designs for their internal communications. When he’s not doing design work, Bryan can be found playing tennis, going on bike rides, or doing photography.