HEQCO Work-Integrated Learning Handbook
About the client
Created through the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario Act, 2005, HEQCO is an agency of the Government of Ontario that brings evidence-based research to the continued improvement of the postsecondary education system in Ontario. As part of its mandate, HEQCO evaluates the postsecondary sector and provides policy recommendations to the Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development to enhance the access, quality and accountability of Ontario’s colleges and universities.
ClientHigher Education Quality Council of Ontario (HEQCO)ServicesArt Direction, Editorial Design, Print Production, PDF Accessibility CompliancyYear2016
The challenge
The HEQCO commissioned us to create the handbook layouts for their Work-Integrated Learning Guide. The handbook was jam packed with useful resources, tips, tools and exercises which made the content quite long and overwhelming. We were tasked with art direction and producing the final editorial layouts for both print and online.
The approach
After exploring several cover concepts, we decided on the cover design that allowed us to showcase a variety of images of people learning through work-integrated practices to illustrate how the handbook’s theories can be applied to a wide diversity of occupations and learning opportunities. The handbook was produced in both English and French and was made available through print and digital accessible PDFs.
Establishing hierarchy and consistency
Since the handbook content was filled with a large number of exercises, tips, checklists and other useful resources, we had to ensure we didn’t overwhelm readers with too much information. We established hierarchy by introducing full page chapter openings, standardized heading styles and establishing a visual system to label featured content. Colourful infographics and images were used throughout to break up the content into easily digestible chunks.
