EDITOR'S Note: This story was originally published in the April issue of GCU Magazine, available in the purple bins around campus or digitally.
Chris Murphy saw what Grand Canyon University design students needed most to prepare them for a professional role: a platform for creative expression that would develop practical skills from lessons learned in class.
So the College of Arts and Media associate professor of design invited students to join Design United, a once-a-week design club that engaged them with challenging creative projects.
After years of growth, it was time to take things one step further.
In summer 2024, Design United became Canyon Creative, a student-run creative agency whose members work with real clients to gain professional experience. It operates as a hybrid between a professional agency and academic class.
The agency in March won five gold medals for excellence at the American Advertising Federation’s Phoenix awards show.
“I just saw a need for students who wanted to push themselves a little more,” Murphy said. “As we kept moving forward, Design Chair Sheila Schumacher suggested we change the name to Canyon Creative because Design United sounded too much like it was only for design students. We wanted to make it more inclusive.
“There is a lot of creativity on campus with our students that we never see. President Brian Mueller laid out a really great vision for the university, wanting us to integrate more of a professional (industry) environment into the class structure. It challenged us to move it in that direction, and it was really great to watch this group collaborate so well together.”
The first Canyon Creative team consisted of eight students meeting in a small open space in the College of Arts and Media. The creative agency quickly gained traction once Murphy introduced it as an internship opportunity. Students can apply to join, and if accepted, they can substitute their final semester with a 12-credit internship. Students also can serve as volunteers or apply to become student workers.
Murphy’s next thought: We are going to need a bigger space.
What was once the Academic Centers for Excellence tutoring location in Encanto Apartments turned into an office and working space for Canyon Creative at the start of the 2024 fall semester. By spring, membership grew from eight to 30 students, quickly maxing out the new space.
“Professor Murphy stopped by my class once to explain the internship opportunity he would introduce, and I jumped on it right away,” advertising and graphic design senior Bethany Brainard said. “I had been thinking about looking for an internship, and it seemed like the perfect opportunity. We don’t have a lot of opportunities like that in class to work with others, and to be able to have that on my resume is great.”
In its short time operating as a creative agency, Canyon Creative has established an impressive repertoire of clients and curated projects that have allowed students to gain real-life experience before graduating from college.
The team has rebranded and styled College of Arts and Media programs, including a beautification project with esports and producing marketing for theatre, music and dance. It also has revised brand identity for industry insights podcast GeekRockTV, published GCU student magazine 24 Pages (the Student Best of Show winner at the recent American Advertising Federation competition), and designed event campaigns for nonprofit organizations, such as Athletes in Action, Teach Them and I Am Life.
Athletes in Action Marketing Director Matt Dunn was especially impressed with the work the agency produced.
“Canyon Creative was an instrumental part of ensuring that our inaugural Total Athlete Tip-Off (featuring six Division I college basketball teams) was properly represented as a marquee basketball event throughout the nation,” Dunn said. “Their team’s expertise afforded us a peace of mind that is difficult to quantify.”
A nonprofit that helps athletes experience hope and purpose by following Jesus, Athletes in Action partnered with Canyon Creative to put together a social media campaign that introduced the teams, included game-day posts, and featured coach and player testimonials.
After discussing brand guidelines, marketing strategies and design direction, Canyon Creative also developed an event program and 30-second commercial.
“Their ability to listen, learn and iterate makes them amazing to work with,” Dunn said. “More than a trusted partner, they are an extension of our team.”
Canyon Creative welcomes students from all majors.
Like the hiring process for any job, students apply, then interview. They advocate for their work and show how they are a good fit for the agency.
Murphy forms the team according to the knowledge, skill and talent each member can contribute that will support the purpose and vision of the agency. While classwork focuses on grades, Canyon Creative looks outward and strives to serve clients and live out the university’s Christian mission.
“Everything we do, we think to ourselves, ‘How does this align with our university, and how do we continue to move forward in a Christ-like way?’” Murphy said.
“I want to make sure we are a group that is Christ-centered and Christ-focused. We aren’t necessarily always doing church projects. It just means that with the way we treat each other and our clients, we are always keeping that mindset.”
Students learn the nuances of the design world and what it takes to successfully navigate the industry. They wear multiple hats as they focus on graphic and web design, advertising, marketing, copywriting, animation, photography and videography.
“It is a very different ballgame from our classes,” advertising and graphic design senior Luke Coco said. “When you do class assignments, you do what you like and have your own theme throughout the year. With real clients, you are working for different brands that have different voices, wants and needs.
“You have to put on this hat of ‘I have to be a designer for a real design,’ and it may not be very familiar, but we have to go out of our way to not only learn it but excel in it.”
While Murphy intermediates their projects and establishes connections with clients, students are responsible for each component needed to make a project successful. They act as project managers, gaining leadership experience in production schedules, organizing deadlines and expectations, and maintaining communication with clients. Graphic and advertising designers get the ball rolling as they transform a vision into visuals. Whether it’s a physical piece of art, a printed poster, brochure or a social media post, the students turn an idea into reality.
Then when clients express their interest to have all those projects under one link for easy access, web designers step in to build programs and create websites.
Some clients may need commercials or short feature clips, and when that is the case, photographers and videographers partner with motion graphic artists to write scripts, shoot film, create title sequences, put together animated graphics and produce videos.
Designated copywriters, meanwhile, establish the appropriate rights and guidelines to secure ethical communication.
“We care about the work and understand it not only helps build a portfolio, but it’s a higher learning, trying to satisfy real clients,” Coco said. “Murphy is trying to put us in an environment that is collaborative and balanced out.”
Brainard added, “It is a lot of thinking, ideation, a ton of sketches, rounds of feedback and going back to sketches, back and forth, but I can see the different things I look for now and the new knowledge I’ve gained from working with clients.”
With technology continually evolving and more professional fields establishing their online presence through digital platforms, College of Arts and Media Dean Dr. Craig Detweiler knew introducing something like Canyon Creative would open students’ eyes to where the needs are in the industry and would help them understand the working culture outside of college before they graduate.
“Students are expanding their portfolios, sharpening their skills and learning how to deliver to clients on time and on budget,” Detweiler said. “Canyon Creative enables students to work for clients on real-world deadlines while being mentored by an industry-savvy professor. That’s the kind of real-world scenario that accelerates student learning.”
