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Creativity. Technology. Business.

At the Stratford School we believe that an experiential education style accelerates knowledge and fuels innovation. We bring together a dynamic community of students, researchers, industry, and entrepreneurs to advance digital media technology and creative application.

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Giang Tran
Thursday, April 2, 2026

Congratulations to Giang Tran, Arts Co-op Student of the Year

Giang Tran, a third-year Global Business and Digital Arts (GBDA) student, was awarded Arts Co-op Student of the Year for her work with Rootly. As this was Tran’s first co-op term, her relevant experience came from class projects and personal side projects. Those projects gave her experience working through open-ended problems, collaborating in teams, and translating ideas into practical design solutions, even without prior industry experience. By sharing her work online she piqued the interest of Rootly’s CEO, leading to her first co-op role as Rootly’s first intern.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026

GBDA Alumni at Skip

by Dide Altinkas

When Sara Selvaggi (GBDA ‘20) and Nicole Pasek (GBDA ‘20) work together at Skip, they are focused on more than pixels and interfaces. Their work supports real people, in real environments, often under pressure.

Today, Sara is a UX Researcher and Nicole is a Senior Product Designer at Skip/Just Eat Takeaway. Together, they work on Shop + Pay, a service model that allows customers to order groceries, retail items, and pharmacy essentials in addition to restaurant food. The work is fast-paced, practical, and deeply human. It also reflects the interdisciplinary foundation they built at the University of Waterloo Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.

People look at LED wall installation for Lights On
Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Cycles of light, stories of land shine at Lights On Stratford

Three student-designed installations will be featured within Destination Stratford’s Welcome Centre.

46 students from the course “GBDA 412 – Special Topics in Digital Culture” were challenged to create large-scale interactive media art pieces for the Lights On festival, inspired by the Thirteen Grandmother Moons stories, an Indigenous knowledge tradition. Students drew inspiration from this tradition to create installations that explore light as a symbol of knowledge, community, and continuity.

VR in classroom with Dr.Makela
Monday, November 24, 2025

Extending the boundaries of education

Dr. Ville Mäkelä and colleagues at Waterloo’s Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business are redefining education through Canada’s first large-scale VR-based 3D design course. Using tools like Gravity Sketch and immersive headsets, their innovative approach blends creativity and technology, preparing students for the future of digital design. This initiative sets new standards for interactive learning and showcases Waterloo’s leadership in VR education.

Read more on our News page →