Catherine Cournoyer

How and why did you become interested in design art/computation arts?

I started my studies in painting and drawing at Concordia, but somehow, I felt that something was missing. I realized I was craving a sense of community and collaboration, and that I was seeking answers to questions I had about our society and environment. Design played a fundamental role in helping me find some of those answers, and helped me to use creativity as the link to collaboration, while giving back to the community.

What made you decide that Concordia’s DART/CART program was right for you?

The desire to observe our environment, the way we interact with it, to question it, to try to find answers, and to strive for a better future in a creative way.

Are there particular designers or professors that have influenced you?

pk langshaw was a big inspiration for me, as a designer, as a thinker, as a teacher, and as a woman. She has the strength of being able to think outside of the box, and to see the strength of her students. Being her student and working for her made me a better designer by forcing me to think about the impacts (social and economical) of sustainable design. She is a sensitive designer with strong values, who helped me develop the artist and entrepreneur that I became.

Do you have a background in any other fields?

I did my CEGEP studies in visual art, as well as more than a year in drawing and painting at Concordia. I can say that I come from a visual art background!