Alessandra Tapia, Graphic Design Student, Wins RGD Student Award for Retail Design
Her project Miski, a contemporary Peruvian chocolate shop brand, has been recognized as one of the best student design projects in Canada.
Miski starts with a word. In Quechua, one of Peru's indigenous languages, it means something sweet, delicious, and eaten with pleasure. For Graphic Design student Alessandra Tapia, it became the foundation of an entire brand world, one that has just earned her the RGD Student Award for Retail Design, sponsored by SLD (Strategic design, Instant impact, Lasting growth).
Developed as part of our Bachelor of Applied Design in Graphic Design under the guidance of faculty member Anne Ahmad, Miski is a contemporary chocolate shop rooted in Peruvian culture, ingredients, and identity. The logo draws from the Tumi, a ceremonial Peruvian object associated with protection and transformation with curved elements referencing the sun, a symbol central to Inka culture. The brand palette pulls from Peru's natural landscapes.
The patterns and textures echo Andean textiles and traditional geometric motifs. And each chocolate bar in the range carries its own individually designed packaging, built around a signature Peruvian ingredient, lucuma, camu camu, muña, giving the collection a strong shelf presence and a story behind every wrapper.
The result is a brand identity that feels both deeply rooted in its cultural origins and entirely contemporary, designed for curious foodies drawn to authentic flavours, hands-on experiences, and brands with something real to say.
The RGD, Canada's largest professional association for graphic designers, runs an annual student awards program that recognizes outstanding work by emerging designers across the country. Winning in Retail Design, sponsored by SLD and judged by some of the most respected names in the industry, is a significant distinction that reflects the quality and depth of Alessandra's work.
A well-deserved recognition for a project that proves the most powerful design always starts with a story worth telling.
Congratulations to Alessandra and to faculty member Anne Ahmad for her guidance and mentorship throughout the project!
Alessandra Tapia is a Graphic Design student at LaSalle College Vancouver. Discover our Bachelor of Applied Design in Graphic Design and see what you could create at LaSalle.
Learn more about the RGD Student Awards and what it means to be recognized on a national stage.