Social Innovation Insights with Natalie Annabelle

Former Social Innovation Assistant Natalie stopped by to chat with us about her time and learnings while at OSI.  Interview is edited for clarity.

Meet Natalie!

Hi, I'm Natalie, I'm a fifth-year Graphic Communications Management student with a concentration in publishing. I was the Social Innovation Assistant with the Office of Social Innovation for the last year.

What does Social Innovation mean to you?

To me, social innovation means using creative and strategic thinking to help improve the social issues within a community/certain communities. And in my marketing, communications role, I learned to help communicate graphically and effectively, and to help advocate for those communities to show support.

What sparked your interest in social innovation and social justice work?

My interest in Social Innovation sparked when I realized that there is a way to communicate effectively and advocate for communities, needing socially innovative support. As a graphic communications student, you learn how to convey messages graphically and to market to certain communities. It showed me a complexity of issues and how to approach these issues, especially, graphically. And I think that's its very important when communicating graphically, to approach it from multiple angles. To understand from different angles, to get the full story, full understanding, and have the message come across to all communities.

How did your experience working here change the way you look at social justice? Did it lead you to want to further explore social change within graphic communications?

Absolutely. This experience inspired me to explore further, innovative issues. It actually opened up a door for me. Now working with the office of Vice president, Equity, Communication and Inclusion office here at TMU, where I am also a marketing communications intern. So I am now furthering my graphic and marketing skills to help advocate and show support for these communities.

Can you tell us about some of the projects you’ve worked on with OSI this last year? 

Within the last year? I got to work on Sunday in the park. Free School and Sanctuary Scholars, which happened to be my most enjoyable one to work on. It was a lot of fun and enjoyment to help coordinate the one-year celebration of the Sanctuary Scholars. Program, where, the program helps to support students with precarious statuses and to help support them in their education, and to advocate for them as well. And I think it was a really important thing and message, to come across with, to graphically market and communicate.

Were there any new learnings or key insights that stand out?

With all the projects in themselves, there's been a lot of learnings and they all are pretty similar. Just learning about different communities and different people with different problems. And to advocate for them. And it really showcased how to help them or to advocate for them. So I think that's a deep learning in itself.

What advice would you give to other students in Graphic Communications Management or similar areas of study, who want to get more involved with social innovation and/or working on campus?

Well, for working on campus, definitely check out the Career Books website. There's always lots of jobs there. And, they help expand your career. Especially, like, just opened some doors. Definitely, definitely helps out. 

As for graphic communications management students, take as many extracurricular courses that the GCM program offers just because they are pretty, pretty helpful. An example of the accessibility course tells you how to design with the assistance of accessibility and to incorporate it and include it. Very important these days.

Lastly, what are you up to next? Future plans on the horizon?

So, OSI actually opened up a door for me, to continue my career boost, career within the school at the Vice-President, Equity and Community Inclusion. Again as a marketing, communications intern. I do plan to do a Master’s. Of what? I do not know, I still don't know. Hopefully something soon. And then I eventually, hopefully, want to end up in a publishing company or in the industry of some sort, just because I want to further my passion for reading and books and the creation of books. I think it's just so fascinating. The premises, books and reading.

Thanks for stopping by Natalie! We look forward to following your journey and seeing where your passion for strategic thinking and graphic design takes you.