The Sick Kids Department of Paediatric Orthopaedic Surgery had long been known for its fellowship program. The department would draw top fellows from around the world and have its first pick of top applicants. As time went on, the department noticed a change in the ability of their program to attract top-tier fellows. They recognized this change was due to an overabundance of similar programs, making it very competitive and difficult for them to differentiate themselves. The existing communication strategy of the department relied on its history, as opposed to an honest representation of their forward-thinking approaches.

We developed a strategy geared towards prospective applicants seeking cutting edge fellowships at renowned institutions. The outcome was a series of three annual publications over a three-year period that captured the nuanced experiences and the hands-on education found within their program. The annuals were distributed internationally to selected universities, hospitals and conferences. The change was immediate; the department noticed a spike in traffic and saw an increase in opportunities to review top-tier fellows for their program. We have since launched a website to match the annual. The website incorporates interactive data visualizations and deeply integrated analytics. Both the printed annual and the website have remained an ongoing project with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at SickKids. Success was measured through client testimonials and web-based analytics.

Read the full case study with juror comments here: [http://www.aiga.org/case-study-sickkids-orthopaedic-surgery-fellowship/]

“This project displays fantastic graphic design. It’s informative and attractive. It takes information that could be dry and makes it approachable and compelling. It feels modern and has an effective web translation to go along with the print. It’s no surprise that the fellowship program saw a spike in applicants after this project was released.” —Kate Aronowitz