1,600 Entries, 9 International Judges, 1 Winner

Inukshuk Guide for download (pdf)

Rivera Design Group Ltd. is the winner of the national Vancouver 2010 Olympic Emblem Design Competition.

An inuksuk is the inuit symbol of friendship. Inuksuk Guide (pdf)

When John Furlong (CEO, Vancouver 2010 Organizing Committee) announced this award to our firm, he said: “I hope you realize that you now belong to a select group of world-class designers.” In fact, there are less than a dozen Creative Directors in the world that are alive today that share this prestigious title.

The Rivera Design Group team submitted “Ilanaaq” (the Inuktitut word for “friend”) as an entry to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Emblem Design Competition held in the summer of 2004. Elena Rivera MacGregor, Rivera Design Group Principal and Creative Director, was motivated to enter the competition by the challenge that it presented - the challenge of trying to communicate so much in the very simplest form. In the words of Rivera MacGregor, “How could we not try and at the same time, contribute ideas to an organization that has such an incredible history?”

Olympic Logo Design Process        

The inspiration for the design came almost immediately, as the team thought about the values of Canada and the Olympic Games and how this is reflected in Vancouver’s inukshuk - a gift from the North that has become a local landmark, and a symbol that is found throughout Canada. After researching all of the topics that they wanted to communicate - Canada’s cultural diversity, national personality, and landscapes - the inukshuk came up again as a concept that could represent them all.

One of Ilanaaq’s most charming additions - its mouth - was added as a last minute touch when Rivera MacGregor decided it needed a little something more to bring it to life. At that moment, “it immediately gained the friendly, open-armed attitude that represents all Canadians.”