The name Sirivik comes from the Inuktitut expression to demonstrate gratitude and excitement before sharing a meal. Sirivik Food Centre are a registered non-profit organization who, with the help of staff, volunteers and other partners have served over 8379 meals and delivered 3300 food boxes to the Inukjuammiut community they serve in the far north, contributing to an Inuit-led food system that prioritizes and celebrates Inuit culture and community.
When Sirivik reached out about a gratitude project for their volunteers and employees, our Account Manager and in-house designer jumped right in, creating a camp-inspired collection of durable, quality goods featuring custom designs that speak to the magic of Sirivik’s northern landscape.
We asked our team, and Sirivik’s Executive Director Hans Godbout, to tell us what made the project so successful for them.
Genumark:
Sirivik came to us via a former Camp client, so they already had a good idea of our capabilities.
They were inspired by the work we did for The Boundless School, featuring a map of the region they operate in. Sirivik operates in the far north of Quebec, serving the Inuit community, so they had a particular request for a map-like design as part of their package.
The client specifically mentioned maps as a reflection of the land, so we started there. They also provided a lot of visual inspiration and references for us to work from, which we always appreciate. We really wanted to include the Inuktitut translation of “Sirivik” so it would be inclusive for those community members who don’t speak English.
We then thought about the lands and animals of the North, and how they create a unique “skyline”, and we hit on the idea of two different perspectives of a map – one from above, and one from the horizon. We incorporated that magical, icy, crystalline feeling of the northern lights into the designs, which then suggested the shape of a polar bear.
Another design consideration was printing in full-colour dye sublimation, as well as one colour screenprinting, and keeping that same magical feel across the mediums. To achieve this, we printed on multiple colours of hoodies, elevating the one-colour print so it didn’t feel out of place next to the full-colour buffs.
If your budget only allows for a one colour print, let’s talk about putting that print on a bunch of different coloured garments to achieve a multi-coloured effect within your budget constraints.
There were some unique challenges with this project! We were originally doing a campfire mug with a particular supplier, but they were out of stock. We presented an alternative, but when we got the proof later, we didn’t like how small the client’s artwork turned out, so we switched again, and they turned out awesome. It was a bit of back and forth, but so worth it to get it right!
Also, shipping to a far northern, fly-in community was new for us! Delivery was much trickier than our usual projects, and took a lot longer – but luckily we have a dedicated UPS rep who kept us updated every step of the way, and we watched that shipment like a hawk! Everything arrived safely, and I was super happy to see the goods getting distributed into the Sirivik community.
Sirivik:
We wanted to highlight the northern aspect of our region for this project with a design using images associated with the tundra as well as our company, Sirivik.
Genumark created a collection of products to wear and use in the outdoors, which we really appreciated, and all the designs reflect our natural environment.
Once everything arrived, we started to give it to board members and employees. We now have a nice stock of goods to give out when thanking our volunteers, or just giving a hoodie and a hat to a kid that needs warmer clothes to go out in.
Everyone loves it! Employees want some for their friends and family, and they are wearing it with pride – so much so that people have asked if they could buy the goods, so if we start selling these goods, we will definitely contact you for a re-order!
Working with Genumark has been a very nice experience. Everyone was helpful with our request from the first step till the end. Looking forward to starting more projects in the future!
