and Lindsay Kavanagh came in second place at
December’s Applied Research Day. They designed
the website for Hummingbird chocolate maker
An award-winning chocolate company and an award-winning Algonquin student produced
website – it’s not a bad blend.
The Almonte-based chocolate company called Hummingbird Chocolate Maker is owned by a
Stittsville couple, Drew and Erica Gilmour. They took home the silver medal at the 2014
International Chocolate Awards for their Fleur de Sel bar.
The four second-year students in the interactive multimedia development program who
designed Hummingbird Chocolate’s newest website also won the silver medal at Algonquin’s
Applied Research Day 12.2 in December.
John Omura, the project manager for the Applied Research’s Design Centre stated the main
purpose of Applied Research Day for students to showcase projects they’ve worked on.
“Our projects are a collaboration between industry partners, students and professors,” said
Omura.
The website was for a semester assignment. Lindsay Kavanagh, 20, was the team’s leader and
co-developer.
“I think it was a role that came naturally because I was the main contact with the client and
teacher,” Kavanagh said. “When you become that liaison, you are the first to see all the
messages.”
William Muir, 24, was the project’s main developer. He made the designs come to life on the
computer. He was previously in the culinary management program.
In the culinary management program, he did chocolate tempering.
“But not to the extent Hummingbird is doing – they’re artists, almost chemists with their
chocolate,” he said.
“I did a bit of chocolate tempering (in the culinary management program),” Muir said. “But not
to the extent Hummingbird is doing – they’re artists, almost chemists with their chocolate.”
The website’s main designers were Aya Ito, 26, and Diego Gutierrez, 27. Diego has been
designing for three years and Ito has been designing since the beginning of the program.
Through it all, the students remain humble.
“I was kind-of surprised,” Muir said of their second-place win. “There were a lot of good
projects.”
The new website, which is a modern design, is an eCommerce system that joined Shopify and
WordPress, which made their website unique. Customers can buy in bulk or individually online
once it is up and running in the summer.
“I love it,” said Gilmour. “It’s a beautiful design. It shows our best interest to the world.”
The group dynamic was a major component for their success. Everyone knew their roles and did
their jobs well.
“They’re a great group and all full of character,” said Kavanagh. “We had a lot of laughs and
good times throughout the process.”