Project Overview
2024 Special Olympics Cauldron design
Skills: Concept Design, Hi-Fidelity Mockups
Tools: Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud
Client: Special Olympics Canada, TC Energy
TC Energy, became a premier sponsor of the 2024 Canada Winter Special Olympics. It was recognized that beyond the philanthropic contributions that come with sponsorship, taking on the cauldron design for the games would present an excellent opportunity to raise some brand awareness for the company. A design contest was held for employees in Canada, the United States, and Mexico, and the winning team would have their designs fabricated and used as the official 2024 Canada Special Olympic Games Cauldron.
As per contest rules, each team needed to have at least one engineer on it, because designs needed to conform to rigid technical requirements. My colleague, Esther Au (Communications Specialist), approached me about the contest, and we decided we couldn't turn down such an amazing opportunity. Esther leveraged her network and reached out to Andy Mak (Pipeline Drafting Coordinator), and Keegan Low (Engineer) about being our team mates. Without hesitation, they were both on board, and just like that we became The Cauldron Crafters.
We began our design sprint by meeting in a room to go over the technical requirements for the cauldron design, and used a whiteboard to brainstorm design ideas. Iterative whiteboarding sessions would become an integral part of our design process from start to finish.
Sketching is the quickest way to get down new ideas in a tangible way, so we took pen to pad, roughing out low-fidelity design ideas. This was a tactic we employed throughout the various stages of the cauldron design, including the more advanced stages of concepting, when we were refining specific elements of our high-fidelity Photoshop concepts.
Our design went through several incarnations of high-fidelity Photoshop concepts, but early in the process we had already decided upon incorporating varying diameters of repurposed TC Energy pipe segments. Key to our vision was an authentic representation of Indigenous culture through the Seven Grandfather Teachings, and integrated branding for the Special Olympics and TC Energy. Indigenous relations colleagues and members of the Tsuut’ina Nation were consulted with throughout the design process.
After numerous concepts and refinements, our final design, "Eagle's Flight," emerged. The cauldron features tiered layers, the first of which carrying TC Energy branding, along with the Special Olympics logo and tagline. The next tier features cutout icons of each of the sporting events for the 2024 games. The final tier features the Seven Grandfather Teachings as portrayed by cutouts of seven sacred animals. An eagle-shaped bowl supported by seven feathers caps the cauldron.
Each team presented their final designs to a panel of judges, and despite some very stiff competition, Eagle's Flight was selected to became the official cauldron of the 2024 games.
Eagle's Flight had to meet stringent operational safety standards. We authored a detailed document filled with technical specifications and a bill of materials, and handed it off to our fabrication partners at BOOM Construction LTD. to bring our design from on-screen renders into reality.
It was no small feat by BOOM Construction LTD to take our design and make it real, but they rose to the challenge. From grinding and polishing pipe, to painstakingly cutting out shapes using a high pressured water jet, to hammering sheets of metal into the shape of a soaring eagle, their hard work and attention to detail was self-evident in bringing Eagle's Flight to life.
Our involvement in the 2024 Special Olympics Canada winter games stands as a point of immense pride for our team. The Opening Ceremony at the Nutrien Western Centre at Stampede Park attracted over 1,250 athletes and 2,500 attendees.
The lighting of Eagle's Flight by the torchbearers was a highlight, but of course, the real stars of the show are the athletes at the Games themselves.
Our participation in the 2024 Special Olympics Canada Winter Games achieved more than just the completion of a physical project—it created a lasting impact that embodies creativity, collaboration, and purpose. The design and fabrication of "Eagle's Flight" highlighted the power of teamwork and brought together a diverse group of professionals, each contributing their unique skills to a shared vision. Through this endeavor, TC Energy elevated its brand while fostering authentic connections with the community and Indigenous communities, honoring their cultural teachings.
The cauldron itself became a symbol of unity, resilience, and the spirit of the Games, celebrated by attendees and athletes alike. Beyond the technical accomplishment of delivering a compliant and beautifully crafted cauldron, our contribution resonated with the values of inclusion and excellence that the Special Olympics represents. This project reinforced the importance of bridging innovation with meaningful relationships, leaving a legacy that extends well beyond the games themselves—one of pride, representation, and shared achievement.
The cauldron will live on in its new forever home as a landmark at the front of the new Seven Chiefs Sportsplex on the Tsuut’ina Nation.
Hand-coded with love in YYC
Email me
Connect on LinkedIn
Follow me on Instagram
Follow me on Behance