An historic tavern for modern times.
A series of three cheeky ads with great old world typography and a leather look.
One year ago, Canada Post signed a title sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. The design intention was to inject adrenaline and sympathy into the Canada Post brand and demonstrate unwavering support to the individual athletes and the competitive team as a whole.
The design solution is a performance in visual acrobatics using core elements of postal imagery and silhouettes of acrobatic skiers. The tone of voice is ‘risqué’ and each advertising execution relates to an upcoming event. The logo is a Freestyle Ski take on the corporate logo, which ensures instant recognition and demonstrates the ultimate desire: to support the association, its athletes and competitive team.
The design was required to promote the daring shown by the owners of L’Étoile in their choice of position. While their reputation and culinary expertise was no longer at issue, the communication challenge called for a solution to the unique location obstacle with a marginal status matched by the geographical situation of this restaurant. For the Place St-Hubert has a reputation far removed from the values of the clientele sought by the owners of L’Étoile.
The design solution involves the establishment of a strong concept that stakes all its cards on Place St Hubert. Since the key for the concept is the notion of location and of site, its declination on visuals, away from any reference to gastronomy, made it possible to respond to the degree of originality necessary for the positioning of L’Étoile. At the risk of generating notoriety for the Place [Square] before generating any for the restaurant, the wager was taken, the brake released.
This publicity for fashion designer Philippe Dubuc had to be integrated into a special edition magazine, presenting the winners of the ‘Creativity Montreal’ contest, awarding the best interior design stores in Montreal. We had to do an advertisement that would fit within the magazine grid and theme, while also being attractive to potential clients.
We decided to use a picture of the inside of Dubuc’s boutique. This way, it follows the concept of the magazine and makes a more interesting image than a regular, traditional ad. We used a vertical treatment and added black color sections to exaggerate the clothing’s continuity in the picture. We followed Dubuc’s collection and kept it clean and mostly black and white.
Enablis is a non-profit organization sponsored by the G8 in 2002, and founded by Accenture, Hewlett Packard, Telesystem, and the Government of Canada. Enablis, through its organized and interactive global network, helps entrepreneurs in developing countries by giving them access to a range of affordable professional and financial resources.
The concept of the annual report invites readers to look at things from a different perspective thanks to a graphic language based on perforations and dotted images, and the unveiling of two stories that can be discovered by tearing the pages open.
Located in Saint-Félicien, QC, SFK Pulp is a company specializing in paper pulp production. 2005 was difficult for the paper pulp market, with difficult economic conditions that compromised financial results in the sector. The challenge in creating the SFK pulp Annual Report was to reassure investors and to stress the company’s success during trying economic conditions by maintaining a sound and thorough management style.
The concept used recycled paper and a journalistic approach to promote SFK pulp’s expertise and know-how. Supported by editorial-style illustrations and hand-drawn typography, the human, down-to-earth and approachable personality of SFK pulp was communicated and the business challenge was met with the use of simple production techniques: overall two-colour printing with the exception of black leaf stamping for the cover.
The primary objective of Credit Union Central BC’s 2006 Annual Report was to communicate the components of its new strategic plan in an accessible and upfront manner.
The report was developed around a simple overarching theme: ‘Windows on the Future’, the editorial pages were sequences with three section pages featuring die-cut windows and the sections were entitled Business, Products and People, and Change; each section corresponding to a key area of CUCBC’s strategic plan. This concept ensured that the plan would be communicated in a structured and memorable manner. In addition, hand rendered graphics, uncoated paper stocks and wire-o binding produced a tactile and reader-friendly report.
Breakfast for Learning (BFL) is the leading, national non-profit organization dedicated to funding community-based student nutrition programs; they work to ensure that every child in Canada attends school well nourished and ready to learn. As part of a rebranding initiative we unveiled their new identity to their partners and stakeholders in the 15th anniversary of the annual report.
Using the theme ‘We’re Growing’ we captured the identity of BFL in an unconventional design depicting a door frame ruler length that a child measures themselves. The result is a report bright with soft touches, youthful imagery, aspirational callouts and compelling headlines clearly delivering their message.
La Table des Matières is a book collection directed by Daniel Canty, Once a year, a book is published combining poetry, fiction and images made by different artists on a chosen theme. Two books have been published so far: Cité Selon is bout the city; LA Table des matières (the Table of Contents) is about food.
Cité Selon was the first of the collection and sets the basis. The hot-stamped lion inspired by heraldry and the pocket-sized format make the book a sort of passport for an imaginary city and many illustrations were used to emphasise the diversity of texts. La Table Des Matières is a text book that uses codes related to reference books such as the over-detailed table of contents and index. The essence of each text is captured by illustrator Stéphane Poirier.
McMillan was asked to create content For Unfold, Catalyst Paper's biannual magazine, and in the process show off the runability of Catalyst's directory sheet.
We allowed the content to define the look and feel for each article, and had the most fun with the feature articles while letting the recurring "departments" fall into a more consistent format that can be duplicated in following issues. Four-colour process (with some heavy floods and frequent special spot colour) was used throughout in order to demonstrate the runability of this light-weight directory sheet.
This design called for the emphasis to be placed on spaces and people, centred around the distribution of awards at the Créativité Montréal contest. In this second edition the stakes had to be raised to create a graphic design of premium spaces to match the requirements of the event, and yet had to allow for some bilingual editorial content in the foreground.
This was resolved by using the obvious sequel for an original, very structured grid that was already installed. With its various reading levels, it is signage that is truly both urban and geographic that emerges over the pages. Sections clearly set out on two-page spreads, graphic codes directing the reader towards specific content, photographic headings providing a different view of various localities, framed in various ways, or again a brilliant solution to a bilingual presentation; this editorial device has taken up the challenge of design and effectiveness to produce a content of high-quality.
It was to present the texts of Louis-José Houde’s show, not as an adapted novel or a biography honouring its author, but simply as the raw material of a monologue flowing onto the pages of a notebook.
To solve this, a graphic and typographic format was used, with frequent flashes of humour. The colourful ordering of the various chapters and the inclusion of moments that usually belong only to live shows, through the use of format and choice of paper, make of this pocket book an edition that capitalizes on the work and that is purchased more for the content than for its author.
The intent of the project was to develop a grid and an extensive set of typographic styles for use in future issues of Woo, the school paper of the Emily Carr Institute. The grid had to be adaptable for multiple thematic approaches while maintaining a clear editorial standard. The paper had to be produced for a low cost and distributed across the student body. The main goal of the paper is to illuminate various aspects of student life and academic discourse.
Each issue of the paper was conceptualized and assembled by a guest editor and guest art director and therefore each incarnation has its own distinct visual and conceptual direction. Woo issue #3 was intended to be a ‘survey’ of the school, starting with factual details of student life and progressing into more intangible and fleeting aspects of the school and the students and faculty. This sample issue also shows the range of styles that were developed for Woo and the flexibility of the typographic grid.
The design called for the presentation of a collection of recipes as part of a series of line drawings with the name of the colourful figure, Apollo, as a guideline for the rest.
The solution calls for Giovanni Apollo to be explained and presented in a homogeneous way by connecting the tone and visual presentation of the book to the art of caricature. Both the treatment of the drawings in clear and varied colours and the choice of the cover provide a gourmet experience in keeping with the eccentricity of this Italian chef.
Create a promotional magazine detailing the numerous health risks of substance abuse and addiction, to be distributed to First Nations Youth in British Columbia.
Developed in conjunction with First Nations Inuit Health Branch (FNIB) Unfiltered magazine was distributed exclusively to First Nation teens. Primarily focused on health risks from tobacco use; the publication also included features on the dangers of methamphetamine, alcohol overdose and long-term ecstasy use. As many teens in the target audience lack an interest in, as well as a high-level of reading comprehension, facts were delivered in a highly visual way, with photos and illustrations carrying most of the weight. Additionally, we used only First Nations artists and models to reflect the target market. The result was a powerful, austere and emotional piece.
Étienne Hotte is a chair designer with a very sculptural approach; His experimental work flirts with poetry, painting and fashion design. The purpose of the book was to show his multi-faceted work and personality.
The book features various printing processes (photocopy, digital printing, screen printing) on different types of paper. The poetry is inserted into the book on smaller pieces of paper. The grid is built around these insertions, as if the book was made of many books, each of different sizes, all bound together.
To create a book containing more than 800 images and 14 texts in two languages and 400 pages commemorating the 25th Anniversary of the Design Center and expressing its vitality.
The book is designed using a very simple grid system that allows the pages to be organized in a coherent way when displaying different kinds of visual information. The flexibility of the system creates many possibilities for the layout while maintaining a unity of design across the book.
Auberge dela Gatineau, a hunting and fishing outfitter, wanted to have a very noticeable document to distribute to potential clients. His goal was to differentiate himself as much as possible from his competitors. He also wanted us to use recycled paper and to have an “eco-friendly” concept.
We decided to keep it simple, with a traditional, “rustic” edge and with an imperfectly finished result, but added colour for impact. We printed this brochure in four process colours and added one special pantone colour: a bright, fluorescent orange. This colour recalls hunting apparel and accessories while adding a lot of impact to the Auberge’s piece.
Elevate Media provides ad space on elevator doors in office, medical and shopping centers. Along with the identity, we were assigned to create a media kit which could be customized for different target groups and be produced on a modest budget.
The solution was an unbound folder brochure, where inserts could be added or taken away easily; A pocket folder was designed to hold the piece and also serve as an envelope for delivery. This solution allowed for easy customization and created a compelling package for recipients.
The 2007 NUARS Call for Entries mailer needed to create excitement around the annual contest and required bilingual judges’ bios, rules and entry forms.
The notion that “Great Design Challenges Expectations” was conveyed by pairing common design terminology with unexpected imagery, while pairing humorous content with clean, elegant design. Custom rubber bands hold the booklet together, and once they are removed the recipient has 17 separate entry forms at their disposal. The format allowed the piece to be mailed in standard envelope.
This piece was designed for the children visiting an exhibition at Bibliotèque et Archives Nationales du Québec. The theme of the exhibition was ‘Le Petit Chaperon Rouge, à Pas de Loup …,’ providing different information and illustrations on the traditional tale ‘Little Red Riding Hood’. We had many restrictions and constraints for this project but mostly we wanted to create a document that the kids would want to keep.
We had to cope with the many texts, games and illustrations provided by the client, but used them while remaining clear, clean, efficient, and still attractive to the kids. We used a very open grid and created a document that looked like a kid’s notebook. We utilized Pierre Pratte’s illustrations and decorated the notebook as a child could have done, by marking out some sections and adding doodles in the margin.
It was to transpose the slightly out-dated image of the Maison Cassis Mona that had no distinctive attraction to a «Cassis Mona et filles» [Cassis Mona and daughters] still with its due prestige and tradition.
The solution was an elegant format with attention to detail, but deployed without pretension. An original pocket size, comfortably small, with a miscellany of photographic and graphic references ranging from the baroque to the modern provide the essential authenticity, the tradition and professionalism reflecting the image and taste of the firm’s products.
The newsletter was published twice a year. The main challenge was to produce a document at low cost that still contains a lot of information and that can be sent in a regular #10 envelope.
We challenged ourselves to make this an ecological project, using less paper, even though it contains a lot of information in both French and English. We produced a large document, printed it both sides and folded it many times, so it would fit a standard #10 envelope. Each issue uses two colours only: a consistent brown and a new PMS colour (usually very bright) for every issue.
La Tête Chercheuse is a Montreal-based head hunter service that specializes in the marketing and communications sector. Needless to say, their target audiences are very particular about tone, manner and creative savvy. Within this context, the design requirements were to develop a marketing tool that reflected the company’s unique approach to HR recruiting.
The design solution was to create typographic profiles of potential recruits, highlighting different desired personality attributes. The whole document was silkscreened in order to provide colour and intensity that is unachievable with traditional offset printing. The result underscores the importance placed upon a company’s most valuable resource: its employees.
This exhibition catalogue was to provide the reader / viewer with an introduction to, and understanding of the humble, intimate, grassroots, phenomenon that is Folkways Records. It was to show a sampling of the over 2000 covers that exist in the Folkways collection (approximately 200 of which appeared in the exhibition) and to explain the cultural and historical significance of the whole enterprise. The intention for the catalogue design was to give visitors to the exhibition the sense that Moses Asch, the founder of Folkways Records in 1948, considered the cover designs and overall visual identity to be as important as the recordings themselves.
This catalogue design was conceived to have a size and format that would fit comfortably in the hand and with a typographic, layout and images treatment that would exude Folkways’ attributes of humbleness, intimacy and integrity. The juxtaposition of a number of diverse albums on the cover provides an overview, while the larger, single examples in the interior showcase the strong visual identity of Folkways Records characterized by limited colour prints, a tactile matte finish, trademark black edges and use of works by important artists, photographers, illustrators and designers such as Walker Evans, David Stone Martin, and Ben Shahn.
To create a visually exciting viewbook for prospective art, design and media students at the Emily Carr Institute. The target market for the viewbook is 17-20 year olds – many of whom are overseas. Thousands of books are shipped to recruitment fairs in Asia, South America, North America and Europe. The books had to be compact but still contain all the pertinent information and be something fun that students would immediately want to look at.
I wanted to create something personal feeling for the student. A collection of cards provided a fun, interactive element – students could rearrange them, flip them back to front – there’s even a postcard. The cover had to be enticing. I used a die cut ‘package’ to hold the cards and secured it with a custom printed rubber band – that, along with illustration by ECI alumni Jason McLean, make a fun unique look. The small size both makes the book feel more personal and cut the cost of shipping in half from the previous year.
Through the installations of artists Raymond Gervais, Christof Migone and Jocelyn Robert, the CUT exhibition reflects the cuts that occur in ‘a thousand ways’ in a work and in its conception. CUT evokes the ‘shock’ that the act of cutting suggests and the multiple cuts that take place in a process such as film editing; A process that results in a re-structuring of time and space.
Two thirds of this 96 page exhibition catalogue is filled with essays and novel extracts in both English and French selected by the artists from authors such as James Joyce, Louis-René Des Forêts, Geoges Perec. There is also a 32 page section in colour that shows the artwork. This section acts as the ‘cut’ within the text pages printed in black. Because each artist is also a writer, the piece was designed as if it were a a work of fiction, with large, ‘comfortable’ margins for notes.
Corbis is the world’s pre-eminent visual solutions provider. It owns over 70 million images, including royalty free images and rights-managed images amongst others. Our mandate was to develop an international campaign to educate target audiences on Corbis Royalty-Free.
The concept is based upon a powerful insight: when using an image, you often feel you cannot do whatever you want with it because of rights limitations or poor image quality. In light of this, the key message conveyed was freedom, freedom to use Corbis’ top quality images in a variety of ways with virtually no limits, so that the images become yours. This message is conveyed through the idea of a scrapbook, an invitation to play with the images and explore your creativity, communicated in a clear, simple, thoughtful, dynamic, artistic and inviting tone.
The catalogue lists every novel published by the publishing house Les Allusifs. It had to be practical, while being graphically interesting to catch the interest of potential buyers.
We decided to use a small format because it is practical and utilized Les Allusifs’ corporate red as the main colour. We treated Alain Pilon’s illustrations in black and white and played with unusual crops of the text and illustrations.
The challenge was to position La Belle Excuse as a cottage industry, with direct contact between Quebec and Greece, infused with a passion for a culture and a land whose wealth is conveyed through the quality of its products. The notion was to create a visual identity that would emphasize the qualitative and authentic values of artisan and family while capitalizing on the absence of a go-between in the tasks of selecting olives and bottling them.
For the solution, the imprint of hand and finger had to convey all these values. Precision in drawing this visual identity, plus delicacy in the textual signature. The imprint of identity, of competence, of authenticity and traceability.
The digital imprint, like the imprint of a fruit that is worked with the hands, a unique imprint enhancing the traceability of products just as it enhances the identity of the player in the process. There is no go-between, it is the same hand that deals with the olive, from the branch to our mouth. It is an imprint that is appended like a signature for the whole range.
UK1 is a real estate project that is located in the suburbs of Montreal. They type of construction they propose is a contemporary variation of the English Cottage. The logo had to be simple and easily adaptable in slightly different versions, because the project had more than one construction phase.
We wanted to have a European vibe and to recall the oval bumper sticker on European cars. We created a simple logo that was inspired by the Union Jack Flag. It had enough flexibility to be adapted to ‘UK2’ and ‘UK3’ versions.
Sinkit is a golfing aid that attaches to any putter and helps with swing alignment. The client required a logo that would work well when applied to the product and packaging. The logo also needed to be distinctive amongst a myriad of other putting aids that it might share shelf space with in a retail setting.<
Sinkit’s logo reflects the purpose and effectiveness of the putting aid. A balanced construction of geometric curves and precise angles suggest ideas of accuracy, technique, and advancement. Reversing the wordmark adds visual weight and stability, making it ideal for implementations such as embroidery and embossing and for reproduction at both small and large sizes. The key element in the logo is the representation of a ball about to drop into the cup. This concept creates anticipation and excitement in golfers, representing the ultimate goal of the game. By generating an emotional response in the viewer, the Sinkit logo is able to create a deeper connection and a lasting impression.<
Smile Africa establishes hundred of school libraries, computer centers, book mobiles and leadership programs throughout Africa. They needed a literacy campaign identity that communicated the power of reading and applied knowledge.
By scratching out the first 2 letters in the word illiteracy, the meaning completely changes. The font was chosen because of its recollection of the Read with Dick and Jane books.
The complete design program and naming of an upstart stationery company that puts a focus on tight, modern patterns that appeal to a design-savvy consumer base.
We wanted the patterns on the cards to be personal and almost wearable, so they vary between bold and masculine geometrics to feminine and soft florals. Absolutely no bamboo shoots or orchid branch designs here! The logo suggests a watermarking die, while the supporting components – the packaging, web site and sales kit – are designed to be bold yet flat to thrust the emphasis back on to the patterns and texture of the product.
The Allusifs is a small publishing house that distributes challenging fiction books through the French speaking countries. They already had an interesting logo that we kept; we were asked to rethink their identity and communication tools.
The challenge was to create something more astonishing with Les Allusifs’ already established identity program. We kept the original logo, but worked with the illustrator Alain Pilon and chose bright colours for the book covers (almost leaving their corporate red colour aside). We also used an off-white colour for some pieces and chose to retain the the red for all other communication tools. In addition we endeavored to create pieces with different sizes and interesting folding patterns.
Dr. Mason’s runs the radiology (scanning) department at Ridge Meadows Hospital in Maple Ridge and he needed an identity to hand out at conferences and committees that he serves on.
Andrew has a very dry sense of humour and some of the stories he tells of ‘interesting’ patients sparked the idea for his stationery in which obviously foreign artifacts are found in body scans. Dr. Mason is on call a lot and gets requests to view scans late in the evening quite often, so the tag-line ‘I think I see the problem…’ was inspired by his comments after telling someone at the hospital that it was obvious what a patient’s problem was….
Un Architecture is the result of two architects coming together and the ensuing fusion of their practices. The vision and approach of its two founding architects speaks to the inherent duality of the architectural process: interior/exterior, human/material, hot/cold.
A visual solution that is relatively simple in its treatment of complementarity and duality. In essence, the letters ‘u’ and ‘n’ are the same form, as viewed from two perspectives to create a whole. The letterhead features a graphic motif that evokes the look of solar retention panels that are found in the windows of some buildings, and which favour energy savings. Using an integration approach, all employees were provided with the same embossed business cards; a sure sign that the company places all of its personnel in equal standing.
A 30-second television commercial was to be devised to promote the subscription campaign for the TNM 2007-2008 season, that would convey the season’s theme Dessine-moi un nouveau monde [Design a new world for me]
As a solution, each of the six productions for the year was presented in its own dramatic setting, with a clever mix of scene and the imaginary as provided in each play. Black and white film was chosen to match TNM’s visual signature. A dramatic setting filled with emotion where actual production and two-dimensional animation combine perfectly.
One year ago, Canada Post signed a title sponsorship agreement with the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. The design intention was to inject adrenaline and sympathy into the Canada Post brand and demonstrate unwavering support to the individual athletes and the competitive team as a whole.
The design solution is a performance in visual acrobatics using core elements of postal imagery and silhouettes of acrobatic skiers. The tone of voice is ‘risqué’ and each advertising execution relates to an upcoming event. The animation was used to launch the program at a press conference. The logo revealed at the end of the animation is a Freestyle Ski take on the corporate logo, which ensures instant recognition and is a demonstration of the Canada Post’s ultimate level of engagement.
Cena Ole! is a fundraising event for Theatre du Nouveau Monde, a prestigious and avant-garde theatre company in Montreal. In this context, the design requirements are focused upon creating an enticing and compelling piece to generate interest in the event and demonstrate the theatre company’s creative vision and cultural involvement. The theme for this third edition was ‘Spain’.
Don Quixote’s windmill, the Madonna, Dali and other symbols of Spanish culture were all integrated to create new surrealistic characters. An animated electonic invitation was sent prior to the event.
The objective was to encourage business people in particular to subscribe to the Créativité Montréal contest through the Internet. The animation was vertically projected at the opening of the second edition of the Créativité Montréal contest.
The solution provides a positive spin-off for the business that subscribes and may be awarded a prize: traffic at the local level. The advertising is a bonus over and above the recognition that the contest brings. This potential spin-off is conveyed through the visuals and the text in a surprising and humorous way. When you are recognized by your peers, people are attracted, people everywhere, truly everywhere….
Filmport is a new development by Toronto Film Studios that is under construction in the port land area of the city. Filmport’s new website is designed primarily to generate interest within the North American film community and also in firms that would be interested in locating their business within the complex.
The navigation for the web site is based upon the classic cinematic countdown and its use is reminiscent of the iPod interface. The site also makes use of animated wireframe renderings to illustrate the full scope of the project. Typographic arrangement varies between sections to keep the experience fresh.
Furniture store Maison Corbeil wanted to have a very practical website. They had a lot of images they wanted to show, but still wanted to have a very clean look, to reflect the look of the furniture in their store.
We came up with a website that is practical and elegant, reminiscent of the store in that it presented the client with a slick environment where they could navigate freely. Visitors can choose to navigate from one collection to another, or by categories.
Tasked with the unique assignment of launching a line of wooden cutlery, we researched the company, interviewed management and collated relevant information that would allow us to create an identity; A real sense of brand value and attributes. This culminated in the creation of a unique name, logo design and most importantly, package design.
We were obsessed with creating a packaging solution for Aspenware that elevated the brand above the natural food niche and into the premium brand category. Elegant, slim, sliding boxes in contemporary colours and designed for unique shelf display attributes, plus multi-lingual packaging and a ‘fortune cookie’ scroll with the brand story described were all invaluable in demonstrating the brand’s authenticity to up-market ‘green’ consumers.
To develop a series of labels for a group of guys who make wine in their garage with grapes imported from California and Oregon. It sounds hokey, but they make around 1,000 bottles of wine a year!
In the “home wine making” community there is a (slightly) derogatory expression for guys who make wine in their basements and garages: garagistes. We adopted this name and played on the juxtaposition of grapes and common workbench tools (colour-coded of course!) for the labels. The toolbox theme is continued with the hand labeler style tabs which hold the labels on.
Muzi Teahouse was looking for a distinct name, brand identity, and practical packaging system to reflect the high quality of all their tea products for use in both Muzi Tea House and retail contexts. The chief objective was to position Muzi to become the next staple in contemporary world culture and to revolutionize the current perceptions of tea while attracting a new generation of consumers looking for a healthy alternative to coffee.
The visual identity and packaging was developed to establish a clear and consistent system to differentiate between the multiple categories and varieties of Muzi tea products while accommodating all available package types and sizes. The execution is in alignment with the progressive and “fresh” mentality of the brand (and a brand essence of “pure happiness”) and creates a distinctive, strong and consistent shelf presence. In addition, the back labels on all packages (and the inside of the tin cups) feature clear support literature.
The issue was to create packaging for products in the new Aromachologie line. Since the public was unfamiliar with this line, the container had to portray aromachologie as accessible and inviting while also attributing to it meaningful therapeutic values. The complex nature of the line also had to distinguish in a visual way the various products that were offered, displaying them in several fragrances.
The solution was to link the design of the line, both in the choice of bottles and of colour, to the history of aromachologie. Apothecary flasks from the twelfth century were the inspiration for the graphics.
As a result, most of the containers in the line are tinted with cobalt blue and shaped like antique vials, which adds a slight medical touch to the line. Each product has its own specific colour. The various fragrances are also colour coded to match their respective products.
The challenge was to portray the identity of La Belle Excuse – emphasizing the qualitative and authentic values of artisan and family while capitalizing on the absence of a go-between in selecting olives and bottling them – across the various products in the range.
The solution is reached by varying the finger imprint when illustrating the principal ingredients of each of the products.
For their new line of fair trade products, Galerie au Chocolat wanted to have an enormous impact on the shelves. They wanted us to create packaging that would be different from what we would usually see in this field, while being true to their engagement towards the fair-trade market.
We chose to print the boxes on kraft-like boards. The usual packaging for chocolate is dark, while these boxes are pale. This way, not only do the boxes have a high contrast with other chocolate products on the shelves, but they have a “natural” product overall look.
The band, Vonnegut Dollhouse, wanted to create a short-run, special edition of 500 CDs for their debut launch. The CD cover needed to be unique and have talk value as the majority of of the band’s CD sales are at their live shows.
The concept for CD packaging simply came from the band’s name. It unfolds to reveal a dollhouse with detailed interiors such as shag carpet rug and bacon and egg cooking on a stove. (Each item was made in miniature and photographed.) The house also contains pop-up band members you can punch out and place inside. The characters resemble each member’s look and style, right down to the hand made clothing, which they wear at gigs.
To create gift wrapping for two CUCINA products for the festive season, at the same respecting the spirit of the platform’s packaging.
The solution was found by converting existing packaging in a way that suggested a look of “Old Italy.” With the pasta packaging design in particular in mind and with the addition of bright colours and strong contrasts to the graphic and typographic presentation, the result was a very festive packaging.
The Wow Mart Exhibition, at Commissaires, was a big sale of different design objects, sold for the 2006 Holiday season. They wanted the poster to look festive and it had to be designed in a way that it could also be used as a wrapping paper.
We cheated a little bit on the usual “typography only” restriction that Commissaires gives us by adding many pictograms. We liked that it gave an idea of ‘abundance’, and we used a golden color to give the poster a festive vibe, to go with the Holiday season.
Velo Quebec organizes a series of four cycling events aimed at different types of audiences. For example, The Tour de Lile is a family event, where 30,000 cyclists of all ages take to the streets in a 50km circuit throughout the city. Within this context, the design aims to connect with a large audience and entice participation while creating a unifying look for all four events.
A different visual was developed for each event, using a similar illustrative technique. The typographic treatment also contributes to creating an ‘air de famille’, while the colour schemes and the subjects depicted help to distinguish between the different the activities. In addition, some of the illustrative elements represent Montreal landmarks, some of the key benefits of participating in the events, and the names of streets or locations that feature in the different circuits.
Gallery-boutique Commissaires, located in Montreal, presented the exhibition “Very Brooklyn” last March. For this occasion, every exhibit was created by New York based designers. We had to translate that through the poster, while being consistent with Commissaires’ simple image. Also, since the poster is also used as the invitation, and as a wrapping paper, it had to present an interesting pattern once folded.
Like every other poster that we create for Commissaires, the design had to be simple and mostly typographical. We decided to use big typography to recall the massive facades of typical New York buildings. The large title also gave us the chance to present an interesting pattern once folded, as an invitation and wrapping paper.
Gun amnesty month is held every year in B.C. During this time the Police receive thousands of guns from the general public, literally taking them off the streets.
This poster was widely distributed to merchants to display in their shop windows to draw attention to the event and direct them to the VPD website.
To display the new Dissidence identity on a series of posters so as to promote the iconic collection.
Explain the rationale for the design solution and concept. The visual expression came from the Dissidence signature: Urban gear by Boris. All of it linked to the graphic world of Bières Boris.
The four Living Galleries are part of the National Museum of Singapore (NAMOS), which was commissioned by Singapore’s National Heritage Board. Of the various objectives initially identified by NAMOS, the two that influenced our design concept and development were firstly to develop a museum of living history with which Singaporeans can identify by showcasing Singapore history and heritage from a Singaporean perspective, and secondly, to appeal to a broad target audience, ranging from students to local adults and tourists.
The Living Galleries are designed to present Singapore’s social history and portray the defining characteristics of Singaporeans through the lenses of Food, Fashion, Photography, Film & Wayang (Singapore’s traditional theatre). The galleries are designed like lifestyle magazines for high energy and impact, with added features like interactivity, and with four very specific atmospheres to surprise and provoke. Each gallery has a statement “installation” in the front portion, and behind-the-scenes ‘workshop’ in the back. The galleries display historical artifacts and objects from everyday life providing a new point of view with which the visitor can easily identify and discover.
We had to design the whole look of the exhibition ‘Paprika chez Commissaires’ that took place during the ‘Design Montreal Open House 2007’. The exhibition presented a number of pieces produced by the graphic design studio Paprika during the last 15 years. We had to find a way to present a range of types of work such as corporate identity, showroom design, catalogue design, our annual holiday gifts, etc. The challenge was to integrate these different pieces in an interesting way, while also taking care of the visual signage of the exhibit.
We took control of the whole gallery-boutique and we made sure that each one of our exhibited pieces was in the right place. We divided the space in sections so that the exhibited pieces could be displayed thematically. We also decorated the space with our posters, made with small typography, repeated many times. At the end, the gallery was remade in our image.
The British Columbia Highland Games is an annual festival that showcases all things Scottish such as highland dancing, bagpipe playing, hammer throwing and caber tossing. Caber tossing is a sport that involves pitching a large pole, or caber.
A guerrilla campaign was developed that involved attaching a life-sized, die-cut ‘Caberman’ to telephone poles in areas around Greater Vancouver. Those that weren’t stolen helped to sell-out the event.
Well-known Quebec Fashion Designer Dubuc contacted us with their idea of creating a fashion line inspired by Montreal’s 1967 International World Fair, to commemorate its 40th anniversary. Asked to create different design patterns that could be integrated into a special t-shirt line, we had to respect Dubuc’s style, which is chic, trendy, and classic. The t-shirts also had to fit with the whole collection.
We were inspired by the many different pieces that were created for and at the World Fair, and this resulted in the creation of many different patterns and designs, using mostly dark colours and abstract motifs that always kept an instantly recognisable sense of the original the Expo ’67 vibe.
Canada Post required a stamp marking the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada (the GDC).
Our intent was to create an icon that represents the Canadian graphic design community using type and image, and the beaver seemed a natural choice. Reminiscent of Sir Sanford Fleming’s first stamp for Canada, our approach is a sober, clean and restrained design. One of our self-imposed directions was to combine typography and image in a clever way that epitomizes what graphic designers strive for when creating a successful icon or image. The abstract typographic construction of the beaver captures this essence, and conveys to some degree the psyche of the Canadian designer: enterprising, hardworking and in tune with its environment.
It is now a tradition at École Buissonnière, a private elementary school: at the beginning of every year, each kid receives a year school book to facilitate contacts between kids outside school. Every year, we come up with a totally different concept. The main challenge is to keep creating something new each year.
For the 2006-2007 edition, we took picture of the kids making funny faces and placed them in a large document. The kids had fun with the poses and it shows; the result is a “grimace book” that they will not only use as a reference document, but also as a funny picture book that will make them smile for years to come.
To illustrate complex and informative topics visually for the Vancouver Sun newspaper on a twice-monthly basis using one colour only.
Using information graphics to depict a visual explanation we help the reader to more easily understand the topic being presented. It helps to educate and entertain, and allows for a more consistent level of understanding.
To create monthly bus passes for high school students. Passes must have anti-counterfeiting measures, each pass must be a different colour, should include all Transit information and should include space for the student’s name, phone number, and school. Passes must also have area on front where they can be numbered.
Most students with a bus pass are looking for their first car. We wanted to make sure they picked the right one.
To show people what it’s like to be homeless.
Using branding irons and a simple slice of bread we created an engaging message to get people to experience what it’s like to live on the street.