Design+ Series
This series of articles was created and co-founded by Renee along with another member of RGD. When we started this series we wanted to show the different paths a designer can take and how your background can influence your design.
Below are a selection of my favourites.
Design+ Letterpress
In the era of digitalization, Sara Froese shares how she mastered the art of letterpress printing.
How did you get into letterpress? Where did your journey start?
I took traditional printmaking in school years ago and got my background in print there, but letterpress wasn’t included in the curriculum. I actually discovered it years later after seeing a musician’s handbill that was letterpress printed. From there it was a real obsessive Google wormhole — once I learned what it was, I fell in deep! I was really lucky to find a press and a bunch of type and equipment from a retired printer which gave me a good start into building my shop…
Design+ Murals / Large-Scale Design
Jacqui Oakley and Jamie Lawson design murals together under the banner Vermillion Sands. In this interview they share how it all started and how it's going.
How did you get into illustration and design? Is it something you knew you wanted to do when you were younger?
JO: I always wanted to do something that involved “art” but had no clue what that meant as a career. I happened to get into Sheridan’s illustration program after visiting a friend there and seeing the amazing and varied art the students produced and being inspired by the high caliber of teachers/illustrators. (Funnily, years later I would be a teacher in the program)…
Design+ Activism
In an interview with, Fidel Peña, Creative Director and Partner at Underline Studio, reflects upon finding a voice as a designer and designing for a cause.
Tell us a little bit about your journey to becoming a designer. Is it something you always saw yourself doing?
I discovered graphic design by chance a year after I moved to Canada. I bought a copy of Applied Arts Magazine and was blown away by the fact that people could get paid to do something that I thought looked like so much fun. That’s when I knew that I had to become a graphic designer…
Design+ Passion Projects
In this edition of Design+, Nicola Hamilton is interviewed on the importance of passion projects, managing self-doubt and exploring creativity beyond a day-job.
As an innately creative individual, how important is it to have creative outlets beyond your graphic design career? How have these changed for you over the years?
It’s so important. Can I emphasize that again? It’s so important.
For the first few years of my career I put all of my creative energy into design. At a certain point, I found myself really burnt out and at times resentful towards the work and/or the client. As I interrogated those feelings I started to realize that I’d been so focused on succeeding professionally that I hadn’t made space to explore my own creativity…
Design+ Print
In this edition of Design+, Lauren Wickware shares her journey and experience as a print designer.
What is the best advice you can give to someone looking to get into the world of book design and print collateral?
You have to really, really, really love it! Book design is romanticized by many designers but it can be incredibly tedious and arduous work. It can also be a lot of fun and incredibly rewarding — especially when you see the end result. You have to have a lot of faith in the process, as you never truly know what the end result will be until you see it printed and bound — so it is not for the faint of heart.
