"Walks On The Beach" Dog Walking Flyer   •   March 2012

Hired by Ryan VanDrie to create a handout for his Beaches-area dog walking business. I came up with the name, logo design, flyer design, and did the copy editing.

Wong-Wang Wedding "Save The Date" Email   •   January 2012

Hired by Madeline Wang to design a "Save The Date" email for her upcoming wedding. Madeline began by showing me examples of invitations she really loved, provided the text she wished to appear in the email, and chose the colour palette of pink and green. I selected & edited the photo from her engagement shoot and designed the layout of the email. The bride-to-be responded to my initial design with "Ahhh! Kick ass!...This is so pretty."

No Band Required   •   September 2011

Hired by Edward Ambrosius to produce a poster design for a weekly open jam series at Grossman's Tavern. Edward took the background photo ("ripped posters") and chose the stencil font as well as the event name. I chose the layout, concept and other copy.

"Turn Your RRSP Into a Costa Rican Dream Home" Online Campaign   •   July 2011

Hired by Costa Rica Estates to produce a design for a series of email newsletters promoting a webinar for Canadians, each of which link to a matching landing page design prompting people to register.

Dental Hygiene on Yonge   •   April 2011

Hired by Dolce Marini of Dental Hygiene on Yonge to create a series of print materials for her newly opened business. Dolce already had the "Dental Hygiene on Yonge" logo and had selected the image of the woman with the hot pepper, and the slogan "Get a white hot smile". I created designs for a double sided promotional card for her to hand out to neighbouring businessness and other propsective clients. Also made a matching mini-card to let patients know of their next scheduled appointment time. Completed designs for a letterhead and matching envelope for the clinic. Desgined a double-sided door hanger promotion which was distributed to residental houses in the clinic's neighbourhood. Also made signs for the clinic's storefront window (not shown). I wrote the copy for all the materials based on notes from meetings with the client. I also prepared all the files for print.

Dobbs-Dalton Wedding   •   January-April 2011

Hired by Jennifer Dalton & Chris Dobbs to design all print materials for their April 2011 wedding. Researched and selected paper and managed all printing. Chris & Jen wanted a very hands-on approach, so I worked very closely with them at each step of the design process, and together they took the time to lovingly hand-assemble each of the invitations, using spray-adhesive, ribbons, sealing wax and more. Overall, the print material I worked on included the invitations, their envelopes, a reception card and RSVP card, return envelope, ceremony programmes, tent signs for the programmes and tissues, leaves for a "family tree" escort table concept and placecards (using Jen's own handmade wire trees), menus for the reception dinner, signage throughout the reception, and thought-provoking prompt-cards to decorate the guest book table. Photos by Manuela Stefan and Jennifer Dobbs.

Starvival Logo & Website   •   December 2010

Danielle Barker was seeking a designer to create a custom, multimedia interactive website to accompany the January 2011 release of the second season of her YouTube reality series, Starvival. She wanted a pink, purple & orange colour scheme, and a logo involving an upward-moving star. Above are my design concepts for her a) logo, b) Home Page (featuring the latest episode, and links to other prominent areas of the site), and c) Episodes Page (which includes a Craigslist-inspired section showing the classified ads she responded to within each episode). Unfortunately, Danielle did not like the logo I designed and she chose another designer to create her website, which can be seen here

Waters of Change   •   Summer/Fall 2010

Nuclear Media Inc. brought me on to design a two-tone logo for use on a tri-panel brochure and business card for this Sudbury-based non-profit counselling service. Their dated brochure required an update that would allow for money-saving black & white printing.

Among my instructions: "The organization is called Waters of Change, and I had an idea along those lines, where a negative-space river morphs into a bird. I'm attempting to symbolize change and upward movement."

United Nations Association in Canada Catching Rain Project   •   Summer 2010

The United Nations Association in Canada created Catching Rain as a project to engage Toronto youth in water conservation awareness. I was hired by Sans Blah to design a website that would feature the writing of young project participants. I designed the title treatment & page elements based on the client's suggestions to use a graffiti look and a fun collage-like alternative rain barrel.

Climax Guitar Lessons   •   Spring 2010

Created "sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll" branding concept for guitar instructor named Max, specializing in heavy metal style guitar and bass guitar. Designed logo and promotional coupons which were awarded as raffle prizes to raise awareness of the business. Also created and wrote copy for Max's Craigslist post, Blogger site and Google Maps Place Page, and this poster.

Bear Nation Movie Poster   •   January 2010

Hired by Malcolm Ingram to produce a poster design concept for his documentary film Bear Nation.

Among my instructions: To create a blocky title on a green & pink background of a man's chest in "sex pistols" or "warhol" style.

Donnie McClurkin`s Gospel Gold   •   Fall 2009

Due to the success of Sony Music artist & radio show host Rev. Donnie McClurkin's existing radio show, I was hired by Sans Blah to create this small site pitching radio stations on syndicating a new show hosted by McClurkin: Gospel Gold. Collaborated with ActionScript Programmer Adam Golden who programmed the Flash player.

Among my instructions: "This is the sample page they sent me. I'd like ours to be nicer than that, but don't kill yourself. Going with the title of the show, the page should have a goldish colour scheme and maybe a slightly vintage look. His manager keeps saying he wants it to pop."

Live on 35mm   •   March 2009

Created title concept and artwork to brand a series of rock 'n' roll films at the Bloor Cinema curated by Alex Woodside (currently of the Toronto Underground Cinema) and Malcolm Ingram. The above ad ran in the Bloor Cinema newspaper April through October 2009.

Kevin Smith Fest   •   February 2009

In a whirlwind month during my year-long tenure of management at The Bloor (a month in which gross earnings increased 300% over previous years), we brought directors Kevin Smith and Edgar Wright to the cinema. I desgined this postcard to be handed out at Kevin Smith's Roy Thompson Hall engagement and Bloor Cinema screenings leading up to the events.

Collaborated with: Leslea Macaulay (former Bloor Cinema Director of Marketing & Communications) to promote & market the event; Peter Kuplowsky (Programming) to plan the Wright Stuff film series who, along with Paul Ennis (Director of Programming), was vital in programming the films; Alex Woodside (former Bloor Cinema Director of Operations, now operating Toronto Underground Cinema) in executing the events; Jonathan Goldsbie (former Bloor Cinema Public Relations) in creating media kids and other PR material; Justin DeCloux (former Bloor Cinema Street & Web Team Manager) in coordinating volunteers & online promotions; Malcolm Ingram in coordinating with Kevin Smith; and sponsors 102.1 The Edge, View Askew Productions, Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Silver Snail, Banana Mobile, TOtix.ca, and Mill Street Brewery.

America Votes   •   October-November 2008

During my year of management at the Bloor Cinema, we planned this free event in anticipation of the 2008 US Election. This design was created to promote the event in NOW Magazine, the Bloor Cinema's monthly newspaper, and as a colour poster. Over 1100 people filled the cinema that evening to witness the historic election of President Barack Obama.

Collaborated with: Leslea Macaulay (former Bloor Cinema Director of Marketing & Communications) to promote & market the event; Jonathan Goldsbie (former Bloor Cinema Public Relations) in creating media kids and other PR material; Justin DeCloux (former Bloor Cinema Street & Web Team Manager) in coordinating volunteers & online promotions; and sponsors NOW Magazine and Pauper's Pub.

Toronto Seed Bank   •   Spring 2008

Hired by Nuclear Media Inc. to design and produce through to completion the above items. The Toronto Seed Bank was an upstart online seed store who specialized in the sale of marijuana seeds, a legal practice in Canada. The intent was to push their brand by associating them with informed activism, which inspired the video and print ad. The tattoos, protest signs, buttons and business cards were designed to take advantage of the interest they could generate at Toronto's Global Marijuana March which falls the first weekend in May, the beginning of planting season.

JBH First Aid Training   •   Spring 2008

Hired by Nuclear Media Inc. to brand and build a small corporate site for JBH First Aid Training. Created graphics for the logo and website, and coded the HTML/CSS. The fully functional site can be navitated above, or here.

Collaborated with Sagan Bolliger who programmed some of the advanced JavaScript features, including the mouse-wheel-functional graphical scroll bars on the Corporate and Public pages, and Ian Morrison who used PHP/MySQL to integrate a content management system enabling the client to freely & easily edit the text content on the site.

Popcorn Trilogy Movie Poster   •   June 2007

Created original poster design to brand writer/director Robin Sharp's trio of shorts set in Toronto's historic Bloor Cinema. The Popcorn Trilogy was made as a throwback to 1940s-era pre-show serials, and was created exclusively by staff of the theatre.

Among the feedback recieved upon delivery of the design to the client: "I'm blown away. I can't stop staring at your poster. You nailed it...I love the worn out corners....I love how you matched the period of the poster to the balcony chairs (1940's)...it's wonderful."

Photography by Bronwen Sharp.

Disney's "Jump In" Contest & Digital Trading Card   •   March 2007

Designed the elements for this online promotion leading up to the DVD release of Disney's made-for-TV movie "Jump In" staring Corbin Bleu. The movie follows the story of Izzy Daniels (Corbin Bleu) a young boxer whose coach and father is disappointed to hear he's discovered a passion for a competitive sport of a different nature: Double Dutch Jump Roping.

I was hired by M:30 Communications to create a digital trading card which would serve as the prize in an online contest. I was to create a site directing users to: sign up, create a promotional banner by selecting foreground & background images, gain points by using the banner to promote the site, and finally to unlock the trading card after a certain number of points were achieved.

The trading card features a behind-the-scenes video interview with Corbin Bleu, and can be seen in action here.

Collaborated with Ashley Baylen and Mike Only (former M:30 project managers, now of Sans Blah) in developing the site flow, Randolph Burlton who interned in advanced HTML & CSS layouts with me during the site's development, Adam Golden who programmed the ActionScipt for the trading card, and Nuclear Media Inc. who provided PHP & MySQL programming for the contest engine.

Lick Her Play Design   •   November 2006

Created original poster design and title treatment to brand writer/director Robin Sharp's Lick Her. Created accompanying tickets and programmes in the same style. The poster was to bear resemblence to the label on a bottle of Jack Daniels, a recurring drink throughout the dark comedy about love and liquor and the death of a young girl.

The client's actual response to seeing the design:

Who will believe my e-mail in time to come,
If it were fill'd with your posters most high deserts?
Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb
Which hides it's life, and shows not half its parts.
If I could write the beauty of your font selection,
And in fresh numbers number all your raw info editing,
The age to come would say 'This Robin lies;
Such heavenly cropping ne'er touch'd the actors photos.'
So should my e-mail, yellow'd with age,
Be scorn'd, like old men of less truth than tongue,
And your posters true rights be term'd a Robin's rage
And stretched metre of an antique song:
But were some Lick Her flyer of yours alive that time,
Your poster should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.

Thank you
Robin Sharpspeare

Photography by Bronwen Sharp.

"Psychology & A Movie" Call For Speakers Poster   •   August 2003

Elected by the Psychology student body at the University of Toronto to serve as an Executive on the Psychology Students' Association in a new position I created called "Projects Manager". Initiated many new projects for the committee, including this lecture series. Throughout the year we screened such films as Memento (preceeded by a lecture on anterograde amnesia) and Groundhog Day (with commentary throughout by the very popular and compelling speaker Dr. Jordan B. Peterson). To get the series started, I created this "Call For Speakers" poster for black-and-white printing which I pinned up on bulletin boards in staff areas of the Psychology Department. I designed promotion campaigns for each of the films in the series as well, however the design files have since been lost. For Memento, I created dozens of different little posters styled and sized as polaroid pictures with notes-to-self at the bottom informing students about the movie, and scattered them in clusters throughout the psychology classroom buildings on campus. This year of school was pretty pivotal in helping me realize that I would have more fun working in advertising than in psychology.