I enjoy designing visual media and telling stories with my drawings and photographs.
Graphic Design
I design for people. I craft fine pieces for print and web to fulfill their communication needs.
Photography
I photograph people. I love preserving some of their memories.
Illustration
I also draw people. Mostly unknown and clueless passengers who share a trip with me.
What I Do
I've been working as a graphic artist in Montreal since 2008.
Branding for Norda Stelo
Graphic Design
Roche's Website
Web Design / UI
Roche's Annual Reports
Graphic Design
Kids and Family
Photography
Seasons and Portraits
Photography
Everyday Life
Photography
Caricatures for Golf Canada
Illustration
OneBigPlanet Avatars
Illustration
Drawings of People
Illustration
Who I Am
I'm a graphic designer who loves taking pictures and sketching.
The Doodler
I have loved drawing since I can remember. My favourite canvas was the spotless floor my older sisters had just cleaned.
The Geek
I studied arts and graphic design, which meant lots of sleepless nights... And coffee!
The Professor
I spent 7 years teaching talented graphic artists. Looking back, I’ve come to realise that they taught me just as much as I taught them.
The Mamarazzi
Maternity leave was my own version of photography school. My main subject of study? My little baby boy.
The Graphic Designer
Nowadays, I work in an engineer’s firm... And it sure is fun to hear what they think about my job.
How I do it
This is my process. Whether it’s graphic design, illustration or photography, the steps I follow are essentially the same.
Immersion
Defining goals, gathering content and sketching.
Creation
When I design, photograph and draw.
Delivering
Presenting the product and assessing success.
I'm one of those lucky people who truly love what they do and I strive to always give my best. I am always completely invested in my projects, and I want to make sure that my client takes advantage of it.
Say Hi
If you feel like it, take a few minutes to say hi or ask me something. I’d love to hear from you!
Branding for Norda Stelo
In 2015 after 53 years in the industry, Roche Ltd Consulting Group became Norda Stelo Inc. We gave it a brand new image.
My Two Cents
Along with the other lead designer, I conceived the stationery, advertising and printed ressources. I also stablished the style of the illustrations, social media and web.
The Guidelines
Our main premise was to use a two-color palette: blue for corporate and orange for marketing. The use of straight lines and structures was a way to recall the logical thinking of engineers.
The Approach
Every composition is an iteration of the logo. Its diagonal lines define placement for the images. We avoid gradients and curves. Instead, we used plain colour, transparencies, photographs and vectorial illustrations. The starred sky is a metaphor of the name, as Norda Stelo means Northern Star in Esperanto.
The Result
The simplicity of the concept and the strong use of colour makes the brand memorable and allows the content to stand out. One of our biggest achievements was coincidentally the smallest change: the use of a single illustration instead of several photographs on the proposal's cover page. It gives a more coherent look and optimizes the time invested on everyday tasks.
Stationery
Corporate
Marketing
Date: October 2015 / February 2016
Client: Norda Stelo Inc.
Category: Graphic Design
Roche's Website
In 2014, the amount of visits coming from mobile devices got us into the task of creating a responsive website.
My Two Cents
This project was a big task accomplished in a short period of time by a small team. Although my main role was the UI/graphic design, I also acted as a UX adviser.
The Guidelines
Our goal was to update the content and style of the website while making it available for all web devices. The site was mainly geared towards clients and potential employees.
The Approach
The home page was a window to the whole website and its accent was focused on the projects. All main sections were organized in boxes to make them readable even on a 320px wide screen.
The Result
As expected, Roche's website positioning improved shortly after the shift to responsive was achieved. The site was 100% readable regardless the size of the device. Employees and clients expressed positive impressions on their user experience and the new style.
Home Page
Other Pages
Wireframe and Prototype
To see the desktop prototype on Invision click here. To see the new site's prototype instead (work in progress) click here.
Date: November 2014 / May 2015
Client: Roche Ltd, Consulting Group
Category: Web Design / UI
Roche's Annual Reports
In the year of Roche's 50th anniversary, the annual report was presented for the first time on an iPad. Only a few printed copies have been produced ever since.
My two cents
Based on the tagline provided, I developed the visual concept of each report. I was also in charge of the page layout in French and English, the illustrations and the graphics.
The Guidelines
Main texts had to be readable without zooming. Each document had to be a password protected PDF, personalized with the name of the user.
The Approach and the Result by Year
Some of the following content has been modified given its confidential nature.
2012 - 2013 — Envisioning the Next 50 Years...
To illustrate the annual report, I used some of the drawings I made for Roche's new headquarters. It balanced quite well the addition of the new format to deliver the report. It also alluded to Roche's big milestone: half of a century in business.
2013 - 2014 — Building tomorrow together
This edition emphasized the human side of the company and its achievements thought photographs. The use of typography and colour was bolder and stronger.
2014 - 2015 — Staying on Course
During the last years, the industry of engineering firms in Quebec did not only get more complex, it also had to face many difficulties. This is why the message conveyed by this year’s annual report intended to showcase a capacity to face challenges and brave all storms.
All the imagery and colours were chosen according to a nautical theme.
Date: 2013 / 2015
Client: Roche Ltd, Consulting Group
Category: Graphic Design
Kids and Family
The portraits I like the most are the ones that make us feel as if we were watching people from a place where they can't see us.
My Two Cents
I'm the photographer. They're the storytellers.
The Guidelines
At home, I try to capture some little details one usually forgets over time; endearing memories like their kid's favourite toy or their pet napping next to the window. Outside, it’s more about the beauty of the essential things: their love, their feelings, their young soul...
The Approach
Always shooting under natural light, I like to emphasize intimate scenes with slightly over-saturated colours.
The Result
These are short stories about people that let me in with my camera.
Families
Bellies
Newborns
Babies and toddlers
Kids
Date: 2012 / 2016
Client: People
Category: Photography
Seasons and Portraits
As days go by and light changes, the way people look at the camera changes, too.
My Two Cents
I'm the one behind the Nikon saying: yes, you are photogenic!
The Guidelines
Although I like to know in advance people's expectations about their portraits, it is always nice to slowly discover them after a few clicks.
The Approach
Most people dress up for a photographer and those images can indeed be treasured, but to me, the photographs that warm my heart are those that captured reality and help us remember the ones we used to be. Even on bad hair days, we can find beauty looking back at us from the mirror.
The Result
In spring, a portrait must be taken outside, for none wants to be trapped between walls after a long winter. Same thing goes for a summer portrait, although people are even happier and more playful. Fall is the golden time for this subject, as the light is soft and magical. Winter can be both jolly and nostalgic, depending on where the session is performed.
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter
Date: 2012 / 2016
Client: Lovely people
Category: Photography
Everyday Life
A non-ambitious depiction of little things that would probably be forgotten without photographs.
My Two Cents
These are some of my personal tales.
The Guidelines
To preserve some memories of our everyday life.
The Approach
Three images, one story.
The Result
Five short stories told from a general plan to a small detail.
Autumn in the country
I thought autumn was gorgeous the first time I experienced it in the city. Then, my friend took us to the countryside and I realized that I knew absolutely nothing about it. This first capture was taken from the moving car.
A 30-degree day in March
Something odd happened with the weather by the end of March 2012: we had a taste of summer for almost a week. Usually by this time of the year in Montreal, the snow is everywhere and when it falls, the flakes look big, light and fluffy. It is normally very cold, but not that day. So, we spent the afternoon happily barefoot in the park.
Ottawa's Tulip Festival
A two-hour trip to enjoy one of the most colourful palettes that spring can offer.
An Afternoon walk
Back when we lived near downtown and the days were long, Sam and I used to go for a walk before the sunset. Then and there, Montreal's Victorian architecture swept me off my feet.
Grandma in Exporail
A lovely 85-year-old lady travelled from Venezuela, all alone, to spend the summer with us. This is what happened when my little boy took us to his favourite place on Earth: Exporail, the Canadian railway museum.
Date: 2012 / 2016
Client: Myself
Category: Photography
Caricatures for Golf Canada
Between 2009 and 2012, I illustrated some articles for Golf Canada Magazine.
My two cents
Based on the brief provided by the art director, I created the caricatures.
The Guidelines
Illustrations should be fun and simple. Colours must match the magazine's palette.
The Approach
All caricatures would enhance some aspect of the story and spark the reader's curiosity. Each one was created by hand, traced and coloured in Illustrator and textured in Photoshop.
The Result
Imagining Tiger Woods, The Musical...
If Shrek and Spiderman can swing a Broadway show then why not the PGA Tour's real-life fairy tale, the master of them all, Eldrick "Tiger" Woods?
— Maike Dojc. Golf Canada. April 2009. P. 54.
Pro-Am Matchmaker
His hip sashaying country woman with the truth telling hips has also received tons of camera love. This Colombian duo will get along as famously as arroz con coco.
— Maike Dojc. Golf Canada. June 2009. P. 78.
Le Golf et ses mystères
Soudainement, la tension a monté d’un cran. Je me suis imaginé non dans la peau de Jack Nicklaus, mais celle de Mickey Mantle. Première erreur.
— Serge Touchette. Golf Canada. June 2009. P. 90.
Au confessionnal
Oui, j’ai déjà triché. Une fois, peut-être même deux. Un léger coup de pied a suffi à déloger ma balle, qui était immobilisée au pied d’un sapin majestueux.
— Serge Touchette. Golf Canada. July 2009. P. 66.
School Daze 108 holes to glory
To David Hearn, the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament is simply a job interview.
— Kevin Woodley. Golf Canada. September 2009. P. 36.
It took Canadian icon Mike Weir six years to make it through PGA Tour Q School.
— Kevin Woodley. Golf Canada. September 2009. P. 36.
Silences et fous rires...
Au 16e trou, Austin, un pied dans l’étang, l’autre en bordure du terrain, s’élance, puis tombe à pleine face dans l’eau sous le regard amusé des spectateurs et probablement des canards...
— Serge Touchette. Golf Canada. September 2009. P. 68.
La prière du golfeur...
Son plus gros défaut : il sacrait. Dans le bonheur ou dans le malheur, un juron n’attendait pas l’autre. En l’espace de quelques secondes, il pouvait écorcher les oreilles les plus coriaces.
— Serge Touchette. Golf Canada. June 2009. P. 60-61.
Si mon golf vous était conté...
Dans votre entourage, il se trouve sûrement un conteur invétéré, le genre de bonhomme qui se fait un devoir de vous narrer par le menu sa dernière partie de golf. Trou par trou? Non, pire encore. Coup par coup.
— Serge Touchette. Golf Canada. September 2010. P. 57.
In Training
I finally decided to enlist the help of some of the myriad training ads I've so often seen advertised on The Golf Channel, in golf magazines, and in those dreams I have where I invent cool stuff and as a result make scads of money.
— I.J. Shecter. Golf Canada. June 2011. P. 56-57.
Some sketches
Date: 2009 / 2011
Client: Golf Canada Magazine
Category: Illustration
OneBigPlanet's Avatars
In 2009, OneBigPlanet Corp. needed some characters created from their logo, a smiley face. They would be used as avatars for their commerce and loyalty platform.
My Two Cents
Based on the summary provided by the graphic designer of the company, I created the characters.
The Guidelines
Their CEO wanted to add a human touch to the portal. He asked for about 15 characters inspired by their logo that users could select to represent themselves while shopping online. They identified the most common profiles of their clients so that I could develop the basic avatars.
The Approach
The characters are modular, meaning the user can have the possibility of combining body parts, clothing, accessories and colours. This allows every user to create their own online persona when using OneBigPlanet's platform.
The Result
19 basic characters were created to represent different kind of users: professionals, students, multiethnic...
Date: 2008
Client: OneBigPlanet Corp.
Category: Illustration
Drawings of People
These are some of the illustrations I made back in 2000 for my thesis project about the people in Maracaibo and some sketches I did while commuting in Montreal since 2008.
My Two Cents
I draw people for the same reason I photograph them, it's by far my favourite subject.
The Guidelines
For my thesis project, I made the illustrations from photographs taken by myself or my friends and family. The other ones were sketched directly by looking at someone on the subway, bus or train.
The Approach
All sketches were made by hand, using pencils or charcoal. The representation was meant to be realistic, but unfinished, as a drawing study.
The Result
There's something sweet and poetic about drawing people, especially when they aren't aware of your attention.
