CREATIVE DIRECTION

Creative Director / Editorial Publishing

FLARE

➞ Having left publishing in 2010 to complete a post-grad certificate in web design, I shifted my design experience to an agency lens in digital marketing, promising myself to commit at least 7 years in a new pond to explore new opportunities. My unexpected return to publishing 4 years later changed that timeline, but given the chance to redesign FLARE from an aspirational luxury print brand to a digital-first guide to everyday life for millennial women, there was no question in my mind to jump back in.

Inheriting a talented art department I was determined to create a supportive and collaborative environment where team members were given creative ownership and provided stretch opportunities to grow their role and responsibilities. By streamlining workflows and leveraging shared skills our team was able to adapt quickly to growing content demands for our print, app, web, social and partnership channels while successfully retaining and growing employee talent.

With the shift to a fully digital presence came the redesign of the FLARE visual identity from a traditional serif logotype to a custom compressed sans-serif logo designed to stand out in a crowded social feed. Analysis of online trends and patterns was vital in our audience growth while agile content planning and creation of new content pillars opened up new revenue and partnership opportunities beyond fashion and beauty brands. 

ROLE ACCOUNTABILITIES

  • Create best-in-class editorial content and design to drive and elevate reader engagement and brand growth

  • Lead brand evolution throughout all editorial departments and partner teams across platforms (print, web, social, broadcast, events)

  • Develop innovative brand extensions to generate new revenue streams and diversify content sponsorship opportunities

TEAM STRUCTURE

  • Reports: Design, Photo, Production, Illustration, Video/Animation, Web, Freelance Artists 

  • Partners: Editorial, Publishing, Marketing, Circulation, Operations, Finance, Human Resources

DELIVERABLES

  • Brand: Daily web and social, Bi-weekly newsletter, Weekly/monthly print magazine for newsstand and subscribers

  • Marketing: Branded event collateral, Custom influencer swag, Subscriber promotional materials

  • Sponsorship: Integration across print and digital, Coordinated amplification with advertising partners and influencers

Creative Direction + Design / Freelance

Ward 3 Newsletter: Together in Community

➞ Designing Councillor Morley’s inaugural ward newsletter brought the opportunity to question and challenge the content and form of typical city councillor mailer. Ranging from a Ward 3 perspective to the City of Toronto at large, an accordion-style foldout provided a plentiful canvas for spotlights on local leaders, community resources and high priority infrastructure updates. To compliment the energetic brand palette and graphic icons, editorial illustrations by a local artist and resident were commissioned to accurately depict the diversity of people and needs of the South Etobicoke community. By establishing content hierarchy and creating visual context the breadth of information included wasn’t at the expense of readability.

Creative Direction / Freelance

A Field Guide to Canadian Cocktails

➞ When friends Victoria Walsh and Scott McCallum shared about their upcoming book publisher meeting to pitch their own cocktail recipe book, the plan to style, shoot and design a mock-up quickly came to life. Bringing in a crew of talented friends made for a day of shooting multiple indoor and outdoor set-ups in crisp Canadian weather and quick layout design printed and assembled in time for the meeting. Needless to say the mock-up was a hit and is apparently to this day still in the publisher’s office as an example of a best-in-class pitch. As for those cold wintery day cocktails? Well the drinks made their way to our lips and those shots made it to the pages of the final book.