About My Practice
Over the past two decades, I've built a non-linear career collaborating with a wide range of innovators. From musicians and documentarians to fintechs, nonprofits, and cultural collectives, each project has brought with it new challenges and opportunities to create meaningful and enduring design solutions.
Prior to launching my independent design practice in Vancouver, I held senior roles in full-service agencies in Toronto, working with clients across industry sectors and leading design and branding initiatives to help them communicate with clarity and purpose.
My approach is grounded in empathy and listening closely, so that I fully understand my client's business objectives and challenges. Only then, do I move forward, guiding the design and production of a project through to completion — whether it's a national multi-touchpoint campaign across platforms or a local artist's brand identity design.
Teaching is a natural extension of my practice, so I was thrilled to be invited to teach at the School of Design at Toronto's George Brown College, and currently, at the IDEA School of Design at Capilano University, Vancouver where I am proud to mentor the next generation of brand builders.
For me, creativity and lifelong-learning are essential to an inspired life, and I continue to explore both streams of discovery through projects with illustrators, musicians, and filmmakers, and by contributing to a vibrant local design community.
About
Elyssa studied graphic design at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London, where she earned her Masters in Design in 2000. Prior to beginning her freelance practice in Toronto, she worked as a principal Art Director at Capital One in Toronto and Edelman PR in Vancouver, where she developed many advertising and social awareness campaigns for industrial, municipal and cultural clients.
Elyssa is motivated by projects that have outstanding social and cultural value and is influenced by the modern masters of fine art and graphic design. Her projects are known for their bold graphic simplicity, vivid colour and elegant typography. She sites a trusted process of distilling art, intuition and research in order to obtain a core human truth for a project. Her work encompasses brand identities, digital campaigns, print, editorial, book and exhibition design for such clients as TED Conferences, The Heart & Stroke Foundation, Olympic and Paralympic Games, Capital One and Kraft Canada.
With the belief that work and creativity should be interconnected in life, Elyssa is exercising her love of music and film by designing album art for local bands Let There Be Light and southpacific, as-well-as promotional materials and packaging for the newly released documentary film Where Does A Body End?.
Elyssa gives back to the local design community by volunteering with the RGD Canada and mentoring the next generation of graphic authors.
Hello! Let's work together.
Open to collaborations and new friends.
Call or text +1 416 526 1552
I am open to new collaborations and friends.
Email me at [email protected] or call +1 416 526 1552
Hello!
Let's work together.
