Just a few of the students who came to class with very sharp pencils. If you are on this page because you’re thinking of enrolling in my University of Toronto Digital Strategy course, I can see you! But seriously, Hi, I’m glad you stopped by. Whenever I take a course — I took Creating Comics […]
When in doubt
Originally published in July 2017 in Blog
I love this quote by Shadi Petosky from Grace Bonney’s book, In The Company of Women. I was determined to visualize it in PhotoShop, which I’m finally learning. It’s easier to learn a new tool when you have something you actually want or need to make. Have you noticed that too? I learned iMovie because […]
Insights with Nargis
Originally published in May 2017 in Blog
While Yann Yap and I finish editing our first batch of Willful videos and gear up for the next spate of interviews, it was so gratifying to participate in Nargiz Mammadova’s thoughtful interview series, Insights with Nargiz. We talked about creativity, work, life, and constant adaptation. Thank you, Nargiz! Photo: Gary Chen, White Clover.
Baratunde Thurston
Originally published in May 2017 in Blog
Willful web series
Originally published in January 2017 in Blog
This is me talking with my pal, Andrew Dobson, creator of the food and travel media empire, DobberNationLoves. Andrew is one of dozens of creative entrepreneurs and artists I’ll be interviewing in Willful, a new web series I co-created with my friend, Yann Yap, a producer, photographer and videographer currently working at TFO. A selfie of the […]
Selfie Nation
Originally published in September 2016 in Blog
Why video?
Originally published in September 2016 in Blog
Observation is my primary occupation. It takes on many forms: writing, drawing, and now videos. While most people have been video DIY’ers since 2005, when YouTube launched, I only took to the form when the story I wanted to tell needed video effects to lift it off the ground. I prefer to be led by […]
Accessible Design in Canada
Originally published in August 2016 in Blog
FIFTY YEARS AGO, graphic design meant two things: working in print and kicking out mind-blowing creative. Wait, make that three: insisting on your own vision. The brash antics of Madison Avenue’s “Big Idea” branding campaigns, personified by George Lois and his “my way or the highway” client dynamic, have long since been replaced by a […]
Godin is great
Originally published in March 2016 in Blog
A Seth Godin blog post called “Reject the Tyranny of Being Picked: Pick Yourself,” published in March 2011, made the rounds on the internet again this week. And with good reason. (h/t to Gapingvoid cartoonist Hugh MacLeod for reviving Godin’s greatest hits in his crunchy daily email). To recap, in March 2011: Twitter was at […]
