I'm Melissa, and I have a passion for design & art.

About me
I have my Bachelor of Design Honours Degree from York University and Sheridan College, as well as over 10 years experience in the publishing industry as a Designer & Art Director. I love typography, playing with colour and enjoy keeping up with the current trends in design, pop culture and the arts. I feel it is important to be aware of the current trends as a designer in order to evolve and stay fresh. My design style has often been described as current and clean.
As well as being a designer, I am also an artist. This skill has served me well over the years when working with other artists, as I am able to clearly sketch out the linear concepts and communicate the desired results accurately. My art work can be seen in my Instagram account if you would like to take a peek.
I am a huge lover of reading and always have a book on the go. I enjoy a wide variety of genres and think my passion for the art of story telling would come through in my work as a designer.
Nature and animal conservation is also a cause very close to my heart. I endeavour to contribute to their protection, as well as choose to make it the main theme for my subjects as an artist. I have used a variety of mediums over the years—from painting in watercolour, graphite & pastel drawing, photography and most recently, in stop motion animation.
Other hobbies and interests include: nature hikes, movies/films of all genres and periods, advertising, learning about social media best practices & tea drinking.
Work History
LCBO
Art Director & Designer | 2019 June – Present
- Concept development and Art Direction of photography for sponsored in store signage
- Design of in store signage
- Art Direction and Design of the Bi-weekly flyer
Food in Canada Magazine (Glacier Media)
Art Director | 2010 April – 2018 May
- Cover-to-cover design and art direction of the magazine
- Design of all print promotional material
- Online ad and e-promo design
- Various other responsibilities such as branding design, re-designs and supplement template design, working with photographers
- (From 2015-2018) 30% of my time was dedicated to The Northern Miner Group as Designer and Art Director creating custom design pieces, supplement design and marketing assets
Rogers Publishing
Art Director/Senior Designer | 2006 May – 2010 April
- Art Director for Plastics in Canada & On-Site magazines
- Acting Art Director (covering a mat-leave) for HPAC magazine during this period, as well as managing a freelance designer
- Cover-to-cover design and art direction of the magazines
- Design of all print promotional material for the publications
Wedding Channel Magazine (Weddingbells Inc.)
Freelance Designer | 2006 January – 2006 February
- Production and design of ads for the magazine (1 month contract)
Pronk & Associates (Educational text books)
Jr. Designer/Production | 2003 December – 2004 December
- Editorial and layout changes to school text books
- Created concept sketches for photographers
Lifestyles Magazine
Freelance Designer | 2005 October – 2006 March
- Layout design of the magazine
- Photo re-touching
Theatre by the Bay
Freelance Designer | 2003 September – 2004 September
- Designed flyers, ads, posters, banners, programs and other promotional print applications for the theatre company
Toronto Fashion Magazine
Intern | 2002 August
- Performed various tasks such as contacting photographers, photo researching and light design work