Jason Bouwman

Today's speaker was Jason Bouwman, a graduate of the Technical Illustration program at Sheridan College and owner of Compass Creative Studio Inc. You can find him on LinkedIn and follow him on Twitter @JayBouwman. Jason didn't show us any work until prodded, but he did give us a lot to think about. This is a guy who spends a lot of time thinking about how he can do things better, and that process was really cool to hear about.

Jason came from a blue collar immigrant family of construction workers and welders. He recognized his creative talent but always felt the responsibility that he would one day want to provide for a family. While studying he realized that grades weren't important, but that his portfolio work is what would get him a job coming out. In second year he started cold calling companies and got his first job at Howard Integrated Communications. He was treated well and worked hard but from the start he had the idea to start his own business.

His freelance took off and when he decided to start hiring and grow his business, he asked his clients what they liked most about working with him. It turns out it wasn't his great illustrations or graphic designs (as he had hoped), but the way he asked questions and got to the root of what they were looking for in their designs. He was able to help the client to develop their core idea, so he became an expert in helping his client to align with the market, not just create great designs.

Jason really stressed the idea of find balance in your life, and making sure that the important things got prioritized. As he said, the big rocks have to go in first. Here's what he means.

This is an exert from an interview I found in West of the City Magazine that sums up a lot of what he spoke about in class about his business ideas.

Compass' tagline is “Let's get real”. “We all hate being sold to, lied to. [Marketing] is a real business function. There' a fine line between getting out and promoting yourself and manipulating people or exploiting their fears and emotions just to sell them something, so we've challenged ourselves but we've also moved to challenge our customers to get real.” Bouwman says potential clients sometimes ask if they can be made to look professional. “The first question we ask is, ‘are you professional?' If you're not, then that's what I want to help you solve, and let's put some creativity towards solving that first before I go and craft a message that could be misrepresenting.” Once that's achieved, Bouwman and his crew will craft a brand message that's as appropriate and as reflective to the truth as they can.

These are a couple examples of their great designs for Let's Landscape and NHL hockey player, Mike Fisher's personal website.

Passion is not enough, it will burn you out. You need skills too, and then you need a market.

One of Jason's designs for the Royal Canadian Mint.

Hard at work.

Alex Pejcic

This week's speaker was Alex Pejcic, Co Founder and Vice President at Sonic Boom Creative Media. Check out his profile on LinkedIn, or follow him on Twitter @alexpjc.

Alex started Sonic Boom in his basement with a couple friends after graduating university with a degree in psychology. After learning some html and building an online hockey pool for their friends they realized they could make some money building web pages. Started going door to door in Hamilton and everything grew from there. These days Sonic Boom helps clients to embrace and maximize what they can do with interactive media. Alex is really energetic and engaging so it's not very hard to see why he's been so successful.



Sonic Booms' home page is awesome. Love how the background image changes each time you visit.

Alex is also an executive member at SODA, Society of Digital Agencies.


Alex was very candid in his presentation and laid out the ad industry as he sees it for us in no uncertain terms. The main message I took from his presentation is to be passionate, and most of all BE A GOOD PERSON. I like that advice.

Understand Our Industry
-understand that you're in an ecosystem
-you need to understand how things work and strategize

Understand and use Social Media
-you need to know whats out there and have an opinion
-be involved
-always be teaching yourself new things

Here's a diagram he showed us that illustrates the different ways of communicating with the consumer.


What will you need to know?
-meaning and role of a brand, 'more than a logo'
-marketing, 'direct and mass'
-latest trends and technologies, 'social design'

What should I possess
-proven skills in your discipline
-strong portfolio
-references, these go a long way
-willingness to learn
-knowledge of the companies your applying to
-POSITIVE ATTITUDE
-PASSION FOR WHAT YOU DO
-HEAD, HEART AND HANDS

Get noticed, recognized and respected. It takes time.
-join interactive media groups
-submit your portfolio to online communities
-create your own online space
-ask for advice and interviews

DON'T HAVE AN EGO, DON'T BE AN IDIOT AND ALWAYS PAY YOU DUES

-but don't confuse confidence with ego
-be prepared to have a thick skin, people will tear apart your work sometimes
-stick somewhere, don't jump around, and show progression
-look for inspiration outside of what you do

Here's a good interview with Alex from Red Canary about Sonic Boom and the industry.

Jay Schacher

This Friday's speaker was Jay Schacher, Art Director at Henderson Bas Kohn. Check out his work at jayshack.com, learn more about him on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter @jayshack.

Jay studied Multimedia and New Media at York University before graduating from the Web Design program at Sheridan College in 2006. His first job out of school was as a Junior Designer at Organic Inc and has since worked at Sonic Boom Media and OSL Marketing before moving on to his current role.

HBK specializes in interactive web experiences, online ads, mobile and print. Some of their brands include Coca Cola, Nintendo, Tim Hortons, Mercedez Benz and The Weather Network.

Jay's everyday work includeS brainstorming, concepting, designing, overseeing, mentoring, meeting timelines, ensuring client expectations are met and BEING CREATIVE!

Comon Traits of a good ad employee

-you love video games and doodling

-you like Photoshop more than TV

-you have a favourite Hex value

-you have really creative passwords and network names

This is the LG Power up you life video created to show consumers how to play the game. The website which is no longer live has animations using javascript in HTML5.

The Mercedez Benx Drive and Seek game. One of the project Jay definitely seemed most proud of. Really beautiful design and a very different style from the LG project. Also uses animations coded in HTML5.

This is the Mercedez Benz Drive and Seek video they were given to base the online interactive on.

Some advice from Jay

-build an online profile, this is your brand

-keep an archive of all your work

-network, use LinkedIn, tumblr and Twitter to stay connected

-stay close with you classmates after you graduate

-you will be finding each other work

-be a team player, not a hero

This is Jay favourite poster of all time which I found on his Tumblr page.

Henderson Bas:

479 Wellington St. W.

Toronto, ON

M5V 1E7

416-977-6660

Break Week

Slide show of randomn images from my daytime wandering in New Orleans.

John Alabaszowski

John Alabaszowski, V.P. Group Creative Director at MacLaren McCann MRM presented to the class today. Check him out on LinkedIn or follow him on Twitter @JohnAla. John was also on the financial panel at the Fall Tour Interactive so now I've been lucky to hear him speak on two occasions.

John studied New Media at Ryerson and started out as a Web Designer, working for Nurun, Infinet Communications (no longer around) and Alliance Atlantis and freelancing before climbing the ladder at MacLaren McCann.

One point that really stuck out is how web design has become about managing relationships with the consumer as opposed to simply providing information and selling things.

Here are three different Chevy campaigns he showed us, all with a very different approach.

The Chevy Volt site was made using google maps. You can enter directions and find out the fuel usage. This is my 5km commute to Sheridan which would use no gas!


The Chevy Sonic site uses music as a theme and creates a beat that evolves as you add different features to your car.


The Chevy Orlando site includes twitter conversations from "soccer moms" who were given the mini van to test.

Somehow the conversation got on to how different companies handle themselves on the web. We talked a bit about a certain company's (name altered cause someone keeps blocking this video from my blog! hopefully this works) response to the Greenpeace campaign against their use of a palm oil supplier who were clear cutting orangutang habitat. Instead of dealing with it up front they sent a cease and desist order to Youtube where it was originally posted thinking they could control the video. This showed little understanding of how the web works and of course the video lived on. Eventually Greenpeace was able to force them to end their contract with this supplier.

One of the cool things about working at MacLaren McCann is to work on pro bono projects. Camp Oochigeas is one of these clients, a camp for kids with cancer. With one of their campaigns they were able to raise enough money through the Evening of Summer Dreams gala to create a new camp in the city for kids who were too sick to make the trip up north. This is really cool.




Here's some advice from John:

Have an online portfolio
-put your strengths up front
-he looks for good layout and design skills in whichever medium
-show initiative, always work on projects in your spare time
-demonstrate passion
-have it organized

Your interview
-organize your presentation, be prepared and don't fumble for your work
-stand out and leave an impression
-know your company and research them
-start a discussion, ask questions about your work, you can direct this converstion

Your first job
-there is a feeling out process, what can you do
-raise your hand and work on stuff around the office, flyers for company events etc
-find things above and beyond your work duties to work on

Advice from interns- Megan and Mario
-DON'T BE DRUNKER THAN YOUR BOSS!
-but go to social events

ENJOY YOUR CAREER AND DON'T TAKE YOURSELF TOO SERIOUSLY

Contact Information:

MacLaren McCann Canada
10 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5J 2S3
Tel: 416.594.600

Fall Tour Interactive

The purple team guides on the Fall Tour Interactive, Boris and Raz (below) and the guys documenting us. All photos by JH who posted these on the Fall Tour Interactive Facebook page.

First stop nurun, where we had a great tour of the office spaces, a breakdown of their operations and the chance to chat with some of the staff. Thats me in the bottom left talking UX, and that's Melissa in the bottom right looking really studious. Always looking for interns so there were good contacts to make.

Next we had a tour of Idea Couture Inc. Very relaxed atmosphere. Young staff with lots of amazing ideas. I answered a question right and snagged a copy of MISC.

Where do you go for innovation | IdeaCouture from IdeaCouture Inc on Vimeo.

David Stubbs, Group Creative Director at MacLaren McCann gave a presentation back at the Underground Cinema. He talked a lot about an intern recruiting project they created for Mastercard, and an alternative reality game they came up with to promote Gears of War where you had to figure out how to find locust meat to get into a special pre-launch party.

Steve's main advice was to remember to be 3 things: Helpful, Relevant and Adaptive. Also, be a problem solver.

Lunch at Oddly Studios, the organizers of the tour. These guys were fun, and obviously loved their jobs. A lot of passion. Thanks for the sandwiches.


This was the finance panel. It makes the world go round. Some interesting topics but a lot of talk about project grants.

John St had a really cool atmosphere and they put together an awesome presentation for us. They took us through the entire process of creating a campaign for Tetley Infusions. This commercial is great.

Lastly we visited Grip Limited which had the most interesting office space. The website is also incredible.

Patrick, one of the Associate Partners gave us some good tips. Things to do when cultivating a career.

1) Independent: Be original, self directed and aim high.
2) Futurist: Think of the opportunities that don't exist yet.
3) Inspiration: Keep your radar turned on!
4)Growing: Always learn new skills, be curious and have side projects.
5) Collaboration: Share inspiration and energy, reach out to other disciplines.
6) Participate & Network: What's your verbal branding? Project the most optimistic version of yourself.
7) Think different: Be strategic and intentional.
8) Expert: Share your expertise at anything.
9) Curious: Be a student of life.
10) Stay optimistic and enthusiastic.

Dwayne Grech (aka Sultan of Beard)

This weeks' speaker was Dwayne Grech, another alum of the Sheridan Web Design program. He's an Interactive Designer at Momentum Advanced Solutions, and the Owner and personality behind Sultan of Beard. Before this he spent time with several companies, polishing his design skills and navigating the rough waters of inter-office politics. Check out his profile on LinkedIn, and follow him on Twitter @sultanofbeard.

Dwayne also started a facebook group for the Toronto Surf Club, where they get together during the winter months to surf Lake Ontario. I think this means that he may be totally insane.

He doesn't seem too keen on Momentum's current website, but did give us a sneak peek at the re-design which he hopes to have up in the next few months.

His favourite project to work on so far has been for Jeep Crankworkx, a mountain-biking festival in Whistler.

I also found a music video he shot on his website. So far each speaker has recommended learning some video editing skills.

'Good Behaviour' by Late July

What to expect from the industry

1) It won't be easy

-lots of grads, get worked very hard, do everything the senior designers don't want to do

2) Lack of sleep

-last minute jobs, crazy deadlines, all nighters

3) Ultra competitive market

-1 job for every 5 grads

4)Small industry

-everyone knows everyone

-your reputation will follow you

5) Crazy office politics

-creative people can be irrational

-people wear their hearts on their sleeves

-be level headed and put your ego aside

-don't ever throw your other creatives under the bus

6) Toronto has heaps of agency choices

-large companies will burn you out

-try to start somewhere small, you will learn more

7)Heaps of industry parties= Free booze!!!

Dwayne also gave us some great nuggets of advice, which I found posted on his website, so I'll let his words explain:

1. Burning bridges in this industry is employment suicide– burning bridges, in general, isn’t wise. We’re too small of an industry for you to tell off your former boss, who has friends at every other agency you’re applying to work at.

2. Networking events are your easiest way into an interview– besides the employment benefits, the food and booze are usually free! #winning

3. You are never too old to stop learning– if you feel you’ve learned enough, then chances are you’re an idiot. Read a book. Scour through theFWA.com, PSD or AEtuts+ (to name a few). Take a night course in presentation communication. It helps!

4. theFWA.com is the Bible– this is your source to industry giants, growing hopefuls and terabytes of inspiration and trends

5. Sometime you’ll have to sacrifice a weekend or six– a sacrificed weekend for work should never been seen in a negative light. Sure, shit hits the fans and you’ll have to cancel going towel shopping with your mom, but seeing that you’re working under your terms, working the weekends can be far more rewarding because you’re under less stress.

6. Red Bull doesn’t give you wings, but sure does make you the savior of the “last minute all-nighter” request– you’ll get these ridiculous requests that force you to pull an all-nighter for a pitch the next day. Red Bull will get you through it. Once done, you’ll be the hero of the week and get a phone call from the President, thanking you. Promotion? Sure!

7. Pay it forward– this work we do comes with a bit of superstitious baggage. We get lucky breaks, we’re competing daily with equally great designers in equally great agencies, how we win contracts, employment or whatever is nothing short of luck. Give back– it’s karma! Once you’re a big shot, or at least got your feet wet for a few years, mentor a student or two. Volunteer at the Fall Studio Tour or speak at a Weekly Guest Lecture. NEVER AVOID HELPING OUT OTHERS!

8. If you’re not enjoying the what and where, then it’s time for a change– You have to love where you work. This keeps you loyal and motivated. Sure, you will have to pay your dues at a couple of shitty places, but chances are you will find the right fit. If you find yourself waking up from bed dreading to go to work then that’s a good sign you should polish off your resume. You’re doing yourself a favor.

9. Booze is your friend– When times are tough, I schedule a meeting with my buddy and life coach, Jack Daniels, to get me through the week of nagging PMs and impossible deadlines. When Jack isn’t around, I’ll call up his European counterpart, Heineken. Alcohol is widely excepted in our industry, but how visible it is during business hours differs from shop to shop.

10. SOCIAL MEDIA– do I even need to mention how important it is to stay connected?

Sultan of Beard revealed!