Amusing stories & views by us
To blog, or not to blog, that is the question. Through these musings, we hope to give you a better sense of who we are, what we believe in, and share our (design) perspective. Below, explore our creative opinion pieces and discover design tips and tricks to use in your daily life.
2024-12-20 Design thinking
The genetics of creativity: a personal exploration by our Digital Art Director
I have always been creative, and I always knew I wanted a career in which I could use my creativity. I wanted to be a cartoonist. I wanted to invent, draw and animate my own unique characters. I wanted to work on Saturday morning cartoons and Disney movies. I wanted to produce visual effects for […]
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2024-12-06 Culture
Initiate’s first summer intern reflects on a summer of design
Emilie-Danni was our very first summer design intern here at Initiate. We asked her to reflect on her journey with us. As I sit down to reflect on the final days of my internship, I feel both nostalgic and exhilarated. It’s incredible how swiftly the past few months have flown by, each day brimming with […]
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2024-11-08 Industry insights
The authenticity piece: are you bringing your true self to work?
Be Who You Are—Everywhere There’s something powerful about being the same person in every part of your life. Whether it’s on stage at the gym, like our President & COO Jennifer, in the office, in the car, or with family—authenticity matters. More people need to be comfortable with who they are at work, just like […]
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2024-10-28 Industry insights
The art of hiring: balancing creativity and culture in a design agency
Is it your graphic design skills that matter most when applying to work at Initiate Marketing? Is it your attitude? Or playing well with others? All of the above. Not a designer in a designer’s world Let’s talk about an interesting dynamic: when you’re not a designer but you’re leading a design agency. It’s a […]
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2024-10-04 Leadership
Trust your gut, and trust the process
‘Great things don’t happen in your comfort zone’ Going from university right to college, I made it a point early on to push past my comfort zone and truly take advantage of my time at Algonquin in the Graphic Design program. I became more extroverted as time went on and felt more confident as an […]
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2024-09-27 Design thinking
To degree, or not to degree, that is the question
Finding my place in the world Being a creative has been something I have always held near to my heart. I am the only member of my family in the creative industry, so not having anyone to relate to growing up was tough. I found joy in things other people in my life didn’t find […]
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2024-09-20 Leadership
What do project management and tennis have in common? Not love!
Project Management seems simple enough, but the role is like being in a sporting match—when you are on, you are on. Your continual task is to catch and strategically hand off projects to the team – just like balls in sports! Catching, saving, volleying, deflecting—just like in tennis. Ever go up against the automatic ball […]
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2024-09-13 Design thinking
The winning formula: what do design and Formula One have in common?
Geneviève is a consummate Formula One racing fan, and a graphic designer at Initiate when F1 cars aren’t on track. At first glance, the world of Formula One racing and the creative hustle of a design studio might not appear to have much in common. However, both realms share a surprising number of similarities in […]
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2024-09-06 Design thinking
Becoming a graphic designer
Time Traveller, Astronaut, Opera Singer, Hockey Announcer, Graphic Designer. What do all the jobs on this list have in common? These are all the jobs I’ve dreamed of having in a world where anyone can be anything and there are no limits on where you can take your career. It’s also a list of jobs […]
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2024-08-16 Design thinking
Overcoming the blank page
Recently, I asked to be put on a project I’d always dreamed of working on. Lucky for me, I got it! As soon as I opened it up, my mind went completely blank. I had no ideas and was totally overwhelmed. Here are the five strategies I used to overcome my creative block and create […]
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