Investors Group

This past Friday we had the pleasure of having two representatives of Investors Group. Rachelle Allen and Adam Plaxton gave us an informative presentation on the changing realities of the market, different ways to invest and protect our earnings, and suggestions on how to handle our money and plan for the future. 
They were able to break down the different types of accounts (ie. Tax Free Savings Account), retirements plans (ie. RRSP) and insurance plans (ie. Mortgages, Life Altering Illness).

Contact
Adam Plaxton 
416-695-8600
295 The West Mall Suite 700, Etobicoke, ON M9C 4Z4
adam.plaxton@investorsgroup.com

Rachelle Allen
416-860-1668 ext. 227
145 King Street West, Suite 2800, Toronto, ON M5H 1J8
rachelle.allen@investorsgroup.com

Dashboard

"Everything is youtube and facebook"


The Associate Creative Direct from Dashboard, Catherine Baird, came to speak to Professional topics class this past friday.  Ms. Baird is a fine arts grad, and attended the Sheridan Web Design program. Before Dashboard, Ms. Baird spent time at  Eccentricarts for 4 years,  Henderson Bas, 5emegauche in Paris and Draft.

Dashboard is a 'digital engagement agency." Privately run, with approximately 30 staff.  The creative team consists of 6-8 people.

Tips:
1) Be Prepared
2) Do something original to get attention
3) Follow up and don't write long emails
4) Show diversity
5) Network
6) Trick (if you can't get an interview, ask for a portfolio review)

The Future:
-touchscreens
-apps
-augmented reality
-cloud computing
-"unity"
-html5
-webfonts

Contact Information
Catherine Baird
Dashboard
355 Adelaide St. West
Suite 100
Toronto ON
M5V 1S2

http://www.dashboard.ca/

Leo Burnett

Brendan Good was our guest speaker from Leo Burnett. It was a great presentation, as I found he was honest and truthful in his information and had an obvious passion for what he was doing.  Leo Burnett is an international company;  a shop run by 'creatives.' It is the 4th most awarded design agency and the only Canadian shop to make the list. Clients include: Kellogs, TVO, Blackberry and Bell.

Contact Information:
Brendan Good
Leo Burnett
175 Bloor St. East
Toronto ON
http://www.leoburnett.com/

One Method

 This week our guest speaker was Steve Miller, Creative Director of One Method.  He gave an in-depth presentation on the industry, his personal experiences, creative processes and tips for obtaining success as a designer. Steve was enthusiastic about staying on top of current trends and to constantly be striving to learn new skills.  

Check out their website: http://onemethod.com/
Check out their reel of work: http://onemethod.com/2010-demo-reel/


Contact Information
135 Liberty St. Suite 201
Toronto Ontario CAN M6K 1A7
steven@onemethod.com
t 416 649 0191
c 416 816 7077
888 OneMethod

Ecentricarts

This past Friday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Keith Durrant and Leslie Horan of Ecentricarts. Their work includes work for arts&culture organizations, law firms and services.  Examples of their clients include:

• Osler 
• Kids Help Phone
• National Ballet of Canada
• Glasgow School of Art
• Cultural Careers Council of Ontario
• Textile Museum of Canada
• Toronto Museum Project

I found their presentation refreshing and inspiring, as it was mainly focused on the aesthetics and execution of good design for clients in the arts and culture sector. The culture of Ecentricarts sounds to be hardworking, friendly and laid back with a low turn over rate. 


 Ecentricarts
317 Adelaide St. W, Suite 300
Toronto ON
M5V 1P9
416 644 5000 x221

MacLaren McCann

Just before the break, John Alabazowski, Creative Director at  MacLaren McCann, came to pay us a visit. John took us through the various stages of his career, along with the do's and don'ts of the industry. He stressed the importance of collaboration and having a thicker skin when facing criticism.

Some of MacLaren McCann's clients include:

• Buick
• Chevy Cruze campaign
• Royal Bank
• Nescafe
• World Vision
• Viral Campaign for Halo 3
• Camp Couchiching (non-profit)

Chevy Cruze Campaign

Buick Olympic Campaign 2010

http://vimeo.com/10829650

 



MacLaren McCann Canada
10 Bay Street, Toronto, ON, M5J 2S3
Tel: 416.594.6000

www.maclaren.com

Royal Ontario Museum

This past Friday we had the opportunity of going to the Royal Ontario Museum  to talk with a representative of the web development department.  The speaker left us wanting as she did not go into any detail really about her job description or the behind the scenes day-to-day of her department, but I was interested to find out that a lot of the ROM's design needs are contracted out to an agency in New York, a detail that it not widely publicized and that I find quite disgusting considering how much talent thrives in Toronto.
Although I found the talk quite disappointing, I still got to see the exhibit by El Anatsui, an amazing artist from Ghana. Using pieces of garbage like discarded bottle camps, the artist builds stunning sculptures, such as the ones you see below.