Work About Contact

Black and white portrait of Heather Stokes
This lookssketchy.

A brief history of
my career in design.

I started out in communications and writing before shifting gears into graphic design. After I spent time working in an agency environment, I moved into in-house creative direction, where I now build brands from the ground up and manage them across their many touchpoints.

2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
2026
Bachelor of Arts – Degree
English Literature
Book Publishing – Graduate Certificate
Ryerson University
Graphic Design – Diploma
George Brown College
Designer – Watt International
Brand and marketing agency
Senior Designer – Zync Agency
Brand and marketing agency
Creative Director – AECO Innovation Lab & LandLogic
Venture Studio
Maternity leave
Maternity leave

THIS IS
High level direction
Hands‑on creative
HOW I LOVE
TO WORK*

I began my design career in agencies working with all types of clients, such as retail, law firms, insurance companies and sports. Working on small teams meant I had to learn how to work on every piece of the brand, from logos to videos to websites to marketing collateral. This was the perfect setup for the next phase of my career.

For the past 6 years, I've worked with startups and small companies that need the entire package: high-level brand positioning, messaging, and planning, as well as someone to execute on that strategy. Each company has different needs, and I've been delivering this service either with a small team, or as a solo provider.

And that's how I love to work: I work with founders and business owners to define and scope the concept, the needs and the timelines, and then get into the weeds crafting the message, pushing the pixels, writing the content and posting the announcements.

KEY PROJECTS
Type of work
Where
This national client is where I cut my teeth. I spent 2 years designing, art directing, working with food photographers and rolling out hundreds of different marketing materials.
Watt International
This was an extremely meaningful client for which I was more than happy to go above and beyond however I could.
Watt International
I worked as lead designer on the Osler account for over two years, proudly refining and rolling out their recently refreshed brand.
Zync Agency
I assisted in a range of projects for the COC, relishing the opportunity to work with such a powerful, bold national brand.
Zync Agency
When this Canadian foundation was launched, I was proud to lead the initial branding and rollout for such an important initiative.
Zync Agency
I began at this venture studio acting as in-house Creative Director to design and manage both the house brand, as well as the venture projects it fostered.
AECO Innovation Lab
LandLogic was the biggest venture to come out of AECO Innovation Lab, and I lead the branding and communications on the entire project.
AECO Innovation Lab
I have been leading the branding and communications for this not-for-profit since 2020, working directly with board members and advisors.
AECO Innovation Lab
My most recent brand refresh, where I am experimenting with ways that AI can assist and enhance my existing creative processes.
AECO Innovation Lab