A designers year in review

As an accomplished elevator interior designer (yes, it IS a real job) and project consultant, I've worked closely with property managers, architects, engineers, designers, and consultants. In recent years I presented at CECA (Canadian Elevator Contractors Association) on new lightweight material design and as well as the value of Canadian manufacturing working alongside in-house design teams. With a degree in interior/architectural design from OCAD University, my passion for unique spaces and environments and how they relate to the human experience and habitation has helped me become a successful manager in my own field as well as a passionate creative in ever evolving vertical transportation industry.

As a profession, elevator design requires a variety of skills honed for such a niche industry. Typically I am responsible for raising the attention and need for custom solutions tailored to buildings properties while being sensitive to materials, durability and of course weight. Design responsibilities also included producing online and mobile/web design apps, 3D renderings, schematic drawings and writing specifications along with specialized material libraries that enabled both clients and partners within the industry to do more and think outside the box, (no matter what direction it's heading).

I began my career in 2004 at Premier Elevator Inc. in Toronto, after ten years I moved on to manage two startups, the interior creative firm JNKM Design Group which I founded with fellow OCAD alum Katarina Mijatovic and the digital branding startup, Super Awesome Web Co which I along with my founding partner and lead developer Jeff Gingras opened earlier this year. I was fortunate enough to win the NXT City Sustainability Award shedding further public light and interest on our city parks and Toronto's Watershed and finished my year off backpacking Peru and Chile.

For 2016 I am excited to enter my third year of bringing my imagination and vision for a better, more exciting world to every project I get. Here's to an amazing start and a happy, prosperous new year.