We recently caught up with Brynn Staples (IDEA Grad 2020) for a grad spotlight on life after graduating from IDEA School of Design.

“I went into IDEA School of Design thinking naively that it would give me a more focused career path. I was so wrong – but that’s turned out to be just right for me. Now, a few years and walls later, I still get to paint murals with my IDEA School of Design besties.” she writes.

Catch up with IDEA School of Design alumna and her switch to working as an independent graphic designer and muralist.

Check out this grad spotlight!

You didn’t know that designing and painting murals were a thing you could get paid to do when you were at IDEA. Please describe your journey into painting murals and your current mural project at Hackett Park in Sechelt, British Columbia with IDEA grads Courtney Lamb, Ata Ojani, and Emily Huynh and the growing range of career opportunities for illustration students.

I went into IDEA School of Design thinking naively that it would give me a more focused career path. I was so wrong – but that’s turned out to be just right for me. Murals weren’t on my radar at all until I helped out with a mural by fellow IDEA School of Design students Cynthia Tran Vo and Ian Kaart one summer. There’s something that’s so immediate and gratifying about taking a small sketch to a big wall and transforming a space. It also combines so many of the skills we learned in IDEA – illustration of course, but also design, communication, and project management. Now, a few years and walls later, I still get to paint murals with my IDEA School of Design besties. Courtney Lamb, Ata Ojani, Emily Huynh, and I are just finishing up our latest wall, Coastal Blooms, on Courtney’s home turf, the Sunshine Coast. There are so many avenues in illustration beyond editorial – murals, tattoo art, pattern design, hand-lettering, and more. I feel like the possibilities just keep growing.

You freelanced throughout your time at IDEA School of Design. What was it like freelancing while being in school full-time? 

Super busy! And probably not for everyone. But I like having a lot on the go, and ultimately I found it really helpful; I got quicker at things, made mistakes early, learned how to communicate with clients, and how to juggle a lot at once. 

You met Chris from Full Punch during your in-person portfolio reviews in November 2019. He remembered your portfolio and it led to a full-time position at Full Punch. How did the job come about and what was your time like there?

Everything was remote from the get-go. Allowed me to work remotely from Whistler for the winter. Didn't meet in person until August 2021.

Chris reached out to me a few months after graduation to check in and see where I was at. That August, I joined the team at Full Punch as their first official hire. The opportunity to work on a small but growing team was super exciting. I got thrown in the deep end in the best way. It was also remote from the get-go (we didn’t all meet IRL until August of 2021!), which allowed me to work remotely from Whistler during the winter.

Your practicum was at DDB. What did you learn from your big agency experience?

Unlike at previous internships, where I focused on design, at DDB (now PS&Co.), I got to dip my toes more fully into art direction in an advertising setting. Despite being part of a big global agency, the Vancouver office at the time was pretty cozy. I sat in on radio records, brainstormed campaign ideas, and practiced articulating my ideas. Nothing against art direction, but I think my biggest learning was that I actually prefer design & branding. 

Describe the “hunkering down” and “limbo” experience graduating into the pandemic?

Super disorienting. We finally made it to the culmination of IDEA School of Design – our last semester, our practicums, our grad show – only for the pandemic to throw us a huge curveball. One Friday, we were told to take our laptops home just in case; by Monday, we were fully remote. The grad show we’d spent all year planning became a Zoom affair. It went as well as it could given how quickly we had to pivot, but it was anticlimactic. Most of us were initially job-less, and the months that followed were uncertain. But slowly, companies began hiring again, and things feel almost normal now. As much as I wanted to get hired immediately, in hindsight that ‘limbo’ experience of graduating into a pandemic was probably good for me – it was nice to have a bit of a breather after four years of school!

Why did you leave Full Punch?

My decision to leave wasn’t easy. I had a great year at Full Punch – I got to work on branding projects, dabble in art direction, and even get on set. I truly appreciate them taking a chance on me fresh out of school in the midst of a pandemic. Ultimately, I wanted to be able to pursue more mural projects, which don’t fit neatly into a 9-5 (the rain comes when it comes!). I still freelance with Full Punch on a per-project basis. It means I can help them out when I can, while still doing my own thing. PS. They’re hiring!

What projects are in the works for you?

I’m currently racing the rain with Courtney Lamb, Ata Ojani, and Emily Huynh on our mural collab in Sechelt, on the Sunshine Coast. I also recently painted a custom accent wall in a kid’s room, and have some small packaging, branding, and web design work coming up. I’d love to paint more murals though – got walls?!

Why did you choose to go to IDEA School of Design after graduating from the University of King's College with an English degree?

My high school was focused on fine art & literature. When I decided to go to university, I initially pursued literature. But I finished my English degree and felt like something was missing. Design was something I’d been dabbling with since high school; it was a natural fit for a lover of both words and images. But I knew I had more to learn – I did my research, talked to people in the industry, and IDEA School of Design at Capilano University rose to the top. 

Tell us about your Degree in English from the University of King's College in Nova Scotia and has it helped you in your career as a creative?

Initially, I was worried I’d feel out of place coming into IDEA School of Design later, but several other students in my year did the same. I’ve since met many others in the industry who did something else before they pursued design – some of them also with an English degree. Writing and critical thinking are such an important part of design – in articulating your ideas, communicating with clients, and thinking about the broader context of the work you’re doing. I feel like any other experience you bring to design can help make you a bit of a unicorn.

How do you promote yourself and what advice would you give students regarding the various platforms to build a portfolio site and showcase work on other platforms?

The more places you can put your work, the better. There are lots of Slack channels out there where you can put your portfolio out for review and connect with others at the same time. I update Instagram most often, but Behance and Dribbble are also still good places to show your work. I’m also in the process (aren’t we all?) of updating my portfolio. Consider ease of updating when choosing how to showcase your work best. I wanted the customization of Webflow, but for most illustrators and brand-focused designers, Squarespace and Cargo will do the trick just as well. 

Did you network much during school and describe your networking now?

I went to portfolio review events, helped out at past grad shows, attended Creative Mornings events, Design Thinkers conferences, and applied to summer internships. Now I try and reach out to people I admire and want to learn from. Everyone I’ve chatted with has been so open, supportive, and generous with their time. And I think with the prevalence of remote work now, physical distance matters less. 

Awards

• London International Awards Creative LIAisons Mentee - 2021

• RGD SoGood Award Winner - 2020

• RGD Graduate Award Winner - 2020

• RGD Design Thinkers Scholarship – 2019 Honourable Mention

• Irving K Barber One World Scholarship - 2019

• Jim Rimmer Scholarship – 2018 Winner

• Adobe Design Student Awards – 2018 Semi-finalist x 2

• ADCC Student Awards – 2018 Award of Merit x 2

• Salazar Awards – 2017 Semi-finalist

Capilano University’s 50th Birthday

When I was presented with the opportunity to design a poster for Cap’s 50th birthday, I started thinking about what makes Capilano University special. I arrived on the idea of using the rings of a tree to tell the stories of students, faculty, and alumni of Capilano over the last 50 years. It was a way of honouring not only Cap’s connection with nature but also the people who have connected here while speaking to the school’s continued growth. The stories featured in the rings of the tree are the great work of Capilano’s Marketing Department.

Former Employers

• Full Punch (Designer & Art Director)

• Rethink (Intern)

• DDB (Practicum Student)

IDEA School of Design is known for its collaborative “family”. What are your memories and highlights from IDEA School of Design and have you stayed in touch with your cohort or instructors other than Courtney Lamb, Ata Ojani, and Emily Huynh?

It helps that I live with Courtney, and we live near Ata and Emily! With the pandemic, it’s been tricky to stay in touch with everyone in person, but we’re always there for each other, whether it’s on our group chat, by text, or social media. The family’s still there after graduation and we are the first to recommend each other for work.

Please describe your process and what’s in your design toolkit these days? What new tools have you learned since graduating?

It depends on the project! Sketching will always be part of the process - but now it usually happens on my iPad instead of a piece of paper. Over the past year, I think it’s the little things I’ve been steadily improving – storytelling through mood boards, managing client expectations, and maintaining work-life balance. I’ve also been seeking out opportunities to keep learning through online courses.

Tell us about “Lettering For Logos with Jon Contino”, your first online course through Dribbble, and having that school/classroom vibe again.

School doesn’t end after IDEA. There are always new things to learn and ways to improve. With the 2-day course comes a bit of homework, live critiques, and a talented Slack community to connect with.

Tell us about LIA Creative LIAisons Mentorship program

Chris Zawada of Full Punch kindly nominated me to be part of this program hosted by LIA (London International Awards). I was one of seven young creatives from Canada who got to participate in their virtual one-to-one coaching program. I got to speak to people in the creative industry all the way from Toronto to Hong Kong.

What’s in your communications toolkit these days and have tools changed much during the pandemic? How has your work life changed during the pandemic?

One thing that was tricky for me initially was virtual presentations. In school, we got a lot of practice with face-to-face presentations, but there’s a special kind of awkwardness inherent to video calls. It’s much harder to read the room, especially if half the audience has their cameras off. On the plus side, it’s way easier to refer to notes on the side – and do it from, say, the comfort of your patio. Working remotely has probably been the biggest plus for me, lifestyle-wise.

What is your number one idea generation strategy?

Volume. Getting all the ideas out there. I also find talking it out with people and attempting to explain my half-baked ideas often brings out new, better ones.

What is the best advice you've learned from a mentor, teacher, or fellow student?

I can’t remember exactly where I heard it, but I’ve heard it said many times in different ways: Most of the time, there’s no design emergency. It’s not an organ transplant. It can usually wait till tomorrow. It’s not worth sacrificing your well-being. 

Describe a design/illustration fail that you learned from?

Mixing serifs and sans-serifs with reckless abandon. Jk. My biggest fails have come from underestimating how much time projects would take me. 

What advice would you give to anyone considering applying to IDEA Bachelor of Design?

Just do it.

What advice would you give to IDEA School of Design students regarding summer internships, practicums, portfolios, and career advice?

Apply to summer internships if you can; industry experience can be just as helpful as school time. Even as a student, your time is valuable. Seek out portfolio feedback from lots of people. There are so many pathways in design and illustration; stay open. You’re allowed to change your mind and shift your focus, even after grad.

Are you still scaling walls and vectors?

I used to scale more rock faces, but lately, I’ve just been scaling walls to paint. I’ve also gotten into mountain biking.

What’s one of your favourite songs or music videos?

A mesmerizing video — OK Go - I Won't Let You Down.

Lastly, where do you see yourself in the next few years, where can people follow you, and is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?

I hope I get to paint more walls, keep bringing brands to life, and continue to learn new stuff.

You can follow along on Instagram at @staples.and.ink and at brynnstaples.com.