Role: Design Lead
Scope: Creative Direction, Visual Identity
Key Decisions:
Balanced expression with clarity for real-world visibility
Synthesized diverse inputs into a cohesive visual direction
Designed as a system, not standalone banners
Overview:
Parkdale Village BIA represents over 440 businesses along Queen Street West in Toronto. As the neighbourhood evolved post-pandemic, the BIA sought to refresh its street presence through a new banner system.
Challenge:
- Existing banners lacked storytelling and visual impact
- The community is diverse, layered, and constantly changing
- Designs needed to resonate with residents, businesses, and visitors
- Banners had to be effective in real-world conditions (pedestrians, cyclists, vehicles)
-> The BIA needed a unified visual system that reflects a complex community in a highly visible public environment.
My role:
Led creative direction and concept development
Translated community input into visual themes
Collaborated with stakeholders through iterative reviews
Approach:
Grounded in Community
- Incorporated insights from a neighbourhood tour exploring local culture, landmarks, and identity
Designed for Context
- Considered visibility, motion, and environmental constraints across the streetscape
Explored Multiple Directions
- Developed three initial themes and expanded into multiple concepts for stakeholder alignment
Deliverable and Project Status
The design presented below reflects the progress made in collaboration with the former Director. It represents the shared vision we developed to capture the spirit and identity of Parkdale. This project is currently on hold due to changes in the Parkdale BIA board.
vydesigns.ca 