Collaborator: Stephanie MacDougall of Lind Studio

Collaborator: Stephanie MacDougall of Lind Studio

Cassy Vantriet
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I sat down with Stephanie of Lind Studio to learn more about her creative process, how she harnessed her unique design skill, where her love of editorial design came from and what inspired the creation of her abstract art on a few of our product labels.

I met Stephanie through Instagram (as we do) first following along for her aesthetically beautiful page and unique design, saving one of her posts knowing that I would need her expertise at a later date. Sure enough a few months later I was seeking an artistic graphic designer to help us bring to life our new product line - Flower Remedies. We met at local cafè Their There in Vancouver's beachside area, Kitsilano, as we sipped matcha latte's with house-made oat milk I told her all about WOASH, my big dream and creative vision for this exciting new product line. I was throwing buzz words at her like rapid fire as she noted them down: abstract, flowy, feminine, soft, clean, intentional, memorable... 

Since then I have collaborated with her to aesthetically elevate our packaging with our latest Beauty Base Tea and Hibiscus Lemonade Tea bringing a subtle hint of visual intimacy to each blend. 

 

Interview with Stephanie MacDougall of Lind Studio


1. What was the pivotal moment that made you explore this creative path of graphic design?

I was in Toronto at Ryerson University studying Fashion Communications and took a Communication Design course in second year. This course taught us the basics of inDesign, layouts, and information hierarchy which I found so fascinating. School didn’t come easily to me, I was never very academic, so when I started exploring design, playing around with layouts and really being able to express myself through telling stories visually, a light went on for me and I really couldn’t see myself doing anything else. From there I took a focus in Communication Design and Typography in school, started taking on small freelance projects, and haven’t looked back. 


2. How did you harness your skill?
 

I was very lucky to have an incredible mentor in university. One teacher in particular taught me so much about typography and design in general. He was always so encouraging and really helped me realize that this is something I could do as a career which I think is so important when you’re that young and impressionable. After school, I designed a lot just for fun. I’d make creative projects for myself as a hobby which really helped me explore my design style and learn new technical skills. Google was also my best friend with a lot of trial and error. I learn best while doing and I still learn something new everyday. 


3. What do you enjoy most creating Lind Studio?

I love brainstorming ideas and really pushing my creativity to tell stories visually in the best way for each specific project. It’s so exciting working through different ideas and seeing how they morph into the final concept. Whether it’s for a brand or a book, I always love getting to know the person I’m working with and really digging into why they do what they do. That really inspires me and always gets my brain buzzing with ideas. I find the relationship between text and images so interesting and being able to pick the perfect fonts and design the perfect layouts with the right spacing, illustrations, or images to tell my clients story in the best way possible is the best feeling. 



"I find the relationship between text and images so interesting and being able to pick the perfect [elements] to tell my clients story in the best way possible."



4. How do you create space for new ideas and creativity to flow?

Scheduling my weeks in a way that works best for me is very important (shoutout to my business coach Sara McCabe for helping me realize this). I am thinking about the projects I’m working on 24/7 and have learned that I need a lot of space in my week to let my imagination and creativity run wild. I get my best ideas when I take a step back from my computer and allow myself the space to go for walks, listen to music, and just be. The ocean is a really special place for me too - there is something about the colours, the way the light hits the water, and the space it creates in my mind. 

Every single idea and element that goes into each project is very intentional and I can never rush myself. There is a quote I always go back to by Julie Pointer Adams when I feel like I need to push through and rush an idea, which is “Space leaves room for unexpected beauty - and imagination.” This couldn’t be more true for my creative process. 



"Space leaves room for unexpected beauty - and imagination"
- Julie Pointer Adams



5. What inspired the unique design of our abstract labels?

I love bringing in hand-drawn elements or ‘analogue’ elements into a design because I think it adds a personable feel and gives it an extra human-touch in this digital world. 

For the labels, I was really inspired by vintage botanical illustrations and the complimentary contrast it would have with your existing clean and sophisticated labels. WOASH creates an entire experience, encouraging us to slow down and make ‘Me Time’ a priority and I felt that bringing in a hand-drawn element to the labels would add an extra sense of calm, nostalgia, and peaceful movement to that sacred time.


6. What does your process look like to bring one of the abstract art pieces to life?

In general, I make sure I have a very strong, deep rooted understanding of the brand, its purpose, and their values, and really immerse myself in that world. This is usually followed by a long walk to start brainstorming ideas where I jot down everything that comes to mind. When I start putting pen to paper, I start doodling and painting abstract lines and forms first thing in the morning. It helps me wake up but I also find it’s when my creativity is at its peak. Unexpected ideas always come to the surface in the morning before I dive into emails, and that’s when I can just run with it. 

I usually end up with at least 20 pages of sketches so I go through them, pick the best pages, scan them into my computer and start manipulating them digitally and playing with layouts to see what works best. 


7. Post creating, how do you recharge and enjoy a little me time?

I live in Vancouver and feel so lucky that I’m able to unwind after work by going for a long run or walk in the trails or along the ocean. Going for walks and runs is so important to my mental health. Tea is also a very important part of my me time rituals. There is nothing more comforting or relaxing than drinking a cup of tea and reading a book when I wake up in the morning or before I go to bed at night. 

 

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