Interview with Stefan Canuel

Stefan Canuel ("SC") interviewed on Saturday, 17 March.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

SC : I have over twenty years of experience in the design field with fifteen years at the National Gallery of Canada. My work as a multi-faceted designer started right out of school when I got involved on exhibition design projects, and it has evolved since in different mediums.

How did you become a designer?

SC : My love of fine art and interest in pop culture is longstanding. Growing up with a fascination for the visual arts and discovering commercial art while studying fine arts at university made me realize that becoming a designer was my true purpose. Studying commercial art after university, I had in mind to become an illustrator, but after the first year, I discovered the pleasure working with typography. And later I discovered the world of exhibitions. Merging my love for typography with my interest bringing my ideas to life in a space is probably what made me the designer that I am now.

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

SC : My design process involves six different phases; project initiation, research & analysis, strategy, development, presentation, and production. With the development phase being my favorite, I can spend hours finding the right typeface for the project and making it perfect.In the strategy phase I also focus a lot on problem-solving: making sure the particular concept works, and that there’s a logic behind the decision-making along the way.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

SC : Pride. You don’t need someone to tell you you’ve created a strong design; you just know it. As I mentioned earlier I enjoy both the strategy and development phases, they both bring the best out of me. The strategy for its challenge and the development for all those wonderful emotions.

What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?

SC : I didn’t know what a designer was until after university. At university, my fine arts painting teacher Claude Gauvin told me once that I was not making art with my heart, and too much with my head. Then I started to think more and more about it and I discovered the whole world of communication art and design. I’m actually grateful to her now.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

SC : I’m a designer because art and design are a big part of my life, and you can’t have one without the other. I am grateful that I can work in this field. I would like to have more time and to go back and make art, merging my design skills set with my first passion as a kid. I haven’t touched art since my early twenties.

What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?

SC : Never give up. Design is an extremely competitive field and it takes dedication, hard work and resilience to get established. Everyone thinks they are a designer and will have comments on your work so stick to your vision and goals – true designers will always stand out from the field.. Don’t let people from outside the field advise you in areas they don’t know as well as you - you know the tools and software. Moreover, you have the creativity and a designer is more than just a pair of hand running a computer. Believe in yourself.

You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?

SC : I think creativity, innovation and the urge to problem solve is what enables someone to make the step from being good to being great in the design industry. Every time you have new challenge, innovate and make it better than the previous project. Challenge yourself and continue to push your limits as a designer. Don’t be scared to take on audacious project that scares you, if the project is a success you will shine if not, you will still have a nice portfolio piece.

What is your day to day look like?

SC : Lately! Work, Work, Work.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

SC : Be up-to-date and surpass design trends.

How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?

SC : I think creativity, innovation and design thinking is what enables a design to make the step from being good to being great. Great design is really about solving problems.Good design can translate your business goals into a clear and compelling message. It keeps the focus on the client's best interest. It's all about functionality. Good design is a good investment. As Ralf Speth at Jaguar Land Rover said, “If you think good design is expensive, you should look at the cost of bad design.”

How do you decide if your design is ready?

SC : At some point you need to end it, if not you will over design the product. Trust me, over designing will kill your design. Imagine a never ending tv show, nothing good comes out in over designing.

What is your biggest design work?

SC : I think working on the exhibition Sakahàn was probably my most important job experience. Sakahàn was the first of a series of exhibits dedicated to “diverse, complex and challenging artworks being made by Indigenous artists in regions such as the Americas, Asia, Oceania, Europe and Africa.” It filled both floors of the National Gallery of Canada special exhibition spaces as well as the contemporary art galleries—not to mention several public spaces inside and outside the Gallery. My mandate was to conceive of a show that worked on a number of different levels. I had the responsibility of overseeing and implementing the layout and construction of the physical exhibitions space, as well as the numerous, purpose-built display cases, of creating all visual and didactic material, including marketing poster, invitation, billboard, and outdoor banners. I had to create a visual identity with aesthetic appeal that also communicated the client's message, concept and image to visitors, while meeting the limitations imposed by space and budget.

Who is your favourite designer?

SC : Stefan Seigmeister is probably at the top of my list with others like Paul Rand, Charles and Ray Eames, Milton Glaser, and lets not forget Alvin Lustig who could have been the most famous multi-disciplinary designer if he had not left us so young at the age of 39.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

SC : I’ve been pretty busy the past year working on projects for the Canada 150 celebrations at the National Gallery, including new way finding and other upgrade to the gallery. I was also working on a publication with artist Geoffrey Farmer who is representing Canada at the Venice Biennial last summer, and several other publications. I would love to design more and more physical objects that you can manipulate, smell and feel. Art and design are a big part of my life, and they are interdependent. I am grateful that I can work in this field.

Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?

SC : Certainly there are no shortage of headaches in the design field – from always feeling the need to improve and outdo your last design, to managing the scope of projects and the restrictions and limits on it from all kinds of factors: from budget to clients’ competing visions and objectives. That said, there is nothing as rewarding as seeing the end of a project and recognized all you have accomplished.

What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?

SC : I believe in the power of community. The design industry has benefited from this sense of community and will continue to do so. As a member of RGD (Association of Registered Graphic Designers of Canada), I have a vested interest in our industry’s success. It’s great to be involved in the community that shares my commitment to excellence in design. Design has the potential to make positive change.

What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?

SC : I actually didn’t have the chance to attend the A’ Design Award last year. Hopefully I can be part of it this year.

Stefan Canuel Profile