Case StudyMar 25, 2026

Passion Projects by RGD Members

Members share personal projects that have enabled them to stretch their creative boundaries, experiment freely and present their perspectives and passions.

Poster designs by Jumanah Abualkhair Associate RGD

Jumanah Abualkhair Associate RGD, an Arab designer drawn to biscriptual design, created a two-part poster series using Arabic and English text in opposing yet complementary ways. The series explores sayings inspired by oral heritage, loosely translating phrases with obscure origins through type and illustration to convey meaning and evoke distinct moods.

The Last to Laugh Laughs Plenty and The One Who Knows Teaches Who Does Not Know are intentionally designed with different typographic treatments and illustration styles. Both works explore the repetition of words and the relationship between each phrase and its translated counterpart through letterforms, placement and diacritics.

The pieces were created for and displayed at the Swash & Serif 9 exhibition in Toronto in 2025.

Riding the Pine by David Coates RGD and Kaoru Coates

David Coates RGD and Kaoru Coates are artists and designers who met at Emily Carr University in 1988. After decades working together in the corporate design world at Ion Brand Design, they sought more hands-on, personal creative work beyond their professional practice.

In 2015, this led to the creation of Riding the Pine. What began as a way to make work for themselves—screen-printing, sewing and experimenting—evolved into a shared studio practice and a return to working with their hands, while continuing to run Ion.

This work brings together original design, photography and illustration across textiles, wood and paper. All textiles are hand screen-printed and sewn at their home in North Vancouver using durable, sustainable materials such as hemp, cotton and linen. Their wooden shadow boxes are made from recycled fence boards and broken hockey sticks.

After several years as a side project, Riding the Pine was incorporated in 2021 and is now carried by retailers, galleries and wholesalers across Western Canada.

6Qs by Christine Goucher RGD

6Qs with Christine is an ongoing editorial interview series by Christine Goucher RGD that explores how creative people think, work and sustain their practice over time. The project began during a period of creative stagnation and evolved through conversations with designers, artists and makers about process, uncertainty and momentum.

Each feature is built around six questions, personalized for each interview. This structure creates space for individual voices while revealing shared patterns across disciplines. From a design perspective, the series functions as an editorial system, where typography, pacing and hierarchy shape how each story is experienced.

Custom graphics are created for every interview to visually support each story, reinforce the designer’s practice and build a growing network of creatives connected through shared curiosity and candour.

The series is defined by the openness of its contributors, offering readers not definitive answers, but inspiration, resonance and a sense of shared experience.

Year in Review by Paul Twa Associate RGD

Year in Review is an annual project that illustrates a chronological pathway of significant events from each year, beginning in 2020. The project was inspired by Paul's grandmother’s yearly recap drawings created for his grandfather.

Each edition references a specific style or period in art history, positioning contemporary events within a historical visual language. This approach reflects on how present-day moments may be remembered in the future.

Events are arranged across a rectangular calendar, reflecting the designer’s mental visualization of time—a phenomenon known as “calendar synesthesia.” The 2025 edition features more than 50 events, spanning political developments, pop culture and viral imagery.

The project intentionally highlights the contrast between heavy news stories and lighter moments that bring people together.