Sara Loos RGD

Sara Loos RGD

I’m a Toronto-based designer who specializes in book design and print materials. I grew up in Niagara and moved to the UK in 2014 to complete a Master’s of Book Design at the University of Reading. It really was my perfect program and gave me an incredible foundation in graphic design. In 2022 I became a certified RGD with the Association of Registered Graphic Designers, making me a part of a talented group of graphic designers from across Canada.

Toronto, ON

Member since February 28, 2022

Senior Design and Production Coordinator @ YWCA Toronto

Skills

• Book Design
• Print
• Print Production
• Art Direction
• Photography
• Production
• Typography

• Work
• Contributions

The Deerholme Foraging Cookbook

The Deerholme Foraging Cookbook

I was asked to redesign a cookbook called The Deerholme Foraging Cookbook. I have always wanted to design a cookbook so this was a very exciting project. We wanted the design to be fresh, minimalistic and include some nods to nature since it is about foraging for your ingredients.

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YWCA Toronto Federal Election Campaign

YWCA Toronto Federal Election Campaign

My first major project at YWCA Toronto was to create social media assets and an overall branded look for a campaign we were running to bring attention to ending the she-cession in Ontario. With the help of my manager, we landed on this final look for our social media campaign.

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YWCA Toronto Mayoral Election Campaign

YWCA Toronto Mayoral Election Campaign

YWCA Toronto ran a social media campaign asking for the mayoral candidates investment to address some very important issues facing Toronto residents. We decided that each point in our campaign would have a person accompanying it to really humanize the campaign.

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Window Decals - Large Scale Project

Window Decals - Large Scale Project

We were asked to create some window decals to celebrate Indigenous History Month and Pride Month. I worked with my manager to create the digital versions of her sketches and managed production and installation of the decals. You can see them in the windows of YWCA Toronto’s Elm Street location.

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Deep Underwater - Children's Book

Deep Underwater - Children's Book

I took on the role of Art Director to create this beautiful book about a young girl who goes on an under water adventure and explores the secrets of the sea. I was tasked with sending art notes, creating a PDF layout for roughs and helping the illustrator create the layered and dynamic illustrations for this beautifully nuanced book.

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The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel - Children's Book

The Breadwinner: A Graphic Novel - Children's Book

Inspired by traditional graphic novels, I created this layout using stills from the Oscar nominated film The Breadwinner. The goal was to create a layout that would match the pace of the film, translating the story from screen to page. Cover design by Michael Soloman.

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Street Banner Design - Large Scale Design

Street Banner Design - Large Scale Design

Each year YWCA Toronto updates their street banners outside their head office. This past year I was asked to reimagine the design. Our goal was to demonstrate our commitment to advocacy work, affordable housing, training programs and the safe spaces we offer to our community.

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Last One Alive - Cover Design

Last One Alive - Cover Design

I designed the cover for Amber Cowie’s thriller Last One Alive. We chose to go with an ominous water scene for the cover that gave traditional thriller feels.

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2022 YWCA Toronto Annual Report - Editorial Design

2022 YWCA Toronto Annual Report - Editorial Design

For this Annual Report design I had to utilize our brand colours and convey a theme of hope. I wanted to balance the colour with plenty of white space to not overwhelm the reader. I worked with a local photographer to schedule the photoshoot, manage the shoot and create some dynamic backdrops for our participants.

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Tessa & Scott - Layout Design

Tessa & Scott - Layout Design

For the second edition of Tessa & Scott I was asked to update the design with new content while keeping the integrity of the old layout. Overall, the challenge was balancing the text with the image and choosing how best to position the images so that they would best support and emphasize the text. Cover design by Alysia Shewchuck.

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Truth Be Told - Cover Design

Truth Be Told - Cover Design

We wanted to create a type only cover that would appeal to a young, feminist audience yet still look distinguished. We decided on a black, cream and red colour palette that would evoke patriotism. A strong, bold serif font allowed the title and author name to pop and red accents helped create dimension to the design.

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