One Plus One Design + Illustration
We are creative problem solvers. We design engaging and effective brand solutions to help clients communicate better brand experiences.
Founded in 2011, we are a multi-faceted creative studio. Our vision is to create innovative work for innovative clients. We strive to deliver a focused experience informed by clear-cut business objectives and honest discussions. We aim to provide value, and we aspire to create solutions that are both polished and pragmatic, speaking directly to their intended audience.
28/06/2024
We’ve got the long weekend playlist you’ve been looking for! 🎶 Whether embarking on a road trip or lounging on a dock for Canada Day, prepare for a 56-minute musical journey. We’re calling it Surfing the Algos: Birds of a Feather, a tracklist you won’t find anywhere else.
This compilation of songs by female artists is not just a random selection; it’s a reflection of a musical journey over the past six months. Deep, soulful, catchy, and ponderous, it came to be organically as we ‘surfed the algos’ (algo = algorithm, a term that’s been ubiquitous over the past 5 - 10 years, and surfing 🏄♂️, well, that part’s easy).
While we’re traditionalists when it comes to music — we prefer digital to analog and albums to singles — can be a wonderful tool. Its’ Go to song radio’ feature has been a boon for discovering new (and old) artists when it gets into a groove. We’ve added dozens and dozens (and dozens) of artists to our lists over the years, which eventually leads to financial support through record sales, show tickets, and merch (where artists make their money).
Check it out if you can, and have a happy Canada Day! 🇨🇦
13/06/2024
Details matter. ⚒️ While most of our work is digital, we’re currently refining physical details for a book design with , setting our sights on some of the finer touches such as the spine design, colour selections and finishing techniques.
Our common experience — a unique blend of specialized schooling, 20+ years in our fields, the ability to design by hand and a shared appreciation for tactile objects and book collections — has truly set this project apart. Our shared love of creativity and collaboration (knowing that two heads are better than one) further enhances our collective capabilities, which is why we’re so excited!
We can’t say much more yet, but stay tuned for progress. 🔜 👀
29/05/2024
We don’t need to tell you that photos matter. And while there’s definitely a place for a quick iPhone snap in your marketing, it should be supported by thoughtfully planned, carefully edited photoshoots.
We love that part. 🙋🏻♀️
Here’s why we take photos seriously (and have a great time doing it) 👆🏻
09/02/2023
Afternoon light. ☺️
27/01/2023
Winding down the week. ☕️ ⛅️
23/01/2023
Moving into the interior branding phase for a wonderful organization, coming soon to The Exchange.
We can’t say much more - yet - but if you value community and enjoy supporting local, this is the place for you.
Stay tuned…
14/10/2022
Up for a little more adventure? 🍂 💃🕺
We haven’t shared much of ourselves online recently (at least not in this space), but for those of you wondering — yes, we still like to explore when we can!
If you’re looking for more reasons to visit Falcon Lake (which you shouldn’t be), here are a couple more snapshots from our recent stay at , taken from two short hikes; Pierre’s Poetry and Top of the World!
13/10/2022
Hi there! 👋 Who wants to come along on a little journey?
Recently we took a quick life/work trip to step out of our day-to-day existence, and into the tranquil fall surroundings of Falcon Lake. 🍂
has long been a favourite destination of ours. Back in 2016, we first booked the Merlin cabin to do a little reflection in the months leading up to our daughter’s birth. It was spring, and one day we took a nearby hike where we discovered the High Lake Eco Cabins (also run by the wonderful Christie family).
Fast forward 6 years and we’ve now been back a total of 8 times. Each time is a different experience for us. We’ve stayed on both Falcon Lake and High Lake, and along the way it’s become a staple; each trip allows us a chance to pause and reflect on what’s changed in our lives. It’s incredibly close to home (which allows us to visit frequently), yet it rivals (and surpasses) much of what we’ve seen in our travels around the world.
So what’s special about our recent stay?
Well, the Christie family has done it again. They opened up a new spot on the Falcon Lake side — a beautiful 6-person cabin called Blue Heron!
Location ✅
Immaculate woodwork ✅
Beautiful lake view ✅
Family-friendly ✅
We’re happy we went and we’re sad to leave, but we’ll be back soon! 👋
14/09/2022
The most fun part of branding! 🌈
20/07/2022
Had a little studio bash to ring in my 40th! 👨🏻🦰🎉🎂🍺
15/07/2022
Mr. Manager, wearer of many hats (and kids).
Yep, that’s me - Tyler! 👨🏻🦰
Lots has changed in the past few years, so we thought we'd spend the dog days of summer re-introducing ourselves.
Originally a graphic design graduate, I had the bright idea that I would be capable of running a business. So, while on our honeymoon in 2010, I wrote a business plan! Nearly one year later — October 5th, 2011 to be exact — we launched One Plus One.
I still love design, and I still do a lot of it. But running a business requires a ton of diverse skill sets, and the job has changed dramatically over the last 11 years. Here are a few skills I've picked up many along the way:
✅ Project Manager
✅ Resident Tech Specialist
✅ Production Artist
✅ Caption Writer
✅ Social Media Strategist
✅ Art Director
✅ Financial Planner
I often still feel like that kid that graduated from college back in 2004, but the mirror tells a different story. I’ve gone from early-20s-wide-eyed-art-student, to late-20s-inexperienced-business-start-up-owner, to — 🙀 — nearly-40-grizzled-veteran-business-owner. In fact, we’re having a birthday bash this weekend to celebrate! 🎂
14/07/2022
A picture tells a thousand words. 👩🏻🎨
We're not quite sure what kind of picture the author of this quote had in mind, but as far as appropriate illustration adages go, this one hits the nail right on the head.
The way we see it, illustration is the ace up our sleeve and our secret weapon rolled into one. Because in a world where bland often replaces brand, it's a surefire way to stand out.
As we continue to rebuild post-pandemic, Jessie is continuing to show off her skills at in addition to illustrating within One Plus One.
Be sure to give her a follow — and if you have an illustrated project in mind, drop us a line!
11/07/2022
What we do in life, echoes in eternity. 🗣
OK, maybe that's a bit dramatic — after all, you can always redesign your website it or take it down. But... it does do a lot of standing around in your place, and more often than not, it does it for a very, very long time.
There's nothing we love more than slick ex*****on, and we're just as eager to help create branded assets for your templated Squarespace or Shopify site as we are to create a strategically designed custom front end.
Why not take us to task? 🖥
30/06/2022
Good design is core to good business. 🖱
We wrote that on our website waaaay back in 2015, but it feels just as appropriate today as it did then.
Why?
Because even though technology has made design more accessible (read: cheaper), it hasn't diminished the effect of great design. And graphic design is where it all started for us.
So while the pace of technology continues its rapid ascent, we're relying on our roots — nearly 20 years of principled design experience — to keep us firmly planted.
If you're looking to blend a little old school with the new, head to to see how we can help. 🤓
23/06/2022
Who doesn’t like a good story? 📕✏️
We don't know anyone, actually. But what's more important is what kind of stories people like, and why. And that, our friends, is what branding truly is. It's the overarching story of your company, and your ability to tell that story to the right people.
And after 11 years, we've gotten pretty good at helping to tell those stories. Coffee shops, restaurants, live event companies, greenhouses, travel vans, spas, jewelry companies and products too numerous to list — we've captured it all (or so it seems).
And you know what? We're still hungry for more.
If you've got a story to tell, we're up for the challenge.
13/06/2022
Where words fail, music speaks. 🎶
Getting inspired is different for everyone of course, but for us, music plays a HUGE role in how we conceptualize. In fact, we’ve built a decent collection, just for that reason:
💿 650+ CD's
📻 350+ records
Sourced or purchased over the past 25+ years, they all tell different stories, bring up different memories, and inspire different trains of thought while we work.
Heavy into research? A little Nina Simone.
Working on a deadline? Give us Daft Punk.
Getting into a design groove? Some old White Stripes please.
What makes your creative juices flow? 💃🕺
10/06/2022
Books, books, books... and more books! 📚 ➡️
Our studio is filled to the brim with books. Books on history, books on music, books on design, books on nature, children's books... it's a veritable library over here, and we're proud of it.
Some people ask us 'the studio is small — why take up the valuable space?', to which we reply, 'books have things the internet does not'.
In fact, they have waaaayyyy more. And we never know what type of book we'll need to get our minds turning, which is exactly why we continue to collect.
Here are a few we've been picking up lately — what should we read next? 👀
19/03/2021
Take a peek at the recent family trip we took to Clear Lake Country - Riding Mountain National Park over on Jessie's illustration page Small Jane.
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