I’m Marianne.
A Calgary-based senior graphic designer who loves the intersection of creative ideas and the systems that bring them to life.
I’ve been making things for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I spent hours drawing every day, won my first city-wide design contest when I was 11, excelled in art all through school, and, somewhere in the back of my mind, I always thought I'd end up making a living as a fine artist. Life had other plans.
My path into the industry wasn't traditional.
As a young adult, I had a brief career as a legal assistant. From there, I moved on to an administration role for a local funeral home. This is where my hobby interest in graphic design quietly became something more.
I pushed to prove I could do the work, and leapt into the role. My employer at the time funded my software training and encouraged me. Later on, I took graphic and web design courses at night and learned the rest on the job with the help of many genuinely patient mentors along the way. That foundation — built through doing, and the genuine curiosity to learn independently, not just studying — is one I'm proud of and still build on every day.
I spent my first decade working exclusively in print, developing a depth of knowledge in design and production that most designers never get the chance to build. As the industry evolved, so did I — expanding into digital organically as the work demanded it.
Over more than 15 years, I've collaborated with agencies of every size, supporting everything from global campaigns and multi-channel brand rollouts to retail digital production and experiential show home environments. That progression means I bring genuine fluency on both sides, not just familiarity.
I do my best work when I'm immersed in something meaningful.
I love a long, well-scoped project where I can think carefully, design meticulously, and deliver great work. I love figuring out how to solve problems and do things more effectively, and I'm happiest when I'm part of a team that supports each other and does good work together. Whether I'm on contract, freelance, or on staff — I show up the same way every time.
Outside the studio, I'm still making things — quilting, needle wool felting, drawing, painting, embroidery. The technology and the tools continue to change and evolve, but the instinct to create is the same one I've had since I was a kid, getting in trouble for drawing in class.
Some things don't change.
When I’m offline and the sun is shining, you’ll usually find me in the garden.
I love spending time outdoors in the sunshine—digging, pruning, planting, and watering. One of my favourite pastimes is simply wandering through and taking in the incredible variety of colours, textures, and shapes.
I also volunteer with my local community garden, a nonprofit that teaches organic gardening and grows vegetables for donation to the Calgary Food Bank and our neighbourhood food pantry.
It’s a quiet counterbalance to the fast pace of agency work.
