Jacknife Sponsors RGD’s Trailblazer Awards 2023
Posted in journal
The RGD’s Student Awards are open for 2023, and Jacknife is proud to sponsor this year’s Trailblazer Award. The Trailblazer Awards recognize and support design students from underrepresented and marginalized communities. In 2021, RGD’s Student Awards program launched the Trailblazer Awards to acknowledge the students’ hard work, resilience, and design skills, and to provide financial…
Read MoreToronto Life Magazine features Jacknife’s founders
Posted in journal
Featured in Toronto Life Magazine, Jacknife Co-Founders Mike & Mikey discuss how they started out over 26 years ago to build a company focused on helping small to internationally recognized businesses build value through creativity. “We’ve always believed in a diverse and holistic approach in helping our clients connect with their audiences.” From the company’s…
Read MorePlay’s the Thing
Posted in journal
From the earliest days of the pandemic, we have all been touched by the power of design to communicate crucial information in relatable ways, provide clear instruction, and help us safely navigate environments. The “Keep 2m Apart” floor decal has become a ubiquitous feature of our landscape. As the number of the fully vaccinated…
Read More3 Lessons for Building Authentic Brands
Posted in journal
Now more than ever, it’s expected that brands are ‘authentic.’ We hear this a lot these days. ‘Be authentic.’ You might feel pressured, even intimidated, and think you need to do a complete 180, but what we’ve learned by working with brands across a diverse range of industries is that authenticity can’t simply be…
Read MoreJacknife’s Feature in Strategy Magazine
Posted in journal
Jacknife is part of Strategy’s Indie List, highlighting how we’ve demonstrated flexibility and adaptability, turning chaos into creativity in the face of uncertainty. The feature discusses our integrated approach and the power of design thinking in modern business. In conversation with our leadership team, co-founders Mikey Richardson and Mike Kelar express that the most successful…
Read MoreCreativity Always Finds a Way
Posted in journal
A new year comes with a sense of new beginnings—a time for reflection and renewal. Through our experience building brands in a year unlike any other, patterns emerged and we were reminded that design is the ultimate connector. Even in the face of adversity, design as a discipline is inherently and uniquely positioned to help…
Read MoreHappy Holidays from Jacknife
Posted in journal
Phew, what a year. As crazy as it was, we found solace in the power of creativity and our belief that all young people deserve a chance to develop their creativity was strengthened—especially in areas that are often overlooked. So this year, we’re donating to The Cheryl Lynn Rutledge Northern Indigenous Student Award Fund on behalf of…
Read More5 Things We Wish Someone Told Us Before Becoming Founders
Posted in journal
Celebrating 25 years of working together, Jacknife co-founders Mikey Richardson and Mike Kelar reflect on lessons they’ve learned since starting their first design studio in a recent interview with Authority Magazine. Below they share the simple philosophy that guides their work, why balance is key and the positive impact of the creative process. / What…
Read MoreDesigning for the Future of Work
Posted in journal
In December of last year, Jacknife facilitated a workshop in collaboration with The School of Communications, Media, Arts and Design at Centennial College. The event brought together students, faculty and industry experts to explore how The School could best prepare its graduates for the future of work and inform multidisciplinary programming. We were being proactive…
Read MoreRe:Design with Ali Lalani
Posted in journal
EXPLORING THE POWER & VALUE OF DESIGN We recently sat down with one of our clients, Ali Lalani, owner of General Assembly—a fast-casual gourmet pizza restaurant in downtown Toronto—to chat about the power of design: / Ali Lalani on the power of design: “I think that design is often overlooked when creating a brand—any…
Read MoreYour 2pm fix just got sweeter
Posted in design journal packaging
As holiday products start to permeate shelves across the country, we’re excited to see the launch of our very own seasonal confectionary work with Nestlé. In vein with our office’s sweet tooth, we worked on festive designs for Turtles, Kit Kat, Smarties and Quality Street, letting our designers’ imaginations play on the holiday looks of…
Read MoreSo you want to design a recreational cannabis brand in Canada?
Posted in journal
Over the last four years here at Jacknife, we’ve been lucky enough to play an active role in branding and developing cannabis brands for licensed producers, medical educators, and commercial advocates. We’ve worked to define, position and craft a new wave of brands entering an unknown market at the flip of a switch. On October…
Read MoreCannabis branding—our high five
Posted in journal
The new cannabis aesthetic is here, and it’s forcing brands to shed the stoner image and look to a more diverse, sophisticated, and nuanced consumer. Sleek branding, engaging activations, and an honest communication approach are beginning to re-introduce cannabis products to the masses. (Canadian brands have to get more creative with this, given current restraints…
Read MoreNewsprint November 2017
Posted in journal
/ Jacknife is shortlisted for Design Agency of the Year Its the first time Strategy has expanded its Agency of the Year program to include Design Agencies and we’ll find out in a fancy gala on November 9th if we’re the top of the crop. We already feel like we are, and our mom’s will…
Read MoreNow that technology distribution has virtually touched every industry, how resilient is your company’s brand?
Posted in branding digital journal strategy
by Cameron Wykes, President at Jacknife Design Inc. When I ask prospective clients to name three of their brand engagement touch points, without fail, they start naming advertising initiatives. It was my wise friend Will Novosedlik who said that “engagement comes from the interaction with a brand, not the ad… and all you should expect…
Read MoreJacknife Holiday Gift Guide
Posted in design journal product product-design
Make holiday shopping better(er), buy your loved ones cool stuff created by Jacknife. We’ve got something for everyone on your list…. Already blessed with the ultimate gift, all this lucky dude needs is a few Jacknife essentials to make his hectic life a little bit easier. Give him a quiet Sunday morning on the ice…
Read MoreRe-branding Arc Productions
Posted in branding journal
We’re happy to present our most up to date work with Arc Productions – who recently just moved across the street from us! Make sure to check out their new location and follow them on Facebook and Twitter! / About the Brand Arc Productions is one of the largest animation studios in Canada that creates spectacular CG…
Read MoreLunatik Athletiks Socks
Posted in design graphic-design journal packaging
When Kelly the passionate founder and CEO of Lunatik Athletiks approached us she was on a mission to change the compression sock market from dull and dreary to lively and energetic. She explained to us how Lunatik Athletiks is committed to creating synergies of fabulous design with medical efficacy so you can express your unique…
Read MoreCelebrating our 10 Year Partnership With Scott Sports
Posted in journal
For the past ten years we’ve been working in partnership with Scott Sports to redefine, redesign, and refine the mountain experience for snow sports enthusiasts. We’ve formed a long lasting friendship with the Scott Sports team over the years while working on over 40 projects. From the hundreds of brainstorming sessions on Skype to our…
Read MoreOur Partnership with Pride at Work Canada
Posted in branding communications
Take a look at our recent work created with Pride at Work Canada! Pride at Work Canada empowers employers to foster work-place cultures that recognize LGBT employees as an important part of a diverse and effective workplace. They achieve this through dialogue, education and leadership. / About the Brand Founded in 2008 by a group…
Read MoreMeet: GrowWise – Medical Cannabis Education
Posted in branding
We’re happy to present our most up to date work with GrowWise! GrowWise currently has opened their first Toronto based Education Centre, with plans to open more locations. Be sure to follow them on Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with medical cannabis information! / About The Brand GrowWise is a team of medical…
Read MoreField Report No.2: The 2016 Interior Design Show
Posted in journal
The Interior Design Show has always been seen as the show that shapes the design industry for the year to come. Now going into its 18th year, we see IDS as the event where both Canadian and international designers showcase their innovative services and products. We noticed that this year the show wanted attendees to focus on the…
Read MoreMark McMorris Identity
Posted in branding websites
Almost a year ago today we met Jasen Isaacs, Mark McMorris’s agent in Denver to discuss Mark’s personal branding needs. At the time Mark was training to compete in the Sochi Olympics, but was already making a big scene within the snowboarding world. A few short months after our initial meet we were kicking off the project…
Read MoreField Report No.1: Winter Outdoor Retailer 2016
Posted in field-report
We’ve seen a big shift in culture in relation to how we experience the outdoors. With glaciers shrinking and unpredictable weather conditions affecting all of us, the mass consumer seems to be rekindling their love affair with nature. This newly rekindled romance has got me thinking, why are people getting outside? It might be a…
Read MoreThule & Trek
Posted in design industrial-design
We recently completed some great product work with Thule on their GoPro Pack & Shuttles, and with Trek/Bontrager on their 2016 Apparel Design. COMING SOON
Read MoreMakers of the Unmade No. 2: Paddl Infuser Makes for Thirsty Work
Posted in journal makers-of-the-unmade product-design
Lifestyle is one of the most rewarding categories to work in. Inspiration comes easily from the waking moments of life. Every sigh of frustration presents an opportunity to make a difference. The results are tangible, easily accessible and usually measured in smiles. The warmer moments of Summer 2015 found a number of parched Jacknifers considering…
Read MoreJacknife at The Fast Company Innovation Festival
Posted in journal
Fast Company is to an entrepreneur in the same way a compass is to an explorer. For years we’ve been shaping our views on ‘what’s next?’ by following every page of every issue and taking notes on critical insights and information from various industries. Imagine how excited we were when in July when Fast Company…
Read MoreJacknife is On the Grid
Posted in journal writing
Think Wikipedia for cool places curated by designers. On the Grid’s mission is to cover every awesome place in every creative neighbourhood in the world. Needless to say, we jumped at the opportunity to participate. Created by Hyperakt of Brooklyn, On the Grid is a user-friendly guide curated by local designers who want to share the…
Read MoreThe Rise Of A New Medium: Wearables Creating New Experiences and Environments
Posted in product-design
After attending the WEST Conference in Toronto on Tuesday we are thrilled to see how the technological advances in wearables are improving our ability to boost our athletic performance as well as create immersive narratives and interactive entertainment. One might think a conference on advances in wearables would have better been suited to take place in Silicon…
Read MoreRunnymede – 1945 meets 2020
Posted in branding
2015 marked the 70th anniversary for Runnymede Healthcare Centre and they were looking to do something special to celebrate this milestone, recognize their excellence, and get people looking ahead to what they continue to bring to the community. Anyone who sifts through a traditional annual report knows the task of communicating complex and dynamic information…
Read MoreUnion Juice in BlogTO
Posted in branding design environments installation logos packaging
Union Juice just launched their bigger, second location at John and Adelaide in Toronto with some coverage by BlogTO. Jacknife handled the branding and environmental design for this quick serve restaurant alternative which serves up fresh, healthy and nutritious options with a focus on made to order juices, smoothies, panini sandwiches, salads and other healthy snacks….
Read MoreUnder Construction: A Blueprint to Glamour
Posted in campaigns communications
Our relationship with Square One, the largest shopping centre in the West GTA, started 2 years ago when we took on the full rebrand to help position Square One as a premiere fashion destination. With extensive renovations underway at Square One, the challenge was to embrace the development and to build anticipation to the high…
Read MoreProud to join OLG as it celebrates the big 4-0
Posted in campaigns communications graphic-design
Ontario’s Lottery & Gaming (OLG) marked the 40th anniversary of Wintario, the first provincial lottery game in Ontario, on May 3rd at Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto. The event also doubled as a soft launch of the newly unveiled OLG corporate brand in partnership with The Hive.. We worked in partnership with The Hive to develop a…
Read MoreMeet: Union Juice
Posted in branding communications design graphic-design strategy websites
We’re really excited for the first Union Juice to open end of April at 382 Bloor Street, in the Annex. Be sure to follow @unionjuice on instagram, and @getunionjuice on Twitter for updates! / What We Did Naming and strategic brand positioning Brand Identity Created an extensive brand expressions guide that detailed the brand’s positioning, identity guidelines, brand applications, experiential…
Read MoreReinventing a Classic: Sandbox Helmet Design
Posted in industrial-design product-design
Inspired by former Major League Baseball personality, Pete Rose, we started on a new helmet design for Sandbox. Pete, or “Charlie Hustle” as others knew him, played during the 1960’s when baseball was in the golden era of sports. This Sandbox helmet is a bit of a throwback and is based on the old school, earless…
Read MoreRed Bull Thre3style
Posted in uncategorized
Red Bull Thre3style is an international DJ competition showcasing some of the best in music. We had fun designing the creative for the 2015 USA regional qualifiers. The Uncle Sam was a call to action for all US DJs to enter to be selected to compete in one of 12 regional Thre3style qualifier competitions. The DJs have been chosen…
Read MoreSweet Santa
Posted in uncategorized
We wanted to do something special for our clients as a thank you for a great year in 2014, so we honed our design and crafting skills to create the perfect gift. The limited edition chocolates were handmade and hand painted by Heinrich Josef Stubbe, a German born chocolatier who moved his family’s 150 year…
Read MoreFeature: Heritage Leisure Ice Skates on De Zeen
Posted in featured product-design
You may remember our reimagined ice skate, and we’re super stoked to see them featured on De Zeen, a popular magazine showcasing the best design, architecture and interior projects from around the world. Click HERE to read the full feature.
Read MoreFeatured in Los Logos
Posted in logos uncategorized
We’re honoured and excited to be featured in Los Logos 7, a highly respected handbook featuring a selection of cutting-edge designs from around the world. The first issue of Los Logos was printed in 2002, and continues to be a bestseller and source of inspiration among designers, brand managers, trend scouts and marketers. We are especially…
Read MoreMakers of the Unmade No. 1: Meet Our Reimagined Ice Skate
Posted in makers-of-the-unmade product-design uncategorized
Check out one of our early concepts of our premium, leather leisure ice skate. We’d love to grab our loved ones, some hot cocoa and enjoy a night of skating under the stars. Handcrafted in Canada and made with the finest leather, we’ve got men and women covered for the winter season. Well, what do you think…
Read MoreThe ADCC Annual Awards
Posted in journal
The Advertising & Design Club of Canada is a non-profit group dedicated to encouraging and highlighting excellence in design and advertising. The annual ADCC Awards began 65 years ago, and it is such an honour to have two of our products featured in the book this year. The first is for our Scrimshaw Blade in…
Read MoreM3 Snowboard Designs
Posted in branding graphic-design journal product-design
We’re stoked to see some of our M3 board designs and collaborations hit the market, and we thought we’d share some of them here. We love working with photographers, designers and illustrators from around the world to create stunning board designs. The first design, the shortstack, was designed in house by Mikey Richardson. The term shortstack…
Read MoreCollab with Salomon: 2014/2015 Boots
Posted in journal logos
We designed the product logos for Salomon’s new 2014/2015 snowboard boots which recently hit the market. The lineup includes logos for Launch, Triumph, Dialogue, Faction and Lily (women’s). For inspiration we went back to old school skate influences, vintage mountain wear and streetwear to create these retro, timeless designs. Our work includes the product logo, as…
Read MoreFeatured: Industrial Design Served
Posted in featured industrial-design journal product-design
We’re pretty stoked to be featured on Industrial Design Served today for the Salomon Boots we designed. The curatorial team at IDS selects just a few projects to be featured on the homepage each day, with careful consideration as to what their community would like best. Check out our feature here. A screenshot to, you…
Read MoreSneak Peek: Wilbur Mexicana
Posted in branding design environments journal
Though some of us here at Jacknife may be self-proclaimed foodies, we are actually in the business of design so this post is going to be featuring just that: the space at Wilbur Mexicana. We had the privilege of doing the branding identity for Wilbur, a new Mexican restaurant on King West in downtown Toronto….
Read MoreBehind the Scenes: Square One
Posted in campaigns journal
We had the opportunity to work with a great team of photographers, stylists and models to create Square One’s fall 2014 campaign. We thought you might want to check out this video of the shoot, created by fashion photographer Christopher Wadsworth.
Read MoreMeet the Professor: Wilbur Mexicana Branding
Posted in branding journal strategy
Given the recent Strategy Online article and interview with Jacknife partner Michael Richardson on our branding work for Wilbur [read here], a soon-to-open restaurant on King Street West, we thought people might be interested in getting a closer look. The Strategy Online story explains the origins of the moustachioed professor Scoville, but the images below…
Read MoreA Hand Saw for Troy Lee
Posted in journal product-design
During a recent trip to California, we stopped in to visit the fine folks from Troy Lee Designs at their ranch in Corona. As it turned out Troy wasn’t there. He was layed up in the hospital after a pretty serious MX crash. During our meeting with the rest of the TLD team we heard…
Read MoreBlue Goose at Taste of Toronto
Posted in campaigns environments journal
Our wonderful client Blue Goose was at Taste of Toronto this weekend at Fort York. Chef Ted Reader did some specialty BBQ chicken rubs just for the event.
Read MoreThe Thanks Gilmore Campaign
Posted in campaigns journal
When the sports fans of Jacknife saw Canadian speedskater Gilmore Junio give up his spot at the 2014 Olympics to allow teammate Denny Morrison to race (& bring home a silver medal), it offered a glimpse at sportsmanship and personal sacrifice that inspired our team, and compelled us to do something special for Gilmore himself…
Read MoreScott LCG Goggle at the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix (Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya)
Posted in journal product-design
The Scott LCG goggle makes it first appearance on the Formula 1 circuit, appearing in these spectacular shots of Sebastien Vettel’s Red Bull pit crew at the 2014 Spanish Grand Prix (at Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya), courtesy of Pitpass. The Jacknife-designed goggle was designed specifically with high-performance and extreme conditions in mind, and there’s little more…
Read MoreFour-Stringed Daredevil
Posted in branding journal
Strange things are done under the Scarborough sun: the untold story of a logo uniting Evil Knievel, Woodstock, a Southern Ontario escarpment, and a four-stringed Polynesian guitar.
Read MoreRed Bull Thre3style: Global
Posted in branding campaigns journal
Red Bull Thre3style continues scratching, head-nodding & marching across the globe, bringing the best in global beats culture to appreciative audiences. Here’s some posters designed for the Japan leg of the series in Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka, Tokyo and Sapporo (based on the World Guide we created.) There are still plenty of events left this summer:…
Read MoreAppliedArts: The New Order
Posted in featured journal
Jacknife is featured in the most recent issue (June 2014) of AppliedArts with a story by Chris Daniels on 3 ad/design agencies that are leading a new order of smaller multi-disciplinary shops. The New Order by Chris Daniels Agency giants such as Young & Rubicam, BBDO and DDB have long had a major presence in the…
Read MoreSugar Rush!
Posted in journal
A fun tasty little cookie box from our friends at Polyester Studios Thanks for the sugar rush! Check out some behind-the-scenes shots of a miniature stop animation project they did for Toyota!
Read MoreScott Symbol Helmet
Posted in journal
The Scott Symbol helmet launched this year as a Scott premium snow-sports helmet. Taking structural and styling cues from the paper creases in origami, we designed the helmet from the inside out, creating a series of 360 channels to dump heat and moisture from the perimeter of the helmet up to the adjustable vent holes….
Read MoreThanks Gilmore!
Posted in campaigns journal
We’re big Olympic fans at Jacknife. When we saw Gilmore Junio give up his spot to allow Denny Morrison to race instead (and bring home a silver medal), we were inspired to do something special for Gilmore to recognize his incredible personal sacrifice. We started an Indiegogo campaign, and hundreds of Canadians came through, quickly…
Read MoreJacknife’s One Year Anniversary Dim Sum Lunch
Posted in journal
For our one year anniversary, we took to Toronto’s Chinatown for dim sum. In all the raucous celebration, orders were placed, and we wound up facing a table of bamboo skyscrapers.
Read MoreStolichnaya: Origins Films
Posted in journal
Jacknife and Stoli commissioned a collection of short films for ORGNL.TV exploring the origins of true originals in the worlds of Art, Music, Fashion, Taste & Technology. Each film is a tongue-in-cheek recounting of a fictional moment of discovery told with the unique vision of our handpicked filmmakers: Julian van Mill, Hector Herrera, Nicolas Kadima, and Sean Wainsteim to create a counter mythology of the genesis of the seemingly banal ice cube, the musical genre of hair metal, the sport of radio tennis, and that perennial party favourite, the French exit.
The Origins series were released on Stolichnaya’s Orignl.tv web platform
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