LIFEMARK
HEALTH GROUP
Mediums: InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Acrobat
Styles & Techniques: Publication/Print Design, Responsive Web Design, Interactive PDFs
During my one-year contract, I consistently created high-quality print and web designs using Adobe Creative Suite software, following the direction of the Creative Lead. I ensured that all campaigns and promotional materials maintained a consistent brand image. I was mindful of clients' production schedules and deadlines, regularly implementing changes as requested. Additionally, I managed both English and French versions of materials when applicable. I stayed informed about Lifemark’s brand standards and conducted quality checks to verify that all materials were produced accurately.
My additional responsibilities included creating graphics and slides for company presentations, as well as organizing and maintaining the company’s Share Drive.
SHORTCUTS
BROCHURES
Icons
The icons below were designed for the latest Community Advantage brochures. My task was to find and create icons that were easy to understand and suitable for the accompanying directions in the brochures.
Final Brochure
The brochure below highlights the dangers of falling and uses new icons to provide clear visual and textual information on how to stay safe and alert at home. It includes tips for avoiding common obstacles, such as floor rugs and pets, that can increase the risk of trips and falls.
Annual Conference 2023: Digital Brochure (Interactive)
This digital brochure, designed for Lifemark's 2023 Fall Conference, was distributed via email to all attendees. Created in Adobe Acrobat, the brochure prioritizes user-friendliness with its interactive elements, including prominent buttons and links for virtual registration and access to additional conference information.
A key design feature is the large, brightly-coloured "Register" button, strategically placed with a highly contrasting colour scheme to ensure immediate visibility and easy engagement for readers.
Building on the established layout of the 2022 publication, the 2023 brochure underwent several key improvements. These included refining the alignment and spacing of headings and text boxes, along with adjusting the size and placement of presenters' photographs. The goal was to make the photos prominent enough to be engaging without overshadowing the accompanying text.
Additionally, bolded headings were used throughout to clearly distinguish and organize different sections of information, enhancing readability.
POSTERS
Core Services Posters
The posters for Lifemark's Core Services, being based on existing layouts, required targeted edits to refine their overall presentation. Similar to the 2023 Annual Conference brochure, we focused on adjusting the spacing and positioning of headings and text boxes to improve neatness, often moving headings further from the body text for better readability.
A significant element of each poster's design was the selection and integration of the header photograph. Ideally, I sought brightly coloured photos with ample white space to accommodate the header title. However, approved photographs frequently presented a challenge by being vibrant but lacking sufficient whitespace. To overcome this, I used a white feathered gradient to subtly fade out parts of the photograph, ensuring a seamless blend with the rest of the image.
The strategic positioning of the header photograph was also crucial for visual appeal. We carefully adjusted the placement of the photo's main subject (object or person) concerning the header title. For example, on the Orthotics poster, a bright white sneaker was centrally positioned as the main subject to immediately capture the viewer's attention. In contrast, the Vestibular poster's header featured a smiling cyclist. To avoid an undesirable contrast with the title, the cyclist was slightly enlarged and placed on the far right. This not only provided necessary whitespace but also allowed the cyclist to stand out, aligning with Lifemark's promotional goal of showcasing the positive impact of treatment on patients.
Conference Poster: Aquatic Centre Physiotherapy
This poster, designed to announce one of Lifemark's upcoming clinic acquisitions at its conference, presented a unique design challenge despite having a pre-approved photograph and largely adhering to Lifemark's standard poster template. Much of its creation required working from scratch, particularly in integrating Aquatic Centre Physiotherapy's brand colours.
After several drafts, I opted to use the darker shade of blue from the signature swoosh found on the clinic's business cards for the background of the middle section. Although not initially requested, I made the strategic decision to incorporate this swoosh into the final design to ensure brand consistency. The swoosh also injected a dynamic energy into the poster, perfectly aligning with its call-to-action purpose. The development of this poster also involved sourcing appropriate icons and generating QR codes using Adobe InDesign.
FLYERS
Core Services Flyers
Most of Lifemark's flyers, like the posters, adhere to pre-established templates with consistent formatting. Much of the creative work involves adapting and enhancing the often pre-approved photographs. This includes using white feathered gradients and experimenting with their opacity (along with the photograph's) to create visual depth and adequate whitespace. I also sometimes enlarged photographs or extend their backgrounds using Photoshop to better fit the layout.
For example, on the "Check your risk of falling" poster, the assigned photograph was too small for the header and had a very dark background. Initially, I used a white gradient to create a "fade-out" effect and provide whitespace, but feedback indicated the contrast was too harsh. My solution was to extend the photograph's background in Photoshop. This allowed the image to fill the entire header space, resulting in a much softer and less jarring transition when the white gradient was applied.
A unique challenge with this specific poster was sourcing appropriate icons. I ultimately had to create one myself because no stock images adequately conveyed the statement, "I need to push with my hands to stand up from a chair." My supervisor specifically requested a figure pushing away from a chair with their arms. The icon I illustrated showed a figure gripping their chair’s armrests while attempting to stand, clearly depicting the action for the viewer.
Enhanced Services and Coverage Flyer
This two-page flyer for one of Lifemark’s acquired clinics, Pro Physio & Sport Medicine Centre, was designed entirely from scratch, requiring a seamless integration of both Lifemark's and Pro Physio's brand colours. I had the autonomy to select all photographs and organize the information, allowing for a truly bespoke design.
The chosen photographs featured ample whitespace and an overall colour scheme that harmonized with Pro Physio's signature grey. Crucially, these images were also directly relevant to the flyer's advertised services, which included physiotherapy and psychological services.
To ensure clarity and avoid overwhelming the reader, I utilized the full two-page format. This allowed for a well-organized presentation of the enhancement summary in a dedicated table on the second page, preventing information overload on a single spread.
Multiservice Flyers
For most of our established templates, each new publication involved making simple adjustments to the spacing and positioning of text and images to ensure a consistently neat layout. As seen in the Lifemark Sport Medicine flyer, changes to the colour scheme were sometimes necessary to maintain brand consistency with specific programs or newly acquired clinics. Additionally, I often had to source appropriate photographs for programs not previously featured, such as the Kinesiology section in the Lifemark Sport Medicine flyer.
INTERACTIVE PDFS
I was tasked with creating an interactive flyer for one of our acquisitions, PCVRS, a project that marked a significant point in my development as a designer. My primary responsibility was to develop an entirely new template for this flyer. While I had some pre-approved elements, such as the "Rehabilitation Journey" diagram and the PCVRS footer banner, the rest was up to me. The PCVRS footer banner was instrumental in helping me finalize the red and grey colour scheme that would be used throughout the flyer.
My design approach was largely driven by the request to present information with less text and more colourful icons and images. This not only made the flyer more visually engaging but also helped keep it within the two-page limit. For interactivity, the flyer incorporated clickable links and social media icons that would highlight when hovered over and clicked.
NEWSLETTERS
These monthly newsletters, sent to clinics to highlight their latest therapists, primarily involved significant formatting improvements. My focus was on enhancing the hierarchy of the text by strategically bolding and varying heading sizes. I also added necessary spacing between elements and incorporated vertical decorative lines to clearly distinguish each therapist's photograph and description, ultimately elevating the newsletters' formal appearance.
A common challenge was addressing excess negative space, particularly when a clinic had an odd number of therapists or insufficient content to fill a page. I tackled this creatively; for example, in the Max Bell Arena newsletter, I used a high-quality photograph of the Max Bell Centre as a banner. This not only completed the last page but also effectively filled the negative space, resulting in a more polished and professional final product.
Max Bell Arena: Meet Our Therapists
Portland Street: Meet Our Therapists
Anniversary Newsletter: Debbie MacKinnon
Accompanying LinkedIn Post
For Debbie MacKinnon's 15th Employee Anniversary newsletter, I developed a completely new template. To ensure brand consistency and a cohesive feel, I drew inspiration from Lifemark's existing promotional materials and various anniversary and dedication publications I'd encountered previously. A key design choice was using a serif font for the newsletter's title. This effectively distinguished it from the predominantly sans-serif body text, lending a more formal and celebratory atmosphere appropriate for such an important milestone.
ADS & SOCIAL CONTENT
LinkedIn Adverts
This LinkedIn advertisement, while based on an established template, required a new photograph specific to the Orleans, Ontario, clinic location being promoted. My initial search for Orleans imagery primarily yielded rather uninspiring town square photos. To find a more compelling visual, I shifted my focus to natural landmarks, which led me to Princess Louise Falls. The falls offered a wealth of vivid, lush photographs that perfectly complemented the advert's "big possibilities" message. I ultimately selected a photo with an angle that I felt effectively framed the advert's text, enhancing its overall visual impact.
On the Bay Seasonal Advert
Glebe Physiotherapy Seasonal Advert
For the On The Bay and Glebe Physiotherapy ads, I leveraged pre-established templates, with my primary contribution being the selection of optimal photographs. Since these ad sets were updated seasonally, I was responsible for sourcing images that authentically reflected the changing seasons.
Beyond just seasonality, I carefully chose photos where the subjects' positions complemented the overall layout. My goal was to support the sunny and positive ambiance that is a hallmark of all Lifemark's advertisements and promotions.
POSTCARDS
The creation of these first two postcards was a significant undertaking, as it required the development of entirely new templates. A major part of this process involved extensive photo editing to ensure optimal brightness and sufficient white space for each postcard's header title. By skillfully applying white feathered gradients and adjusting the opacity of each photograph, I achieved subtle yet effective changes. This meticulous attention to detail ultimately resulted in a well-balanced and polished overall appearance for both postcards.
EMAIL BANNERS
I was tasked with designing the email banner for Lifemark's 2023 Halloween Costume Contest. With no prior banners to reference, I focused on integrating Lifemark's standard colours into a thematic design. I used Lifemark's navy blue for the spooky night sky and its white for the text and a looming full moon. A subtle touch of Lifemark's red was incorporated into the skull's witch hat.
I aimed to create a consistent "pop-up" look for the banner's graphics. To ensure a fun and light-hearted atmosphere, I chose bright colours and depicted a playful scenario of Halloween creatures dressing up and interacting with silly costume props.
HIRING MAPS
The hiring map below was created for Lifemark's table at the 84th Annual Canadian Psychological Associate (CPA) Conference. These maps, to be handed out at the event, would inform takers of Lifemark clinics across Canada that were hiring as of June 3rd, 2023. Aspects considered throughout the development of this map included the integration of Lifemark's brand colours, as well as standard map elements such as symbols and a legend that would be easy to follow.
EVACUATION PLANS
I was responsible for developing emergency evacuation plans for numerous Lifemark and acquisition clinics across Canada. To ensure the accuracy of each plan, I meticulously referred to the original floor plans and maintained consistency by using uniform icons and symbols throughout. My favourite part of creating these plans was adding small but significant details, such as furniture icons, whenever feasible.
