I am an award-winning designer, illustrator and art director with over 20 years of experience leading design projects for major Canadian brands. I specialize in graphic design, UI/UX, digital advertising, and illustration, and I am proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and prototyping in Figma. I have designed custom graphics, responsive websites, mobile apps, online games, and editorial content across desktop and mobile, collaborating with developers and content teams to deliver high-quality experiences. I enjoy creating visually compelling, user-centered work and staying current with design trends.

Aaron Bamford

PRO

I am an award-winning designer, illustrator and art director with over 20 years of experience leading design projects for major Canadian brands. I specialize in graphic design, UI/UX, digital advertising, and illustration, and I am proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and prototyping in Figma. I have designed custom graphics, responsive websites, mobile apps, online games, and editorial content across desktop and mobile, collaborating with developers and content teams to deliver high-quality experiences. I enjoy creating visually compelling, user-centered work and staying current with design trends.

Available to hire

I am an award-winning designer, illustrator and art director with over 20 years of experience leading design projects for major Canadian brands. I specialize in graphic design, UI/UX, digital advertising, and illustration, and I am proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and prototyping in Figma.

I have designed custom graphics, responsive websites, mobile apps, online games, and editorial content across desktop and mobile, collaborating with developers and content teams to deliver high-quality experiences. I enjoy creating visually compelling, user-centered work and staying current with design trends.

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Language

English
Fluent

Work Experience

Senior Design Consultant at Walmart Canada
November 1, 2018 - Present
Providing design services and expertise to support Walmart’s e-commerce team; designing online assets, web pages and promotional materials for Walmart.ca; using Adobe Creative Suite; using Figma to create asset libraries and UI components; designing wireframes, prototypes and final UI designs; mobile-first and responsive design; creating custom graphics, photography, illustration, infographics and video content; integrating eCommerce solutions; designing social media assets; collaborating with developers, publishers, editors and writers.
Freelance Designer/Art Director and Design Consultant at Various Clients
July 1, 2010 - Present
Contract design services for multiple clients; involved in digital advertising campaigns by designing websites, mobile products, online games, email newsletters, interactive banner ads and logos/branding; designing responsive advertising and websites for global brands such as Disney, Hasbro, Nintendo, NBA, LG, Dyson and Mazda; packaging and box art; creating interactive/animated advertisements per IAB standards.
Instructor at Centennial College
September 1, 2014 - September 1, 2017
Taught design course to post graduate students within Centennial College's Interactive Media Management Program; developed lesson plans, assignments and curriculum and delivered in-class lectures and demonstrations in a workshop-based format.
Senior Interactive Designer/Interim Art Director at Corus Entertainment
July 1, 2010 - October 1, 2013
Designed websites, online games, mobile apps, and print/online advertising for media properties; art directed the interactive design team; reviewed design and animation of online and mobile games; led design process with wireframes, mockups and storyboards; created many advertisements for mobile apps and iTunes store.
Senior Web Designer, CBC User Interface Design Team at CBC
August 1, 2009 - July 1, 2010
Senior Designer on UI/UX team; established global design standards via the Design and Usability Guide (DUG); designed CBC’s main external sites and channels including CBC YouTube channels and iTunes site; FIFA World Cup 2010 YouTube Channel; CMS site designs to unify CBC properties.
Art Director/Senior Designer at CBC Children’s and Youth Interactive Team
December 1, 2005 - August 1, 2009
Senior Designer/Art Director for CBC's Youth websites; branding and identity for The Outlet; online games; established art direction for CBC.ca/kids; collaborated with front-end developers; created promotional material and represented team at conferences.
Freelance Designer/Art Director and Design Consultant
July 1, 2010 - Present
Contracting design services for various clients, including Corus Entertainment, Mastermind Toys and UCLA; involved in digital advertising campaigns by designing websites, mobile products, online games, email newsletters, interactive banner ads and logos/branding; designing responsive advertising and websites for brands such as Disney, Hasbro, Nintendo, NBA, LG, Dyson and Mazda; designing packaging and box art for retail products; creating interactive/animated advertisements according to IAB standards and keeping up to date with the latest design trends in website design and digital advertising
Senior Web Designer at CBC - UI Design Team, cbc.ca
August 1, 2009 - July 1, 2010
Senior Designer on UI/UX team responsible for CBC's Design and Usability Guide (DUG); established global design standards for cbc.ca and created a reference for CBC employees; designed CBC's main external sites and channels, including YouTube channels and iTunes site; designed FIFA World Cup 2010 YouTube Channel and Independent Producers website; worked on CMS site designs to unify site designs across CBC properties
Freelance Designer/Art Director and Design Consultant at Various Clients (Freelance)
July 1, 2010 - Present
Contract design services for multiple clients, including Corus Entertainment, Mastermind Toys and UCLA. Lead digital advertising campaigns by designing websites, mobile products, online games, email newsletters, interactive banner ads and branding. Create responsive advertising and websites for global brands such as Disney, Hasbro, Nintendo, NBA, LG, Dyson and Mazda. Design packaging and box art for retail products. Develop interactive/animated advertisements per IAB standards and stay current with design trends in web design and digital advertising.
Senior Web Designer, UI Design Team at CBC (cbc.ca)
August 1, 2009 - July 1, 2010
Senior Designer on the UI/UX team responsible for creating CBC's Design and Usability Guide (DUG). Established global design standards for cbc.ca and created reference material for CBC content creators. Designed CBC's main external sites and channels, including CBC's YouTube channels and iTunes site. Led FIFA World Cup 2010 YouTube Channel and the Independent Producers website. Worked on CMS site layouts to unify designs across CBC properties.
Independent / Freelance Designer, Art Director & Design Consultant at Independent / Freelance
July 1, 2010 - Present
Contract design services for various clients, including Corus Entertainment, Mastermind Toys and UCLA; involved in digital advertising campaigns designing websites, mobile products, online games, email newsletters, interactive banner ads and logos/branding; designing responsive advertising and websites for global brands such as Disney, Hasbro, Nintendo, NBA, LG, Dyson and Mazda; packaging and box art for retail products; interactive/animated advertisements per IAB standards; stay current with latest design trends in website design and digital advertising.
Senior Interactive Designer / Interim Art Director at Corus Entertainment
July 1, 2010 - October 1, 2013
Designed websites, online games, mobile apps, and print/online advertising for properties including YTV, Treehouse, Nelvana, Nickelodeon Canada, HGTV, W Network and Teletoon; art directed Corus Interactive design team on an interim basis; led design process with wireframes, mockups and storyboards; created advertisements for mobile apps and in-video promotions.
Art Director / Senior Designer at CBC - Children’s and Youth Interactive Team
December 1, 2005 - August 1, 2009
Senior Designer/Art Director for CBC's Youth websites (cbc.ca/kids), The Outlet; created online/TV branding and identity, and website design; established art direction for online games and digital illustrations; collaborated with front-end developers throughout the development cycle; promoted CBC Kids branding at conferences.

Education

User Experience Design at BrainStation
April 1, 2019 - June 1, 2019
Advanced Illustration Program at Sheridan College
September 1, 2002 - May 1, 2003
Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree (Fine Arts, Economics Minor) at University of Waterloo
September 1, 1997 - June 1, 2002

Qualifications

User Experience Design Certificate
April 1, 2019 - June 1, 2019

Industry Experience

Media & Entertainment, Retail, Software & Internet, Education, Professional Services, Gaming