Stepping up to communication design challenges in 2024

New and existing clients reached out to iilo with wide-ranging communication design needs. Our team responded by applying our full depth of skills and expanding our services to help our clients address big issues like homelessness, climate change, food insecurity, and violence against women.

Client highlights

We were delighted to continue ongoing collaborations with many clients, and in some cases, deliver new communication design solutions to meet their evolving needs. Here are some highlights:

• iilo provided marketing support for CPHR BC & Yukon’s annual HR Conference and Expo for the 12th year. We loved the use of custom illustrations as a way to elevate a local illustrator and give the event a bespoke look and feel. We’re also working on their 2025 event now…
• We had previously helped BC Rent Bank create its annual impact reports. In 2024, we not only wrote and designed their latest impact report, but we also helped to establish their online marketing presence after a rebrand.
• For Food Banks BC, we continued to strengthen their brand assets and build out templates, so their in-house team can save time on marketing while tackling hunger in communities across BC.
• iilo has enjoyed a long-standing collaboration with Boldt Communications. This past year, we worked together to support Community Land Trust and Garth Homer Society. We created brand standards, as well as practical tools and templates, for their in-house teams to activate their brands in alignment with strategic communication plans by Boldt Communication.
• As a member of Accessible Employers’ Community of Accessible Employers and the designer of their website, we deepened our learning about accessibility by continuing to support their communication design needs. It was also an honour to receive a nomination for the 11th Untapped Workplace Inclusion Awards hosted by Open Door Group, Accessible Employers and Canadian Partners in Workforce Innovation. It truly validated our efforts to create a culture of inclusion at iilo.

In addition to supporting our clients’ important missions, which we know and love, we also branched out to support new areas, like healthcare, education, prevention of violence against women, and municipal communications. Here are some highlights:

• We worked with our first Ontario-based client — Alternatives for Women in Prince Edward County! The organization provides Second Stage Housing (longer-term housing after leaving abuse), and non-judgmental counselling that is inclusive, culturally safe, and supportive of women’s choices. We updated their 35-year-old brand and created a new website to improve their storytelling around their services.
• As another first, iilo helped Gulf Islands School District 64 produce a course guide that encourages students to explore careers in the care economy sector. Our team brought skills in illustration, production design, project management, content strategy, and editing to develop a tool that’s attractive, informative, and can be used by school districts across BC.
• Expanding our work in the caring sector, we helped the North Shore Primary Care Network launch a new website and create interim branding for the new Primary Care Network model being launched in BC. iilo also laid the groundwork for a custom digital health guide where North Shore residents can get information about preventative care based on different age ranges.
• iilo is always ready to support overstretched teams. In 2024, we aided the City of Victoria in completing communication design projects during a busy period, serving as an extension of their in-house design team.
• Given our dedication to inclusion, it was particularly meaningful to help Ta7talíya Nahanee of Nahanee Creative to develop the online marketing strategy for Indigenous Inclusion Academy, an on-demand learning site for organizations that want to deepen their commitment to truth and reconciliation.
• We also enjoyed supporting Untapped Accessibility, an accessibility consulting firm in BC. To ensure a values-aligned collaboration, our team learned more about digital accessibility and applied best practices to Untapped’s email marketing and social media communications.

Company milestones

• Our core team of employees grew to four people! We now have two full-time and two part-time employees (excluding Madelen and I).
• We deepened our HR practices through excellent and ongoing support from Reimagine Work.
• To support iilo’s growth, we’ve steadily refined our operations. This included implementing a new HR management platform in 2024.
• One of our goals last year was to have more in-person get-togethers — and we did it! Our team met up multiple times in Nanaimo and Vancouver, in addition to our monthly virtual picnics.
• We’ve benefitted from The Forum Mentor Program for several years now. This past year, we felt very lucky to have connected with our new mentor, Heidi Ruggier from Matte PR.
• We sent out our 200th invoice!

Looking ahead

• We’re currently planning iilo’s first in-person, one-day summit in the spring of 2025. This retreat will be a chance for our virtual team to get together and deepen our connections.
• We recently started a book exchange to nurture our team’s commitment to learning. We look forward to sharing books with colleagues in different towns now that Canada Post is back in operation after their workers’ strike.
• Our next B Corp assessment is coming up in 2026, creating the opportunity to look at where iilo shines, and where we can improve. iilo started hiring employees after our initial assessment in 2022. That means we’ll not only look for ways to improve our Governance, Community, Environment, and Customers scores, but we’ll also look to improve our People metrics.
• We’re on the path of finding intentional self/life/work balance. Balance is a verb at iilo and we continually look for ways to demonstrate and bring balance to our day-to-day lives.
• Finally, we’re eager to continue spreading the word about sustainable communication design!

Are you inspired by our recent work and upcoming plans? We’re now booking projects for 2025 and beyond. Please connect with us to discuss how we can support your communication design needs.