Julia Bales Interactive Artist

Julia began her design career well over a decade ago. While still in high school, she worked at a local print house and sign design company. After graduating from the International Academy of Design’s Graphic Design program in 1997, Julia taught herself Flash, javascript and HTML and began picking up odd design jobs for various Toronto corporations and agencies. She has gone from print designer to interactive developer to interactive designer to senior art director and even some creative direction over the course of her career.

Over the last 15+ years she has created and developed interactive experiences for a variety of shops/agencies including:
♦ TAXI
♦ Proximity (BBDO)
♦ MuchMusic
♦ Organic
♦ Corus Entertainment
♦ Astral Media
♦ Wunderman (Y&R)
♦ henderson bas kohn
♦ MacLAREN MRM
♦ Transcontinental Interactive
♦ Capital C
♦ mindblossom
♦ blue*spark
♦ FUSE Marketing Group
♦ Devlin eBusiness
♦ KENNA
♦ Holmes & Lee Advertising
& many more

Julia can lead and execute the creative design process from start to finish. From the brief/concept stage, Wireframing (Basic IA), presentation to technical (dev) hand-off including graphic production. She also has experience designing for the traditional print space as well as large format, Mobile, Social media and online.

More recently, Julia has been focused on “The Big Idea”. She has been working extensively on large national integrated campaigns, and working closely with Fortune 500 clients. Ms. Bales has also been busy managing and mentoring designers as well as developing unique ways to reach the target audience at hand through new technology and innovative ways of thinking. There are few big brands she has not produced creative for.

Specialties:

♦ Online and offline brand and identity development (including building style guides)

♦ Interface assessment from a strategic creative standpoint

♦ Researching new/current technology and proposing ways of communicating through them

♦ Art direction, creative direction, illustration

♦ Presenting creative to executive level clients

♦ The creative “Pitch”

♦ Conceptual thinking & brainstorming

: ♦ 2000 : Lead Art direction for the National Ballet website (blue*spark)

♦ 2001 : Designed/illustrated and coded on-air flash character SKY for TVO Kids (blue*spark)

♦ 2002 : Joined the “On-Air” Much Music Interactive team as lead web designer

♦ 2006 : Lead Interactive Art Director for large integrated Chevrolet campaign “Johnny” (Maclaren McCann)

♦ 2008 : Lead Creative for Nissan.ca redesign (Capital C)

♦ 2010 : Began working with Transcontinental Interactive on many of the exciting global Malibu Rum SM initiatives

: ♦ 2010 Interactive Media Award, Best In Class – Animals/Wildlife, BringBacktheWild.com

♦ 2006 Digital Marketing Award Integrated Campaign-Certificate, Johnny.ca

♦ 2005 International Nestlé Partner of Excellence Award, Maclaren MRM Nestlé team

♦ 2001 Digital Marketing Award, 2005 Canadian Marketing Award- Gold, Playboy Radio email campaign

Julia Bales Interactive Artist

Specialties:

Career Highlights

Honours & Awards:

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