Since completing my full-time contract at Lawson in September, I have been grateful to work on three major freelance contracts that have kept me “in practice” as I await my cruise-job adventure which will set sail in January.

Bethanys Hope Foundation is a London-based charity that directly funds its own research laboratory working to cure Metachromatic Leukodystrophy (MLD). Londoners may be familiar with the Foundation’s signature fundraising event: The Hawk Rocks the Park. The charity was founded by Dave and Lindey McIntyre, whose daughter Bethany passed away after a heroic battle with MLD. I was incredibly fortunate to work with the Foundation as a freelance consultant for two projects, and I must say Dave and Lindey were two of the most wonderful people to work with for their tireless efforts and inspiring commitment to the cause.

The first project for Bethanys Hope was a grant proposal to hopefully fund new laboratory equipment. This was a particularly exciting challenge as I had never before prepared a formal grant proposal - needless to say I learned a lot about the process, and during in-depth interviews with the research team came to understand MLD a lot better! Of course, I cannot post the proposal to the portfolio page.

The second project was equally rewarding: I was given the reigns to completely redesign the annual newsletter for stakeholders - a report on the fundraising and research efforts delivered to the vast community of volunteers and supporters. From interviewing and writing the feature stories and research report, to developing a design concept, through to editing content and laying out the copy - it was rewarding to manage this project from start to finish. The results - Bethanys Hope’s redesigned annual newsletter - are on the portfolio page.

The third freelance project I took on during these months was for the London District Catholic School Board, and was work proposed to me by a teacher at my former high school (here’s to keeping connections with meaningful people!). This teacher is launching a new specialized curriculum program in manufacturing, and wished to have a promotional poster and informational pamphlet about the program. My solution to the promotional and informational needs makes use of a tabloid-sized page. Unfolded, the front page serves as a poster suitable for guidance offices and classrooms. Folded, it makes a four-page detailed pamphlet outlining the program. The informational poster/pamphlet is also on the portfolio page.

While I was working at my most recent full-time contract (which wrapped up in September) at London’s Lawson Health Research Institute, I was often asked: “What public relations does a science lab at a hospital need?”

I believe my most recent portfolio addition is a nice example of what goes on at a hospital research institute, and why one would want to publicize what goes on there. During my contract, I had the opportunity to write a feature for the donor magazine of St. Joseph’s Health Care Foundation, and the story was published this month. The story was to cover the research done at Lawson towards curing age-related macular degeneration, the leading cause of blindness in Canada. I was honoured to interview two of the researchers leading the battle to stop this negative aging process, and learn about their fascinating work. I also learned about the way that their work was directly funded by the family of a late woman who had suffered macular degeneration herself.

Writing such an article hit home why I was doing the work I was, and the privilege of it. Here I was learning about a hugely problematic health issue, and the remarkable effort to solve it. I was given the ability to inform the public - about macular degeneration so that they might be aware, and about the research so that they might share in the hope. And hey, it being a donor magazine, perhaps the realization that truly world-class science towards takes place in their hometown would inspire Londoners to help fund it!

Writing such an article was, for me, a true example of how public relations lets others see what goes on inside the organization I am contributing to.

The right first impression can certainly lead to a lasting, strong partnership.

This has been the case since 2004 (before Impression One was launched) when I embarked on my first contract design project for the Roman Catholic Diocese of London to create a Seminarian class portrait/vocations poster that would be displayed in every church and school throughout the Diocese. I’m proud of the fact that Impression One and the Diocese have partnered on this project every year since, and I’ve added the 2007 Vocations Poster to the portfolio page. Congratulations and best wishes to all of London’s Seminarians.

Rounding out the design examples on the portfolio page are two other additions - both from work done before Impression One was formed: a page layout and design language I completed during my stint as Editor-In-Chief of the University of Guelph-Humber Yearbook, and an orientation events guidebook I designed during a contract in 2003 for the University of Guelph-Humber.