Strategic
Design
Studio

SAW is an independent strategic design studio, based in Calgary, Canada. We create identities, websites, apps, advertising, video and analog materials that help organizations to express their true voice. To do that, we use critical thinking to deconstruct the problems our clients bring to us, getting to the raw and the real.

SAW is a diverse group of passionate and collaborative people, each of us dedicated to our craft, and each sharing in the conviction that business can, and should be, a force for good. These soulful portraits are linked to Behance, LinkedIn and other social media, for full disclosure.

Steve Pearson Creative Director

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Steve Pearson Creative Director

Iain Ferguson Creative Director

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Iain Ferguson Creative Director

Christina Lynes Project Manager

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Christina Lynes Project Manager

Candace Evans Senior Graphic Designer

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Candace Evans Senior Graphic Designer

Phil Morley PowerPoint Specialist

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Phil Morley Digital Designer & Front-end Developer

Jacob McConnell Video Editor

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Jacob McConnell Video Editor

Dave Imbach Partner

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Dave Imbach Partner

Geoff Summach Partner / Business Development

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Geoff Summach Partner / Business Development

Maya Big Dog

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Maya Big Dog

Edna Bird Dog

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Edna Bird Dog

Rosie Big Dog

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Rosie Big Dog

We have two full-time dogs, and a vermi-compost bin. We play ping pong and foosball, but also bubble hockey. We prefer Canadian Thanksgiving to Christmas. We like Caffe Beano across the street, but Tim's is our dirty little secret.

SAW creates business tools that help share your purpose with the wider world. We do this in two complementary ways: strategic design services and design studio services. You can access our services all-in-one or bit by bit.

Throughout SAW’s history we have experienced numerous setbacks and changes. It is this experience that led us as owners and leaders to ask ourselves tough questions about how we wanted to define success for ourselves and our company.

The lone metric of profit, and in turn our own personal wealth, was not how we wanted measure our business lives. Yes, we are in business to make a profit and yes, money does offer opportunity, but as a sole motivating factor it is not enough. If our contribution to society was this company, it would need to stand for more. It needed to be rooted in purpose.

We believe that our business can be a force for good, by helping other organizations speak openly and honestly about their own purpose. SAW isn’t setting itself up in judgement over the activities of our clients — it is for the broader public to decide what is good for society. Our contribution is to demonstrate to clients how truthful communications with employees, customers and other stakeholders is the only ethical long-term business strategy.

Dave Imbach

Geoff Summach

For companies that take social responsibility seriously, a Benefit Corporation designation is a definitive way to measure higher standards of accountability, transparency and performance. The B Corp movement is a community of companies that believe in redefining success in business by using it as a force for good; a belief that businesses have a higher responsibility to compete, not just to be the best in the world, but the best for the world.

Two key principles that convinced us to pursue a designation and join the community:

“Business, the most powerful man-made force on the planet, must create value for society, not just shareholders. Systemic challenges require systemic solutions and the B Corp movement offers a concrete, market-based and scalable solution”.

“As a result of our collective success, individuals and communities will enjoy greater economic opportunity, society will address its most challenging environmental problems, and more people will find fulfillment by bringing their whole selves to work”.

Learn More Here

As part of our pursuit of a B Corporation designation, SAW has started to measure its environmental and social impact quarterly. In the spirit of transparency, we will be building out this section of the site to publish our impact numbers. We will also be publishing articles and sharing sites that we are finding useful as we try to improve our performance as a company. SAW is working on all types of creative materials to share with companies covering issues such as electricity conservation, saving print toner, battery recycling and a host of other topics. Our hope is that they are used and adapted as helpful resources.

A good place for good people

SAW believes that business can and should be a force for good. So we’re always looking for good people to join us. You should be good at your craft, whether that’s analog or digital. You should be a good listener. And you should understand reciprocity in terms of time and commitment required to keep a small business in good health.

You got it? Good.

If you still decide to apply, please provide work samples if applicable, a resumé, and a cover letter that lets us see at a glance how good you could be.

careers@sawstrategic.com