Design team
Karima Afghoul
Karima Afghoul is a Montreal-based graphic designer. Currently finishing her BFA in Design at Concordia University, her practice revolves around editorial layout design, social media, and branding projects. Recently, she is interested in learning UI and UX design, and she is finishing a certification alongside her studies. In her work, she wants to connect the physical and traditional parts of design with 3D design, technology, and fashion. She is interested in creating a narrative around her projects and applying her knowledge of design in other fields, such as fashion. After graduation, she hopes to break into the tech industry as a designer and continue to explore, experiment, and learn along the way.
Ethan Irwin
Ethan Irwin is a practicing graphic designer based in Montreal. He is pursuing a BFA in Design at Concordia University with a background in clothing production and fine arts, and a focus on experimental graphic design. Drawing his inspiration from skate culture and street art across North America, photo manipulation combined with multimedia artwork are the basis for his design. Irwin is most recognized for his work for Grimey Montreal as a production coordinator and graphic designer, as well as for his clothing design and zine work under the name sick day. Print work in a diverse range of materials has always been an interest, and he plans on pursuing experimental print methods and fashion design in the future.
Julia Rosario Roberts
Julia Rosario Roberts is a Montreal-based interdisciplinary artist and third-year Design student at Concordia University. An avid photographer since the age of nine, she has amassed an impressive body of creative work spanning over ten years. She studied Professional Photography at Dawson college before moving to Paris for a year, where she continued building her portfolio. At Concordia, her specializations include typography, metalwork, and installation. Through her work, she aims to communicate her vision of PLAY and its ability to enliven the imagination. Currently, she is working on a photo series featuring skaters from Paris and London. After graduation, she hopes to continue her work in England. Rosario Roberts is honoured to be a part of the Design team for the 2023 USE catalogue.
Sasha Rouzier
Sasha Rouzier is an aspiring graphic designer based in Montreal, currently studying Design at Concordia. Since a young age, she has been exposed to incredible artists. From singers to illustrators, painters and even sculptors, she was always engaged in activities that spoke of their connection to art. Rouzier draws inspiration daily from their country of origin, Haiti, and it’s incredible tapestry of living and still art. Her philosophy stems from their country’s pulse and their desire to meet others in their life journeys. Design can be a profoundly personal experience for some or a sophisticated rendering of contemporary issues for others. Through her inspired “pencil stroke,” she hopes to turn wishes into tangible creations.
Gabrielle Von
Gabrielle Von is a designer based in Montreal, with a background in digital art. Von has worked with photography, illustration, and painting, but their recent passion lies in graphic design work. Their practice is informed by their upbringing as an Asian-Canadian in a multicultural environment. Moreover, Von has learned design throughout the pandemic since these aspects of their positionality have pushed them to create connections with people through visual storytelling. They are a third-year undergraduate design student, still exploring ways to navigate the cultural landscape of the world through the communication tools that design provides. Von is driven by the creative process of art direction, as it encompasses translating the values at the core of a project through a visual language that is accessible to a larger audience.