Hi, I’m Bruce.
That’s me, hovering at depth in the Philippine Sea.
Not on vacation - just doing my job.
What do I do?
I shape meaningful ideas through design, story and experience.
It doesn’t always require a wetsuit. Most days, I’m wrangling Zoom - not neoprene.
DESIGN CASE STUDY
Canadian Centre for Food & Ecology
A scalable brand system designed to connect strategy, community, and impact.
In 2023, I led the strategy, naming exploration, and full identity development for the Canadian Centre for Food & Ecology (CCFE), a national non-profit working at the intersection of food systems, ecology, and community wellbeing. Designed from the ground up, the brand needed to balance credibility with accessibility while supporting diverse audiences ranging from policymakers and researchers to families and local communities.Rather than creating a static identity, I developed a flexible brand system built to scale across bilingual communications, public engagement, education, advocacy, and future sub-brands. At the centre of the system is a unifying leaf form and a modular visual language designed to create consistency while allowing for growth and adaptation.
Brand Abstract
The project extended beyond visual identity into strategic storytelling and experience design. I developed the brand abstract to articulate CCFE’s philosophical foundation, translating complex ideas around food sovereignty, ecology, and human connection into a clear and accessible narrative framework. These principles informed not only the messaging, but the structure, tone, motion, and behaviour of the brand across digital and physical touchpoints.
The system also includes Leaf, a custom modular typeface designed to support real-world activations and reinforce the identity’s adaptable architecture.ons.
Custom Typeface
DESIGN CASE STUDY
Muuvment
A brand and product ecosystem designed to turn awareness into measurable action.
I led the rebrand and strategic repositioning of Muuvment, a social impact technology company focused on helping organizations create measurable change through digital engagement and wellbeing.The work extended beyond identity design into product strategy and UX leadership across two distinct software platforms.The first was a corporate social responsibility (CSR) platform designed to move users from passive awareness to meaningful action. Built around curated documentary and educational content, the experience connected global issues with practical, action-based tools that enabled participation, sharing, and measurable impact. Real-time tracking and reporting transformed engagement into visible outcomes, helping organizations understand and communicate their social impact more effectively.
The second platform focused on workforce wellness and the evolving realities of remote work. Designed for both employees and administrators, the system provided personalized wellbeing support while surfacing anonymous organizational insights related to stress, productivity barriers, and workplace health. The goal was not simply wellness programming, but equipping leadership with data-informed tools to better support people and anticipate operational challenges.My role included brand strategy, communications repositioning, UX direction, product design leadership, and the development of scalable visual and interaction systems across both platforms.
APPLICATION CASE STUDY
Rotary International
Immersive storytelling in 9 languages to millions of viewers.
Rotary VR was a global immersive storytelling platform designed for Rotary International to bring humanitarian stories to life through mobile virtual reality. Used worldwide in 9 languages and experienced by millions at annual events, the app was built to make emerging VR technology accessible to mainstream audiences across iOS, Android, Google Cardboard, Daydream, and Gear VR.I led the experience architecture, onboarding flows, interaction design, and global interface systems. The platform balanced immersive storytelling with real-world usability challenges including multilingual deployment, device compatibility, streaming vs download optimization, onboarding for first-time VR users, accessibility, and integrated donation pathways.
INTEGRATED CASE STUDY
UNICEF
A digital platform that increased fundraising by 73%.
We attended a research briefing with UNICEF Canada and during that meeting there were two key takeaways:1. When people were asked about UNICEF, many fondly remembered the cardboard donation box used at Halloween.
2. People felt disconnected from what UNICEF actually does in the field.
The research concluded that if there was a way to involve donors more closely, UNICEF would likely see an increase in donations.
Utilizing Google Cardboard, a portable virtual reality device made of - you guessed it - cardboard, and 360-degree video content, I led the creation of a VR (virtual reality) platform for UNICEF that brought donors closer to the cause than ever before.With just a little bit of cardboard and a smartphone, anyone could now join UNICEF on a virtual expedition, and see for themselves how their donations make an impact on the lives of children.
UNICEF 360° started with a small test in Canada but over time the app became available globally. It is a powerful tool that has been incorporated in almost all aspects of UNICEF’s development: major donors, one-to-one fundraising, direct mail, special events, even retention.It has reinvigorated the UNICEF brand in many ways, created earned media and public relations opportunities, but most notable of all UNICEF saw a lift of 73 per cent in donations when they incorporated VR content into their one-to-one (face-to-face) fundraising efforts. One in six people pledged donations after watching the video, which was twice the normal rate.
SURVIVAL365
Transforming passive donors into active participants in the mission.
Built around a personalized monthly impact dashboard and immersive 360° storytelling, the platform gave supporters a direct window into the life saving work their donations made possible. Donors received a UNICEF360° Cardboard Viewer and access to a companion mobile app featuring new field content throughout the year, creating a deeper emotional connection between giving and real world impact.
DESIGN CASE STUDY
Wasaga Beach Identity
A complete overhaul of the Town of Wasaga Beach Brand and Communications.
In late 2022 I approached the Town of Wasaga Beach with a vision for integrating the town’s disjointed family of logos. Unprompted, I proposed a revitalized identity that echoed the town's roots while infusing a modern vibrancy. A perfect blend of heritage and tourism allure.This project went far beyond a mere logo replacement; it's a meticulous blend of refinement, modernization, and seamless integration of pre-existing elements, colours, and brand equity. It included strategic development, design, writing, advertising, wayfinding, event promotion and merchandising.
Here's a snapshot (above) of some of my work for the tourism group. My goal with all aspects of the creative for the Town of Wasaga Beach was to lift it from what you would expect from a small town and treat it like a world class destination.
One of the town's biggest problems is deteriorating signage and the lack of information to help tourists (and locals) find their way around or get timely information about beach reservations/rules. I was asked to evaluate a pre-existing wayfinding study and propose how the new identity could adapt the physical and digital landscape to become more progressive and helpful. These images (above) are just a taste of those recommendations.
ADVERTISING CASE STUDY
UN Women
A digital and outdoor campaign for International Women's Day.
How do you tell the stories of women and girls that are facing a world with increasing gender inequality without causing more harm to those you mean to help? The campaign features twenty women from around the world confronting their oppressors with a haunting stare. While the women's identities have been protected using AI-generated images, their struggles represent those of countless real-life individuals facing gender inequality. As long as women and girls continue to face danger, we must continue to find new and creative ways to help them.
Although the campaign was initially for International Women's Day 2023, it has been adopted by many country offices worldwide and is still running in Sweden, Spain and New Zealand.
FILM CASE STUDY
BAHURA (Reef)
From the Philippines to the world: a VR documentary about healing the sea.
In 2019, I wrote, produced, and directed BAHURA - a five-minute immersive VR documentary shot on location in the Philippines with a 14-person crew under Idea Studio. Bahura, which means “reef” in Tagalog, tells the story of a coastal community’s effort to restore marine life by building an artificial reef in partnership with Rotary International. In the background, you’ll see a drone shot of the reef itself. A replica of the Rotary wheel - over four metres high, 21 metres across, and weighing in at roughly 85 tons. It was massive. And yes, it worked.The film premiered at the Rotary International Convention in Hamburg and was later adapted into nine languages - a major undertaking that extended its reach across Rotary’s global membership. It also served as the anchor experience for the Rotary VR app, a dedicated immersive platform Idea Studio developed to house Rotary’s growing library of VR content.Combining real-world storytelling, multilingual production, and digital innovation, BAHURA offers a powerful, first-person perspective on community-led conservation and the deep ties between people and the sea.
I captured all the stills while on location - juggling directing, interviews on land, and long stretches underwater. Most days were spent below the surface, tracking the reef, the spear fishermen, and the quiet determination of the Atimonanins.Below is a selection of stills from the shoot - giving you a closer look at the people, the place, and the story behind BAHURA.
Two trips to the Philippines and over a year of post-production. Projects like this aren’t soon forgotten - you carry the work, the moments, and the friendships with you. Like this little suckerfish that danced with me for a few minutes, trying to hitch a ride on my fin.
GALLERY
Branding
A love of typography and the drive to create smart, lasting work.
This gallery pulls together a broad mix of logo work from national symbols to niche start-ups spanning categories like tourism, nonprofits, apparel, events, and the odd underground oddity. Some are stripped back and minimal; others lean hard into character, era, or attitude. There’s hand-drawn type, modern minimalist, illustrative, heritage, nostalgia and conceptual exploration.Each mark starts with the same question: what truth is this brand trying to signal? From there, the style follows. This isn't about one aesthetic, it's about letting the concept lead and the category shape the expression.
Advertising
This section brings together a mix of award-winning print and poster work - some one-offs, others part of broader campaigns. The projects span humanitarian, inclusion, and public safety messaging, alongside event promotion and other attention-grabbing concepts. Highlights include a street-level campaign for the Vancouver International Film Festival built around ElbowWars, an online arcade game discovered through posters and stickers placed on public armrests. A government initiative supporting those working with at-risk youth, and an infographic created for the Flavour Harvest case study, featuring original illustration by the very talented Skoojah. And last but not least, a national integrated campaign for UNICEF360° represented here by the outdoor transit poster which, based on its fundraising success, eventually went global.
ABOUT BRUCE SINCLAIR
Creative leader. Strategic thinker. Advocate for ideas that matter.
For over two decades, I’ve helped shape some of the world’s most recognisable brands. Today, as founder of Idea Studio, I focus on purpose-driven work at the intersection of brand strategy and design leadership.
The real value of creativity isn’t in what it sells, it's what it makes possible.
Since 2012, I’ve partnered with organisations tackling complex challenges in food, health, the environment and humanitarian initiatives creating work that moves people and drives change.I got my start in the Classical Animation program at Sheridan, and that training still informs how I design, write and direct. Whether it’s a storyboard, a brand system or a campaign, I believe creativity should connect and last.
That's it, for now.
Thanks for checking out my work. I'm making updates all the time so please come back and don't forget to visit Idea Studio or follow me at the links below.