Our Blog

Curio Studio is now 20 years old (a pretty decent start)!

November 7, 2022

Over the last 1,000 weeks, we’ve had a lot of time to grow, to develop as artists, and to make choices based on what we think really matters. And this year, for the briefest of moments, we’re putting our pencils down to celebrate good fortune and great friends. We’ve chosen as a tagline for our… Take a look


Snug but Flexible: Amanda’s ‘Athleta’ Illustration Process

September 26, 2022

Athleta is an athleisure-wear chain founded in 1998 and acquired ten years later by Gap Inc. To add some local personality to their debut in West Edmonton Mall, they enlisted Amanda Schutz (our Creative Director) to develop a custom illustration for the store. For a brand with this amount of equity, there is a lot… Take a look


Graham’s Nerd Corner: Designin’ Ain’t Decoratin’

September 15, 2022

Graham is Curio’s resident Person Who Knows Things. Besides being a dynamite creative in his own right, he’s exceptionally curious, and it is a genuine pleasure to hear him go off about the things he finds interesting. In this edition of GraNerdCorn (trademark pending), Graham discusses the importance of clean design apropos the following question… Take a look


The Creative Brief: A Good Plan for Good Design

June 23, 2022

Graphic design is at its best when it resonates beyond whatever our rods and cones can process. There is no shortage of great designs out there… but great designs and successful designs are not necessarily the same thing. What makes a design successful is, very simply, whether the design accomplishes the goals of the client. To that end, a good designer and a good client should kick off a design project by producing a good Creative Brief.


design illustration

What is “Illustrator-led design”?

April 19, 2022

“Illustrator-led Design” is not a real thing. It’s not in the dictionary and it’s not in the “inside-baseball” design lexicon. It’s something we made up. Admittedly, it’s not a super-intuitive term. But it’s the best way we can think to explain what makes Curio designers unique!  So let’s talk about what we’re talking about when… Take a look


Guest Post

Jayden on Jayden:

July 21, 2022

A briefing on Curio’s newest superstar (by the artist herself): Howdy y’all, I’m Jayden and I’m the newest Curio recruit! I’ll be commandeering this blog for a hot minute in order to introduce myself. So, Who is This Nerd? I’m a peanut butter loving goofball with a serious scarf addiction and an affinity for making… Take a look



community design illustration

These Dogs are Parkin’!

August 18, 2021

People, Dogs, and Dog-People of Edmonton: Visit the SouthBARK dog park at 8122 106 Street NW (featuring public furniture illustrated by Curio)!