Being Metis Makes Me Happy!

Our client, the Otipemisiwak Métis Government Children and Family Services (CFS) department advocates for the needs of Métis families and children; maintains cultural identity and connections; and provides culturally appropriate opportunities to address the physical, emotional, mental, and social requirements of Métis people, one of the three distinct Indigenous groups in Canada.

To foster cultural awareness and pride among young Métis children and their families, CFS staff wrote the story, Being Métis Makes Me Happy! To make it come alive, they required our strategy, illustration, and design services. Our team determined the visual content that would best support the text, add narrative depth, and appeal to non-reading audiences, and selected playful, accessible, and audience-centred fonts. In layout, we incorporated two-page spreads to make space for the story, and to create specific, immersive environments for the audience. We also structured the layout to ensure that the pacing isn't repetitive, special moments of interest are surfaced, key messaging is well-positioned, and the illustrations speak for themselves.

Next, we created the illustration style, aligning it with Métis cultural, historical, and artistic traditions that include handmade crafts, such as beadwork and hand weaving. Featuring Métis-specific symbols and artifacts (e.g. the woven sash) was a must, as they visually communicate both Métis culture and the written content. Our choice of the cut-out paper style gives the illustrations an organic feel, and, through the layering and shadowing of different textures specific to Métis culture, aligns with and amplifies this culture. To effectively create the illustrations on a short timeline, to broaden the use case (e.g. for larger formatting), and to remove creative boundaries, we digitized and manipulated the textures to create our digital illustrations.

Overall, our design, content, and style choices integrate seamlessly to push the visual content beyond superficial representation, enabling it to "speak" in a tone and voice that is proud, fun, and joyful—all of which is in keeping with the core purpose of the book: to celebrate Métis families, culture, and identity.

Specifications:

6" x 6" page size

Digital illustration

28 pages

First of a collection of books