Russell Taylor
Beyond his teaching at Simon Fraser University, or directing this annual field school, Russell is an outstanding mentor willing to give everything he has to his students. He was the team’s travel agent, bike mechanic, art historian, DJ, and friend. Without him, this opportunity would not exist, both the interviews and the chance for students to learn more about who they are as both human beings and designers.
Alex Fung
Whether he was filling in for Gabe on the sound team, manning the cameras for Jenny, or giving a literal hand to the B-roll team as a hand model, Alex was unwaveringly earnest and upbeat — he never says no or backs down from a challenge. After each interview wrapped, he was also in charge of managing all the equipment, making sure nothing was lost or damaged during all 16 interviews.
Angus Lei
Angus is quick-witted, adaptable, and ever the jokester - so it was fitting he was an interviewer for five of our conversations with designers, putting to use his big smile and an even bigger voice. Beneath a boisterous character, he brought a curious eye and a thoughtful perspective. Angus was a developer for our website and also worked on the interaction design team.
Brandon Lal
Carefully wandering through each designer's studio, you would spot Brandon snapping as many candid interview moments and product shots as possible. Outside of interviews, however, he was more likely to be seen running off the road on his bike, trying to keep the tripod from slipping off the back.
Breanne Lewis
Whether she was coordinating the B-roll team in-studio, unifying the website’s content strategy, or cooking meals for her roommates back at the hotel, Breanne always did her best to bring the team together. Sharp, proactive, and eager to help, she was reliably equipped to tackle any interview thrown her way. She also wrote most of the copy for the website, including this shameless bio.
Gabe Hendry
During our interviews, you could find Gabe hunched over the sound equipment, listening for abrupt noises that could pollute the conversation. Other than Russell, he held all the authority to interrupt the designers, making sure none of their insights or quotable moments were ruined by the odd passing car. As our resident musician, he and his band mate, Gavin Lopez-Smith, composed and curated the soundtrack for the films.
Jenny Nguyen
Our experimental art director meticulously orchestrated the set. She worked closely with each designer to authentically capture them through beautiful video portraits, and carried their essence into her art direction for video editing and the website. In her spare time, you would find her – oh wait, she did not have any spare time.
Linda Shu
As the portrait photographer and rotating member of the B-Roll team, Linda has an eye for beautiful compositions and framing. She retained her cheerful, calming disposition even under tight time constraints while directing hand models or designers on-set. Upon returning to Vancouver, Linda was a photo and video editor for the team, and the champion of reminding us to stay hydrated.
Marie Louka
Combining her inquisitive nature with her keen eye for impactful storytelling, Marie worked to bring each designer’s story to life. During interviews, you would find her meticulously taking notes and trying to draw connections between various ideas to construct meaningful narratives for our videos. Outside of interviews, she was mostly trying not to fall off her bicycle.
Marine Au Yeung
Marine says they love to sleep, but watching them work, you’d never know it. Whether it was manoeuvring the camera to get a perfectly tracking shot or transforming narratives into immersive films, the team could always count on Marine for their videography skills, relentless work ethic, and bright, supportive energy.
Nikita Tauro
Shooting abstract close-ups during interviews, or deciphering maps so we do not get lost on the way there, Nikita always has a keen eye for details. Once we got home, she worked on the website to reveal the team’s personality and let it shine through this digital time capsule. She isalso a trained nurse, so she took care of us when we inevitably fell off our bikes.
Rocky Shah
Ever the optimist, Rocky was the sunny heart of the operation once we arrived on set. He directed all of the moving components: scheduling, set-up, introductions, and ensuring everyone had the support they needed to get the job done. He later played a major role in this website's interaction design.
Sanny Trinh
Thoughtful and observant, Sani put her energy into shooting B-Roll to match the interview content, creating clever compositions, and working closely with hand models and the B-Roll coordinator. She later worked as a developer and video editor, all the while attending hip hop classes — both in Europe and back home — to fuel her passion for street culture.