About Us
Play the Long Game
Why working with a long-standing, low-turnover design studio leads to better strategy, faster results, and consistent, lasting brand impact.
Landmarks in Mapmaking
Illustrated maps do more than show where to go—they tell why it’s worth getting there. From festivals to campuses, Curio Studio designs maps that are vibrant, accurate, and adaptable, helping your audience connect with a place in meaningful ways.
illustration
Parkland’s Got a Brand New Bag of Illustrations
Municipal planners are like many other design professionals—their work may be invisible to most, but when it’s done well, it creates a visible harmony among many different elements. Planners like Jared Candlish of Parkland County also know that if you want others to buy into your goals, your communications must be clear, consistent, and visually… Take a look
branding packaging
Of Packaging and Profit
New packaging or new branding for your Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) product might seem frivolous. It might seem like extra overhead when you’re already spread thin. The truth, though, is that the right packaging is not a cost—it’s a sales tool with a measurable return.
About Us
Illustrated infographics: Catch eyes, impart info, and reluctantly self-promote!
As we recently discovered at our annual planning meeting, the Curio team knows that we have a lot going for us, competitive-advantage wise. We also realized that we like tooting our own horn as much as other people like to hear the sound of someone else tooting (…sorry). So here’s the challenge, then: What if… Take a look
branding Explainer identity
Staying Visible in the Storm:
Why investing in your brand matters in tough economic times. If there is such a thing as a time of economic certainty, goodness knows this isn’t it. Trade relations are strained, energy supplies are uncertain, and growth is projected to remain modest throughout 2025. Given the availability of news and the scarcity of confidence, it’s… Take a look
community news/events
Rarefied Air: Women designers wrap up a public art project for Alberta’s air quality experts
The AlbertaCapital Airshed (ACA) and West Central Airshed Society (WCAS) are in the business of monitoring air quality and updating the public in real time. To solve their visual design problem, they turned to a group of designers familiar with challenges of visibility.
design logo
Let’s Make Logos with AI!
There’s a lot of hype around AI in graphic design these days—we asked several online AI logo makers to design us a new brand for Curio (not that we need one, but hey, you canNOT beat the price)!
community
The Art of Community: Edmonton’s Creative Soul (Guest Post!)
Hilary Meng is a FORCE—besides being our most recent student intern, the young designer/photographer/polymath is co-founder of Edmonton’s Circe Magazine, a showcase of local creative talent that recently celebrated the printing of their third issue. Below, Hilary shares a bit on the paths that led her to Edmonton, to design, and to Circe—read on if… Take a look
Botanica: A New Design Trend (For the Past 100 years)
Like tiny green buds popping out from a grey bed of hardpan, organic design elements are sprouting up everywhere, from interior design to architecture to graphic design and illustration. In 2024, the trend goes by the name Botanica, though the movement goes back at least to the 1930s (during another period of disillusionment with modern… Take a look
PSST… YOU WANNA MAKE A VIDEO?
Here’s how to lay the groundwork for your organization’s Best Video Ever! You don’t need to be sold on video as a marketing tool. Video is EVERYWHERE. And for a good reason — videos can put across a TON of information by appealing to two different senses (and to our animal instinct to watch for… Take a look
Jayden’s Guide to Finding Inspiration When You’re in a Rut
If you’re in a creative field (or heck, any field, really) you may have struggled with a block—ideas aren’t flowing, you want to pull your hair out, and everything you make feels like hot garbage. Inspiration feels light years away from your current headspace. It’s the pits, right? Now I’m no wizard, and these ideas… Take a look
Faster, Designer! Bill! Bill!
Curio’s Creative Director shares some thoughts and advice for streamlining the design process when time is at a premium Graphic designers are not supposed to work fast. The mantra in our industry is “you can have great design, or you can have fast design, but you can’t have both.” Fair: Designers make thousands of little… Take a look
WSU: “Font size can ‘nudge’ customers toward healthier food choices”
Ed. Note: We recently found this fantastic article by Scott Jackson of Washington State University, which provides data-based evidence of how human perception and behaviour can be influenced by graphic design decisions. With permission from the author, we reprint the article below so you too can wow the guests at your next dinner party with… Take a look
The Design Coordinator’s Little Helper
Coordinating a graphic design project can be intimidating, especially if you’re not a graphic designer yourself. Whether you’re a marketing and communications coordinator, an entrepreneur, or a fellow creative, this condensed guide will provide you with essential advice to streamline the process and achieve excellent results when you’re collaborating with a third-party graphic design provider.
Let’s Stay Small
In 2003, Curio Studio was a team of three people. By 2023, we were all the way up to four. Why did we stay small? We’re SO glad you asked! If you own a small design agency AND you enjoy eating food on the regular, the advice you’ll hear most often is to hire more… Take a look
Showtime Synergy!
Or, How We Came to Love Designing for the Performing Arts As of 2023, Curio Studio has been around for 20 years. But it is no exaggeration to say that we might never have made it past year one if not for our clients working in the performing arts. “Northern Light Theatre was my first… Take a look
Picture Perfect Learning
Can Illustrations enhance your educational materials? Our latest project for Athabasca University suggests it might be easier than you think! How people form connections is a favourite fixation of educators and sociologists alike. Curio recently had the pleasure of working with both in an illustration project for Athabasca University. AU, like any other world-class educational… Take a look
Brands in Good Hands
Your brand is more than a logo—it’s your reputation. Before handing it over to a creative agency, learn how to evaluate their portfolio, track record, and trustworthiness to ensure your brand is in good hands.