Navigating a creative career is messy business

Nicola Hamilton (she/her) is a graphic designer based in Toronto, Canada.

The bulk of Nicola’s work has been focused on editorial design, acting as a graphic designer and art director for a variety of publications. She began her career at the beloved, city-weekly The Grid (2011-2014.) She’s spent time as Chatelaine’s Deputy Art Director (2015-2017) where she helped lead the team through a redesign of both their print and digital properties and establish their video platforms. She was the Art Director at Studio Wyse (2017-2020) where she helped redesign, reposition and produce publications for clients such as The University of Toronto Magazine, Ryerson University Magazine, The Globe and Mail, and Creative Destruction Lab. More recently, she’s been redesigning and producing magazines for clients like Best Health (2020-2024), Precedent (2022-2024) and Serviette (2023-2024).

Nicola’s work has been internationally recognized by the D&AD, the Society of Publication Designers, the Society of News Design, and the Canadian National Magazine Awards, among others. She’s actively involved in the Canadian design industry through her role as President of The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD), a Canadian professional association that advocates for the value of design.

In July 2022, Nicola took her love of magazines to a whole new level by opening Issues Magazine Shop, a bricks-and-mortar magazine retailer with a mandate to celebrate the people and projects keeping print alive.