We are experts at big-picture projects in which a new reality needs to be given shape — conceptually, verbally, and visually.

Strategic design is holistic design — a process that starts with the discovery of insights and follows through into practical design application. In this approach, there is no segmentation of the team, no moment at which the process changes hands, and therefore no knowledge lost.  

The practice is led by Amanda Happé, who has over a decade of experience with remarkable organizations across Culture, Education, Civic, Not-for-Profit, and Corporate sectors. 

Founded in 2016, and based in Toronto’s west-end, this small studio has deep expertise and big ideas.

Amanda Happé is the Founder and Creative Director of Working Session. Previously the Director of Strategic Design at Bruce Mau Design, Amanda leads clients and collaborators through complex projects with empathy and a strategic toolkit.

From visioning to brand identity, messaging, graphic design, content & campaign development, and stakeholder engagement, Amanda’s projects focus on civic and cultural change. 

She holds a firm belief in the power of research to yield fundamentally new ideas, and excels at the development of insights that inspire ingenious design solutions. Amanda is a skilled facilitator, creating engagement experiences that bring about meaningful contribution and ideation. In the make-or-break moment when the strategy must transform into tangible design, Amanda translates vision into visuals.

She balances an affinity for language with a talent for visual design, working fluidly across the various components of the design process. Whether shaping the core of an organization’s brand positioning or making it manifest in application, Amanda stewards her clients through the creative process with clarity.