Past
Most of the time I’m a designer. Other times I’m a karaoke enthusiast, a street photographer, a runner, or an amateur home cook. Well, that’s just me on the surface. My story begins when I was born in the KSA and later on raised in the wooded suburbs of Toronto, Ontario. Tearing through packs of Crayola on the back sides of my parent’s discarded office papers. I had a natural curiosity about the simple things in life. From caterpillars in my backyard to the changing of seasons in spring. It was this sensitivity to the mundane, simple, and ordinary things that helped train my eyes to see.
It sounds more profound than it is. I’m just a relentlessly curious big kid who couldn’t let that sense of wonder go. That wonder led me through everything from painting murals in community skate parks, crafting my high school yearbook, and photography for friends’ weddings, to helping design graphics all across North America. It has been a long journey, testing and seeing what sticks. But I know one thing for certain, the same curiosity playing in my childhood backyard still holds in my practice today.
Present
Today I focus my time and energy as a hired freelancer for social enterprises, cultural institutions, grass-roots organizations, and like-minded studios/collaborators. Historically specializing in the design-build world. I now help design brand identities, printed collateral, digital media, motion graphics, 2D animations, and campaigns. Let me know if you would like to work with me! I promise I don’t bite.
Disciplines
Brand Identity
Digital Design
Motion Graphics
2D Animation
Video Editing
Editorial Design
Production Design
Infographics
Graphic Illustration
Experiential Graphics
Art Direction
Inclusive Design
Sectors
Social Enterprises
Cultural Institutions
Museums
Libraries
Art Galleries
Educational Institutions
Healthcare
Public Realm
Parks & Recreation
Youth Programs
Sports
Social Services
Work Experience
2014–Present
John Abila Design
Independent Graphic Designer
2023–24
hcma Architecture + Design
Graphic Designer
2019–22
Kramer Design Associates
Environmental Graphic Designer
2017–19
Reich&Petch Architects Inc.
Junior Graphic Designer
Pro Bono
2018
RGD Inaugural Designathon
Graphic Design Volunteer
2016–18
DesignTO Festival
Photographer
2014–18
Beyond the Rim
Mentor, Media & Designer Volunteer
Education
2015–16
PgDip. Interdisciplinary Design Strategy
GBC School of Design / IwB
2011–14
AdvDip. Graphic Design
Seneca Polytechnic
Certifications
2022
RGD, The Association of Registered Graphic Designers (Canada)
RGD Member
2018
OCAD Continuing Studies
Digital Media Skills