Taking inspiration from day-to-day life in her surroundings, Toronto-based graphic designer Cass Floroff crafts visual identities for passion-driven businesses with a playful touch. Read her exclusive interview below to hear more about her creative secret weapon, how she balances real-life presence with online presence, and why Stills is a go-to resource for her stunning work.
Stills: What is your design process like? How has it changed as you’ve evolved in your career?
Cass Floroff: My design process is always different! It usually depends on the type of project I’m working on. When creating something for fun, there are no rules or order to anything. But I get more structured when it comes to client work. It’s hard to force creativity, but that’s the nice part of visual identity design. The first stage doesn’t require much creativity per se. The strategy phase gets me thinking, which can spark inspiration later. As my career has grown, I’ve increasingly enjoyed the strategy phase. I find that I dedicate more time to research, which has been such a smart move because it often results in a design that comes more naturally. So then, I feel confident enough to head into the design phase with a clear concept. It prevents me from feeling like I’m pulling ideas out of thin air and brings more “ahh, that’s the one!” moments.
What is your ‘secret weapon’ when creating, and how did you develop it?
I do my best work when I set myself up for success. Understanding that surrounding yourself and creating an environment that puts you in a good mood is important. Having a good playlist, a clean space, and a nice outdoor view helps put me in the zone. When I realized this, I’d knocked out most of my task list!
Where do you look for inspiration?
Inspiration finds everyone differently! For me, that usually involves visiting a grocery store for packaging design and walking in the city to observe all the business logos. A lot of the time, it involves doing something unrelated to design, like going on a hike with my dog. But usually, it’s talking with my clients. As a business owner and the brand’s designer, nothing is more inspirational than hearing the back stories, the ups and downs of how other people’s businesses came to be. Knowing they’ve decided to trust me with their business makes them passionate about their craft. I am grateful for it, and with that comes inspiration to create.
How do you get your head back in the game when feeling burnt out?
I’ve been burnt out for the past year. A break from whatever burnt you out in the first place is the most important. And unfortunately, the longer you neglect your personal needs, the longer you’ll need a break. To get back, I switch up the type of art/design I’m doing. I’ve been interested in playing with polymer clay lately. Exploring a physical art form, stepping back from the screen, or touching some grass is refreshing!
What are some hurdles you had to overcome?
Social media has been a double-edged sword. I’m grateful for all the connections I’ve made, but it also brought on a lot of internal struggles. Once you put yourself out there, you can’t help but compare yourself and feel intense pressure to be online all the time. And that time and energy will have to come from somewhere else. It was my mental health. Learning to let go of this expectation that I must always show up online has been one of the most liberating feelings. Don’t get me wrong, there’s admiration for the accountability of being present, but there’s also respect in understanding it’s not the end of the world if I don’t post 3 times this week. It’s actually kind of silly now that I think about how much pressure I would put on myself to do that in the past. I’m happy that I’m reevaluating my priorities and delegating my energy to what serves me at this point in time.
What do you like about Stills? How is it a good resource for designers?
Stills is THE photo resource for creatives. It just brings this certain aesthetic that is hard to capture, and all the photographers on there get it. You’re not going to find boring or robotic shots on Stills. Each image can stand on its own. I mainly turn to it for poster designs, mockups, and brand photography for clients because the images have so much more substance than your average stock photo.
Explore a curated Board of Cass’ favorite imagery—all available to license on Stills.
