— NOT YOUR TYPICAL DESIGNER
Whale hello there, I'm Iris Deng, a researcher turned designer born in Kingston, Jamaica currently living in Toronto, Canada. I work with clients across the globe crafting creative ideas and bringing them to life, while having as much fun as much possible.
I have a knack for bringing different ideas and disciplines together creatively.
Currently, I work full time as a lead design strategist with an amazing and talented team of architects, urban designers and smart city planners within the Placemaking Studio at Arcadis, a design-driven global consultancy working to better our lives and define the cities of tomorrow. I lead the storytelling studio, Studio P, offering a comprehensive suite of creative services.
Previously, I managed the art direction and creative execution for It's All Just a Bunch of BS, my favourite podcast on how behavioural science is being applied in the wild.
Previously previously, in my spare time, I co-piloted on the creative direction for The Habit Weekly, a newsletter disseminating knowledge on all things behavioural design and building a community for behavioural design practitioners and enthusiasts that make up a growing list of 5000+ weekly subscribers. There's even a column in the newsletter called "Visualizing Behavioural Science" that I curated where I share the comics I've drawn about various topics in behavioural science. I can't think of a better way to celebrate the beauty of human irrationalities, well, besides being one irrational human being myself! :)
I'm always up to something, so I will not bore to you death with my list of commitments no more. I am only committed to one thing: having fun and giving this world something it never asked for but oh so desperately needs – some deng good luvin'.
As an autodidact in all things design, I continue to build my skills and fuel my passion for design by being involved in many exciting projects. Please have fun perusing through some of my proudest ones on this site! Psst, would you believe it if I said I secretly made this whole site for you? (shh...that was rhetorical, but you know it's true *wink wink*).
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The TLDR version: I graduated with high distinction from the University of Toronto, with an honours Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Economics, focusing on Behavioural Economics. But surprise surprise, I also did a 360 degree into design. And I think I'm funny.
— AWARDs + Features
CW: Bragging, lots of it.
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2023 — D&AD New Blood Academy: New York Hub
2023 — D&AD New Blood x Editor X: The Portfolios Winner
2020 — Microsoft - Agorize: Discover AI Challenge Semi-Finalists
2019 — The John H. McDonald Awards for Excellence in Student Journalism- Cover/Layout of the Year Finalist
2019 — The John H. McDonald Awards for Excellence in Student Journalism- Graphic/Illustration of the Year Finalist
2016 — The Nesta Bowen Horne Award for greatest combination of skill, dedication and service in the tradition of the visual arts at SMUS.
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2020 — Featured Artist in Acta Victoriana, Volume 144.2
2020 — Featured Illustrator in Demo Magazine: Past, Present, Future
2020 — Featured Illustrator in The Spine Magazine
2020 — Featured Editorial Covers for The Varsity Newspaper, Volume 140
2019 — Interview with the Center for Community Partnerships Blog
2018 — Featured Illustrator in The Varsity Magazine: Seam
2018 — Featured Illustrator in Demo Magazine: Weaves
2018 — Featured Illustrator in The Varsity Magazine: The Physical Issue
— polariods
Just for fun.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. Well, it's worth more when you're not exactly a writer...Enjoy.
— FAQs
What's your name(s)?
My name is Iris Deng. Just that one. Oh, but I also go by "dengit" on social media for my art. So I guess I have two.
Where are you from?
I was born in Jamaica. I grew up there and got to hang out with Usain Bolt because of that.
Cool, but where are you really from?
Well, I am really from Jamaica. My parents are Chinese. So I'm Jamaican Chinese!
So uhhh, do you have an accent?
Sadly, no. It would be awesome if I did. But hey, I can do a solid Torontonian accent :)
Where did you go to school?
Okay, this might sound hectic, but I went to school on three different continents before turning 16. I am now happily trilingual. And, the chances of me successfully eavesdropping on conversations on the subway has significantly increased. Booyah!
What did you study in university?
I double majored in Psychology and Economics at the University of Toronto. A total overshare: Behavioural Economics turns me on. The human mind is ridiculously sexy. I mean, have you seen brain scans? If not, you're missing out.
Not a question, just a fact.
I graduated top of my class with an Honours Bachelor of Sass. Ahem, I mean Science. But let's face it, I might as well get a degree in sass. *As in sassy and not the computer language if you catch my drift. I am learning CSS though.
Okay, interesting stuff Iris. But I still don't see why you call yourself a designer, where's all that coming from?
Asdf;ksa;llfsdfsadfasdk;lfjasjfdk;lasfjldfjsafjdsl;fjajfdlksaj.
In English please.
Right. My bad.
So the reason I call myself a designer and I work in design now is simple. I realized something important about myself after years of studying things like, psychology, economics, music and foreign languages. I was the person who was always bringing what I've learnt in other disciplines back to my drawing board and trying to create some form of art out of it. And thank gawd, I've become quite good at it.
Granted, this bold hypothesis I'm making about my design skills wasn't rigorously tested in a controlled study, nor has it yielded any significance at a 5% level. But, I do know that having unwittingly exposed myself to various disciplines in addition to practicing design, I have empowered myself with something quite special and unique. This is what I believe makes me a good designer.
What kind of designer are you?
The I-can't-quite-put-my-finger-on-you kind.
So please keep all fingers and appendages to yourself, there's a f*cking pandemic going on, c'mon.
In all seriousness, I think of myself as a multidisciplinary designer. A generalist if you will. I do work in illustrations, graphic design, logo, poster, animation, GIFs, website, some photography and occasionally video. I also enjoy strategy, getting into the nitty gritty of research and engaging in co-creating brainstorm sessions. I find it much more interesting and fulfilling to be part of the entire process. From setting up the creative direction to start and seeing through to the very end with the execution. In truth, it is in my nature to be a polymath, lots of things excite me and I just want to fully explore them before I double down on a speciality. I am currently enjoying the magical effects of serendipity by connecting the dots from many different sectors. It allows me to get inspiration from the most unexpected of places. Uncertainty is exhilarating for me.
What are your goals as a designer? And..why design?
Awful question. Next time ask me something I don't actually know. But here is my answer anyway:
There are times I ask myself what the heck does this thing I love doing help bring any value to the world? Luckily, I actually know the answer to this question because I am surrounded by amazing people who have ambitious goals and plans for socially positive and impactful projects. Even better, they want me to help them bring these ideas to life. They inspire me to start projects of my own. Whether it is designing a logo for a biotech conference or coming up with the creative direction for a behavioural science podcast, I want to always be at the frontlines in looking to change people's lives for the better. And the best way I know how is by doing good thoughtful design. Design is literally everywhere, so one good design goes a long way.
As a designer, it's the dream to work on projects that have potential to change the world. As a human being, I can't think of a better way to live this life without regrets. As a citizen of the future, I want to play a big part in shaping what that future would look like. At the end of the day, I just want to make sure that:
