Pivotal Moments
Pivotal Moments
Pivotal Moments began as a conversation between the Ottawa Design Club and the New York Design Club about the kind of stories we look for in our speaker events. We noticed that what drew people in was never the highlight reel or the polished portfolio. It was the pivotal moments, the points of doubt, change, and risk that shaped a creative path. Those parts of the story were often skimmed over because they felt too uncomfortable to revisit.
That realization sparked the idea for Pivotal Moments: a project that would slow those stories down, hold space for transformation, and make those experiences tangible through print and exhibition.
Created in collaboration with the New York Design Club's founder, Caroline Sarrette, the project brought together creatives across borders through stories of change and creative evolution.
Editorial and Concept Development
Rather than opening a public call, we chose to curate the stories. It started with a few friends, asking each of them who else we should talk to. That question led to more than eighty interviews across North America and Europe before selecting the final thirty creatives featured in the zine. Each story revealed something deeply personal about the process of growth, forming a collective snapshot of what it means to evolve as an artist.
Unlike previous Ottawa Design Club zines that were art-led, this one was guided by narrative. The challenge was to design stories, to make text feel alive without overpowering it. We partnered with TYPE01 and Non Foundry to use Non Ophelie, a typeface whose ligatures and rhythm captured the idea of change. Quotes were repeated and flipped throughout the layout to visualize the concept of a pivot. Clear, silver dry inks printed with Xerox Iridesse technology created subtle shifts in light so that, depending on how you turned the page, some words appeared and disappeared.
Every detail reinforced the theme of transformation while staying true to our identity. Returning to the Design Club’s signature black and white palette felt important for this collaboration. It connected the project back to our roots while allowing room for experimentation. Using Xerox Iridesse printing technology, supported through their sponsorship, we introduced white and silver dry inks to give new depth and dimension. The lenticular insert added motion to the title itself, echoing the concept of a pivot and linking the physical experience of the cover to the stories inside.
Spatial Design
The exhibitions served as the activation of Pivotal Moments, bringing the stories from the zine into physical space. Each launch was designed as an immersive experience where the publication could be felt, not just read.
The first exhibition opened at Seven House Gallery in New York, followed by a second presentation at Wallack Galleries in Ottawa. Together, they introduced Pivotal Moments to both communities and marked the full realization of the project.
The goal was to translate a collective narrative into space and create a shared experience that reflected the many turning points gathered in the book. Quotes from the zine were printed on hanging posters suspended from the ceiling, filling both galleries with the words and reflections of the featured creatives. In New York, the installation emphasized height and layering, creating an intimate rhythm as visitors moved through the space. In Ottawa, the poster design expanded in scale. Pieces reached up to 48 by 100 inches, forming an immersive experience for the audience.
Exhibition and Impact
Across both cities, the exhibitions became moments of real connection. Several contributors shared their stories out loud, turning the openings into spontaneous readings that moved between laughter, silence, and tears. Conversations sparked across the space and continued long after the events ended, creating exactly the kind of exchange this project set out to inspire.
Each launch drew more than 175 attendees and received an incredible response from the creative community. Pivotal Moments showed how design can create belonging and emotion through shared experience, both on the page and in the room.
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