Design thinking
made
thoughtfully.
Illustrator, designer, and visual storyteller from Toronto — making work that takes a position.
From symmetry studies to photographic editing — two practices united by the same instinct: control what light does, and let the rest breathe. Every mark placed with deliberate intention.
View work →World-building through narrative and mechanics — Chronicles of Elysium follows a heroine's journey across a shattered world, designed using Aristotle's Poetics and Campbell's Hero's Journey.
View work →Featured Projects
Jack
Mao
I'm a designer and illustrator based in Toronto, working across illustration, editorial design, branding, and advertising. I hold a BA in Creative Industries from Toronto Metropolitan University — a degree that sits at the intersection of business, law, and creative practice.
Right now I'm looking for my first full-time role in a creative studio or in-house team. I'm drawn to work that takes a position — design that has a reason for every decision.
Available for work
Sophie's work sits at the intersection of product design and personality — her portfolio exudes a rare sense of play that makes functional design feel genuinely joyful. Her belief that great design must touch both the heart and the mind is something I carry into my own practice.
Joyce's work has a quiet precision to it — editorial illustration and graphic design that never overexplains itself. Her sense of colour and composition feels unhurried and considered, which is a harder thing to achieve than it looks. A reminder that confidence in design often means leaving more out.
Ella's branding and editorial work is full of tension in the best sense — between warmth and sharpness, organic and geometric, quiet and bold. Her ability to build a cohesive visual system from a single strong idea is something I come back to whenever a project starts to lose its thread.
Isie's work carries a distinctly personal visual voice — illustration and design that feel handmade without being precious. There's a warmth and directness to it that I find genuinely hard to replicate. A reminder that the most memorable work often comes from committing fully to a point of view.
Got a project
in mind?
I'm always open to new opportunities, collaborations, and interesting ideas. Drop me a line and let's create something together.
jack.mao@torontomu.ca