With its first anniversary coming in less than two months, Toronto’s Crush has already carved out a little spot for itself in the commercial and broadcast design markets. This is no surprise to managing director Jo-ann Cook, who says she has been confident about the small graphic design shop since it opened its doors in the spring of 1999.

At the same time, Cook says Crush’s success in the broadcast design field is quite astonishing, particularly since the shop is so new and very little p.r. has been put into attracting clients. However, Crush has been steadily busy, with Crush’s broadcast designers serving clients such as tsn, cbc (Crush recently did the opening for Drop the Beat), and many of the chum specialties, including MuchMusic, Space: The Imagination Station and Bravo!. Still, Cook contends the bulk of the work comes in from the commercial biz, while Crush gains growing attention for its broadcast design abilities.

Crush was founded by its co-owner and Henry artist Gary Thomas. Cook says Thomas learned his graphic design craft after spending 10 years in Hong Kong and Australia, working in shops similar to the one he has founded. When he returned to Canada he was quickly made aware there was not a shop like Crush anywhere in the country.

‘Gary Thomas set up this studio because he didn’t see anyone set up to do what we do,’ says Cook. ‘(Crush’s) total mandate is strictly graphic design and post-production as a unit and using the Henry suites.

‘We like to say, ‘Bring the idea in before it is etched in stone’ because we can bring a lot to it as well,’ says Cook. ‘It’s not like you have to have it all mapped out. We can help in the creative process.’

Crush began its broadcast design work with a job for the Canadian Family Channel, after the company was contacted by the graphic designers at Pittard Sullivan to complete a job it had started. The American company had shot live-action elements for a Family Channel station id and called Crush to finish off the graphic design component.

‘This was a real coup because Pittard Sullivan isn’t going to choose just anybody for a job because they are graphic designers themselves,’ she says. ‘This was a really good thing for us and a real compliment that we were chosen to execute their work.’

Cook says Crush is content to focus on bringing innovation to graphic design work. The shop is reluctant to get into live-action projects, because the people at Crush are so graphic-design focused – although, she adds, they are capable of switching it up now and then if it is required by the client.

‘We are not trying to become a live production studio, but we do have the talent here to art direct and actually direct all of the elements,’ says Cook.

A campaign for Star! currently in the works at Crush combines live-action elements with graphic design and is being handled by Kathi Prosser and Dale Smith (who, incidentally, field the bulk of the Crush broadcast design work).

For year two, Cook hopes word about Crush will continue to spread in both commercial and broadcast design arenas. She says the designers have also been hoping to try their hands at more title work for film and television. Crush will turn one year old on May 17.