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Writer's pictureDiana Varma

144: Brand New: Design for Social Good with Loop

Updated: Dec 13, 2023


Welcome to the second episode in our Brand New series all about brand identity design. Today’s episode features the passionate and talented team at Loop who design for social good.


Here you’ll meet designers Josh Layton and Emma Steele, learn what Loop does and how they see themselves as different from traditional agencies, as well as how Loop’s process is one of deep listening and unlearning, stemming from a place of curiosity and connection.

You’ll learn what human-centred design means to Loop and how they approach their work through this critical lens, as well as all of the ways that equity, diversity and inclusion is baked into to Loop’s people and processes and is constantly evolving.

Finally you’ll hear the ways that storytelling is used to build trust through design, helping to weave a common thread for supporters of the cause.


This episode is part of a guest lecture series in Design as Communication, Bachelor of Brand Design Program, George Brown College School of Design.


Let’s listen in…



Loop's Visuals to Accompany the Episode:




About Our Guests:

Josh Layton is a multi-disciplinary social-impact designer based on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm Territory (currently known as Vancouver, Canada). Having worked with some of the leading non-profit organizations at both grassroots and global scales, Josh enjoys exploring the intersections of design and social good. He is particularly passionate about creating brand and web experiences for changemakers addressing issues of 2SLGBTQ+ rights, criminal justice, and food security. Josh co-founded Loop: Design For Social Good in 2012, where he collaborates with an inspiring creative team and clients across the social impact spectrum. Outside of Loop, Josh is also the Creative Director at Living Hyphen Magazine and works on select creative projects and campaigns through his personal practice Studio JLAY.



Emma Steele is a Senior Designer at Loop: Design for Social Good and has been with the company for over four years. She has a special focus on brand and layout design, and a particular passion for projects that tackle gender equity, climate justice and reconciliation. Emma received her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing Painting from OCADU, followed by a Diploma in Graphic Design and Interactive Media at the Toronto Film School. She then spent 5 years as a freelance designer & illustrator for clients like the University of Toronto and Blue Door Communications, and was an in-house designer at a well-established Toronto architecture firm. When Loop came calling, Emma jumped at the chance to create work that was purposeful and meaningful to her - design for social good is what she was meant to do, and she hasn’t looked back!




Music: Somewhere Nice - John Bartmann licensed under a CC0 1.0 Universal License.


Talk Paper Scissors Theme Music: Retro Quirky Upbeat Funk by Lewis Sound Production via Audio Jungle


Boat Origami Photo: Boat Origami Photo by Alex on Unsplash

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