Jillian Fernandes
My journey into the creative realm began at a very young age. Art became an outlet for expression, I explored artistic mediums such as painting and pottery. I was introduced to photography by my dad, he taught me how to use a DSLR camera at age thirteen. My interest in photography grew in high school when I volunteered as a student photographer for the school newspaper and yearbook.
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Tell us a little about yourself.
My journey into the creative realm began at a very young age. Art became an outlet for expression, I explored artistic mediums such as painting and pottery. I was introduced to photography by my dad, he taught me how to use a DSLR camera at age thirteen. My interest in photography grew in high school when I volunteered as a student photographer for the school newspaper and yearbook.
I decided to expand my knowledge through formal education at The University of Guelph Humber where I earned a Bachelor's in Media Studies and Digital Communication. Building upon this, I honed my strengths in digital communication by completing the User Experience (UX) Design and Development Skills Certificate from the School of Continuing Studies at OCAD U. This dedication to my craft led to opportunities to work as a creative professional and launch my own business, JF Images Multimedia, a production company based in Toronto. Over the years, I expanded an extensive roster of clients including the City of Brampton, Forty Creek Whiskey, Mc Cafe, University of Guelph Humber, and international clients such as Simba Sports Club in Tanzania and Maotai.
As a photographer, the ability to capture moments that resonate deeply is an innate skill I have developed. I use my lens to focus on brand development and community engagement. Through visual storytelling, I shine a light on leaders who influence culture and foster empowerment amongst women and youth. In my art director role, I am attentive to detail and draw connections using colour, symbolism and imagery to create consistency through meaningful visual messages.
In the realm of user experience, I thrive on creating intuitive digital experiences that seamlessly blend functionality and aesthetics. I apply my expertise in prototyping, customer journey mapping, and user testing to ensure my digital product designs meet and exceed user expectations.
Beyond technical skills, I aim to provide exceptional customer service while being involved in my community. As a woman of colour, I understand the impact of representation in inspiring young creatives. I utilize my skills and abilities to foster positive relationships with community organizations such as Regeneration Brampton, Laadliyan, HerSpace, and Textured Hair EDU.
I am the co-founder of Browntown Girls, a grassroots artist collective that showcases female artists of colour through online and in-person community engagement. My journey has made me resourceful and passionate about building loyal relations to expand my clientele and grow my team. I believe that it is crucial to go above and beyond for my clients and ensure that every interaction is handled with care and professionalism.
I continue to seek opportunities to make a meaningful impact through my work and aim to inspire young women and men of colour to push boundaries in the media industry.
Why did you pursue Continuing Studies at OCAD U in general, and the User Experience (UX) Design and Development Skills Certificate in particular?
I decided to pursue the User Experience (UX) Design and Development Skills Certificate because I knew I needed to expand my skill set.
At the peak of the pandemic, photoshoots and video shoots were paused or extremely restricted. This new reality hit during my first year as a full-time freelancer. My business went through the stress test of being recession-proof. I pushed myself to create at a time when “content creation” was on the rise and I could see the world was turning to remote and digital platforms and technology as a necessity to stay connected and up to date.
I have always been intrigued by using creativity and digital media to evoke change and communicate messages visually. I was thrilled to learn that user experience is a field where communication and creativity blend to create influential messaging. I enrolled in the User Experience (UX) Design and Development Skills Certificate to learn to create digital platforms and tools that help people when gathering in person was not an option. The School of Continuing Studies offered virtual asynchronous learning that I could take at my own pace, this worked perfectly with my schedule. I was also pleased to earn micro-credentials for specific courses offering a wide range of knowledge such as the Empathy + Social Insight for Human-Centred Design and the Ideation + Prototyping for Human-Centred Design micro-credentials.
What were your favourite courses and why?
My favourite courses were Empathy + Social Insight for Human-Centred Design and Intermediate User Interface (UI) and User Experience (UX) Design.
I enjoyed Empathy + Social Insight because it taught me the importance of understanding the people you are designing for. Through observation, empathy and social research, I learned to prioritize the diversity of users by creating user identities. I did qualitative and quantitative research about the pain points and produced user journey maps unique to each person in physical and digital space. I took particular interest in the experience of the aging population and those with restricted access to technology due to social or economic factors. Although our society focuses on the convenience and accessibility of web-based solutions, this does not translate seamlessly to everyone.
These subjects are also explored in the course Designing Inclusive and Accessible Content, which introduced me to the AODA Act. I learned about the guidelines for websites and digital platforms to make information accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities. I appreciate the perspectives and have transferred these practices to my projects.
Finally, the Intermediate IU/UX course taught me valuable technical skills such as prototyping and creating aesthetically pleasing designs on platforms such as Adobe XD and Miro.
Tell us about your business, JF Images Productions.
JF Images Productions is a multimedia production company I founded in 2016. I began as a freelance photographer and evolved as an artistic director, videographer, brand consultant, and leader of a team of creative professionals in my community. My passion for capturing moments and stories led me to photograph events, portraits, commercials, and marketing materials for brands, businesses, community organizations, and professionals.
I have expanded my skill set creatively and as a businesswoman. I enjoy collaborating with my talented team to produce, direct, capture and edit photos and videos. My creativity expands into JF Floral Decor, a sister company specializing in decor and florals for any occasion. JF Images enables me to take up space from a leadership position while enacting creative expression, community building, and empowering others. I love what I do. JF Images is constantly evolving, my goal is to grow it into an empire and community learning hub.
What advice or tips would you give emerging entrepreneurs?
My advice to emerging entrepreneurs is to educate themselves as much as possible. Favour collaboration over competition and dream BIG. Whether it is learning about taxes, finances, equipment, professional jargon, or formatting and editing techniques, be open to learning! When starting out, you typically have to do everything yourself. The more you learn, the more you empower your confidence and ability to take action. Entrepreneurship can feel ambiguous and overwhelming. Make time to research solutions for yourself. Lots can be found online. Also learn by observing other successful entrepreneurs, and from our own experience to improve.
Secondly, go for collaboration over competition. This entails a big shift in mindset when engaging with peers and people who do what you do. I now view other creators as people I can learn from, be inspired by and work with on my team.
When your clients and projects get bigger and schedules busier, you want to be efficient and need a team. This means relying on people who can do their job well and whom you can trust to help you run a business. Networking in person or on social media helps develop partnerships and collaborations with like-minded individuals and skillful people in your community. By expanding your network, you can build a team of professionals to reach out to. This collaborative trait helps me avoid comparing myself to others and keep a positive relationship with creators and colleagues. I often recall an African proverb a client shared with me, "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.".
Finally, do not lose sight of your dreams and visions. I believe in the importance of dreaming BIG. Knowing there are endless opportunities to explore while focusing on the highest version of myself and my business, motivates me to keep striving and improving, overcoming every challenge. Channelling energy into habits and activities that fuel growth is a long-term process for a creator and entrepreneur. Treat every opportunity as a chance to practice your skills, hone them and aim higher. Setting short achievable goals feeds daily motivation. Believing in your big dreams and visions will give your future self something to look forward to making into reality.
How was the RBC Continuing Studies Creative Professional Skills Fund instrumental in achieving your goal of earning a certificate?
I felt encouraged to pursue continuing education mainly because of the RBC Continuing Studies Creative Professional Skills Fund. I am grateful to have been a recipient, the cost of my studies was partially covered. It was reassuring to learn that creative professional skills are valued.
The financial support was tremendously helpful, it allowed me to pursue further education while focusing on my freelance work during a global pandemic. The RBC Fund made continuing studies accessible to me when I needed it and played a considerable role in strengthening my confidence and sense of security as a student and creative entrepreneur.
What are you working on now, or what future projects or plans are you looking forward to?
Currently, I am working on client branding campaigns and producing photography and videos for community events that will wrap up in the summer. In the background, I am developing my brand, JF Images, while finding ways to implement AI tools and user experience solutions to save time, improve workflow efficiency and generate new opportunities. All the while, I am discovering ways to balance self-care, mental and physical health, relationships, growth, adventure and rest.
