You’re the Thinker.

Let’s bring your ideas to life.

Hopgood Creative collaborates with leading global researchers creating powerful visuals you didn’t even know you needed. Michelle Hopgood, Founder of Hopgood Creative, is a designer with an academic background. She understands the research process and your work. Michelle collaborates with you making your concepts come alive. Some clients have called this process magical.

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What is information design?

Information design is a process of designing to inform rather than persuade. We deconstruct your complex information then rebuild it into a narrative so that your work is understood with impact.

A colourful interactive global map.
A bar chart with a faded beige background overlaid on top of a photo of children in their school room.
An infographic on transportation depicting people with varying abilities surrounded by explanatory text.

About the Founder

Meet Michelle, a Creative Director and Information Designer specializing in helping researchers, academics, and thinkers effectively communicate their complex ideas through the power of design. Michelle's ultimate goal is to make intricate concepts not only understandable but also visually captivating.

Spanning over 18 years in design and information and knowledge management, Michelle brings a fresh and distinctive perspective to her clients. She has successfully expanded the reach of esteemed institutions such as the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response, the WHO’s Equity and Health Unit and the Martin Prosperity Institute by creating visually engaging design languages for use in their publications, special projects and social media. You may recognize Michelle from her notable features in the RGD In-House Design Awards, presentation and roundtable discussions at DesignThinkers conferences or as a panelist for Ladies, Wine & Design.

Michelle's clients value her analytical skills and no-nonsense approach, appreciating her ability to deliver design that surpasses their initial expectations. Her signature style can be described as "designs you didn't even know you needed," often leaving clients pleasantly surprised with innovative solutions they hadn't considered before.

Driven by an unwavering commitment to making complex ideas beautiful, Michelle's work not only helps clients gain media attention but also enables them to effectively teach courses and reach a broader audience.

As a proud member of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD), Michelle sits on the Board of Directors and is Chair of the Certification Committee. Her practice is deeply rooted in professionalism, ethical design and collaboration that will invigorate your projects.

Photo of Michelle: The Double Jay Collective
Photo of Legend: Corynn Fowler Photography

Michelle, a caucasian woman with short dark hair and glasses leaning forward with her elbows on her knees and hands crossed. She is wearing jeans, an open button down shirt and a purple tank top while sitting on a dark yellow fabric chair.

Meet the collaborators

A smiling woman with shoulder-length gray hair holding a potted green and white striped pothos plant against a solid blue background.

Kelly Kingdon RGD

Expertise: Branding, Strategy, Social Media

Kelly Kingdon is the Founder and Creative Director of The POWER of K Design (TPOK Design), a creative studio based in Erin, Ontario. With 15+ years of experience, Kelly partners with both large corporate organizations and boutique brands to craft thoughtful, strategic design solutions that drive clarity, consistency, and impact.

Detail-obsessed by nature, Kelly specializes in branding and brand strategy - bringing brands to life through logo development, marketing and campaign support, digital presence, signage, and experiential design for company events. 

Kelly  intentionally bridges her precision as a professional designer with her expressive voice as an artist, shaping the POWER of K brand into a space where strategy meets creativity. 

A proud member of the Association of Registered Graphic Designers (RGD), Kelly is deeply committed to professional excellence, ethical practice, and collaborative partnerships that elevate every project.

Allison Carter

Expertise: Brand Management, Multilingual Design, Presentation Graphics

Allison’s 15+ years of professional design experience has covered a range of industries including natural resources, fashion, finance, and government. Her technical skills span design for web and social media, presentations, and complex print production. Living and working in Toronto, Nunavut, and Northern Ontario has led to proficiency in multilingual design. This broad range of skills is an asset in planning cohesive campaigns that deliver on all fronts.

A woman with brown hair, glasses, and gold earrings smiling in front of a dark blue background.

Janet McLeod Wortel

Expertise: Design, Production, Illustration

Janet's versatile skills and 20+ years of experience bring extra capacity to the Hopgood team.  

Janet’s vector-based illustrations last served Hopgood Creative to convey the wide-ranging action steps of the WHO report World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity. Her work has also been used extensively in Canadian news media, as well as in scholastic and advertising projects.

As a production designer, Janet's work enables Hopgood Creative to deliver more materials in short time frames. These materials may include background papers, evidence reviews, and brochures. 

A woman sitting on rocks in a mountainous landscape with snow patches, rocky terrain, and a mountain trail in the background.

Amy Ryu

Expertise: UX/UI, Illustration, Branding

Amy Ryu is a designer and illustrator specializing in UX/UI design, illustration, and informative graphic design for websites and branding. Amy focuses on transforming ideas into clear, engaging visual experiences that balance creativity with purpose. Her ultimate joy comes from seeing her creativity shine through a thoughtful design process that perfectly meets her clients’ needs.

Remembering a member of the team

A yellow Labrador Retriever dog holding a red frisbee in its mouth while a man and woman sit on the floor behind it in a living room.

Legend, Michelle’s Service Dog during his retirement. While he left this world in 2022 at the age of 14.5, he lives on in our hearts and continues to be a source of strength and inspiration. He will forever be Legend-ary!

The Fine Print

  • Me, myself and I: Suceeding as a solo practitioner, Roundtable moderator, DesignThinkers TO (2024, 2025)

    Accessibility in Design, Roundtable moderator, DesignThinkers TO 2023 (November 3, 2023)

    Information graphics in the pandemic: Are we getting a clear picture?, Panelist, Design Industry Advisory Council and RGD (2021)

    Visual Storytelling with Data and Infographics, Guest Lecturer, Business & the City, Rotman School MBA Course (August 13, 2020)

    So You Wanna Design A Better World, Virtual Panelist, Creative Directions Conference (April 27, 2020)

    Lessons Learned from an (un)traditional) think tank, Speaker, DesignThinkers Conference TO 2019 (October 24, 2019)

    Accessibility & Design, Panelist, Ladies, Wine and Design Toronto (December 13, 2018)

    What Makes a Successful In-House Designer?, Webinar Moderator. RGD Webinar Series (April 30, 2018)

  • RGD Accreditation, Certified Senior Designer (2016)

    Masters in Information, Knowledge and Information Management University of Toronto (2015)

    Bachelors of Design, OCAD University (2009)

    Diploma in Graphic Design, Sault College (2004)

  • Gold Winner, Print Category, International Safety Media Awards (2024), Safe Mobility infographic series, Parachute, Inc.

    Distinction, RGD In-House Design Awards (2016), MPI Persona Project, Martin Prosperity Institute

    Premier’s Awards, Nominee in Creative Arts & Design (2019)

  • Board of Director, Association of Registered Graphic Designers (January 2024–Present)

    Chair, Certification Committee, RGD (January 2024–Present)

    Member, Certification Committee, RGD (November 2020–December 2023)

    Judge, RGD Student Design Awards (2016, 2018, 2021)

    Judge, RGD In-House Design Awards (2017)