Learn how York grad Deborah Lau-Yu is using design to bring stories to life

I realize now that my interest in design began when I was the age of three or four. As a youngster eager to show off my talents, I used to create my own greeting cards (with printer paper and pencil crayons) and hand them out to family members. On the back of each card, mimicking those in the store, I scribbled a hand-drawn bar code with numbers that had a secret message.

What started out as a hobby developed into something more during high school. Together with a friend’s parent (Mrs. Patterson) who was on the parents’ council, I decided to pull together the school yearbook after discovering that the project had been cut due to job action. For hundreds of hours, we poured our effort and creativity into making something that would help my classmates and myself to cherish the memories of our time at school. We assembled a team, learning on the job as we designed and raised funds, ultimately achieving something we were proud to present.  This project was my first glimpse at how design could be used to unite people, solve problems, and transcend its intended function.

By the time I started my undergraduate studies in Urban Design at the University of Waterloo, I was starting to see the high impact of design at large and across disciplines – it was something that didn’t just exist on a piece of paper. Design has impact in time, space and throughout the community. In our teams, it quickly became clear that my strength was in presenting ideas visually in model building and presentation design. This greater framework and visual understanding spurred on my interest in graphic design and I began to see it as something that many others did not – I saw it as something with the power to convey stories. With my newfound appreciation for the impact of design, I set my sights on York University.

Describe your experience at York’s masters of graphic design program? What were your greatest takeaways from your time there?

My experience at York was an incredible learning experience, with thanks to the work of my dedicated professors, who brought a wide range of international experiences and approaches to design. As only the second cohort of students, and quite a small group of students at that, we were able to get the personalized attention that so many aspiring professionals look for. Our professors at York cultivated our creativity and independence, encouraged us to think outside of the box and to develop individual passions in uniquely personal ways. This is the kind of pedagogy that I appreciated – these professors were passionate about the theory they were teaching and, instead of churning out students who were mere copies of them, they taught us how to think and chart our own course in design. “Develop a way of working,” one of my professors would often remind us.

At York, I was able to gain valuable experience that would shape my mission as a graphic designer. During my studies, I submitted two book designs to Applied Arts Magazine Awards, and both were winning selections. One book revolved around my grandmother, by documenting a day in the life of her nursing home. Specifically, the book told the story of a single game of Mahjong and the vivacious conversations between four seniors and their spectators. Through this design piece, I showcased what would have been just an ordinary day and translated it into something tangible and deeply personal. I was beginning to frame my personal approach to graphic design as a means of reflecting life and time, and far beyond just the aesthetic layer. Elements of history, society and culture were areas of interest as I began to become a seasoned designer. Just as with any reporter or journalist, I was telling stories, but instead of using words, I was telling the story through design.

Tell us about PALETTERA – what was your vision for this company? What drove you to want to start your own business? What were the challenges you had to overcome? What was the thinking behind the name?

As far back as I can remember, I cherished large events and milestones — graduations, anniversaries, weddings and gatherings. When it came to designing for such events, I noticed that the status quo was growing stale – clients were being offered cookie-cutter products that didn’t reflect the kind of originality or personalization that I knew was possible with design. During my time as a York student, I had done some freelance work on custom-made invitations and design pieces and, because of my focus on highlighting the client’s own story through the various design elements, the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. From there, I finally recognized a gap in the market that my unique approach could fill.

I knew starting my own business would be a challenge, but I was up for it. Little did I know however that this new undertaking would come at a most difficult time in my life. When my mother passed away, it was understandably a massive blow to both my life and career. But when I thought back on some of the things my mother had taught me over the years, I knew that I had to continue on pursuing my dreams. My mother once said to me that competition is needed to make us better, and to keep us sharp. Her words make me a very strong competitor and collaborator. She always said to embrace life, do what you need to do and not waste a minute. Considering that my vision for this business is to design and tell meaningful stories for life’s milestones, I knew that I’d be doing her proud by capturing her high-energy spirit. Life happens – often times not in the way you envision it, but it’s in those obstacles that we’re challenged to think beyond our comfort zones.

In many ways, PALETTERA was a union of my personal life and my career, and I wanted a name that reflected that. The name PALETTERA comprises a number of definitions, but can be broken down into three keys words that I feel reflect my personal story and approach to design: palette, letter and era. I used “palette” to reflect not only the implicit meaning, as in colour, but also the diversity of society, culture and choice that I hoped to weave through all of our projects. It is also the homonym for “palate,” which represents the cultivation of taste and sophistication. And again, while “letter” refers to typography and the means by which we communicate, but it also reflects correspondence and the rich artistic history of letter writing, something my mother taught me how to do. It’s a means of building relationships with the people around us; something that I believe is also possible through our storytelling aspect of design. Letter is also one half of “letterpress” which is the type of printing that we do the most often at PALETTERA, on a vintage press. Printing is one of the fundamental elements of history that allowed mankind to document and share knowledge. And finally, “era” denotes a generational mindset. We embrace a respect for history, innovation, and a desire to be meaningful and timeless, not trendy.

Since we hit the ground running with PALETTERA, I’ve realized how valuable it is to be entrepreneurial and to define your own journey. I enjoy the empowerment and freedom that comes with measuring my time by impact instead of an hourly rate or salary. I am also in a position to challenge the status quo and make something worthwhile that I may otherwise not have the chance to do. There were and still are many long, hard days involved, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. I’m creating my own dreams and our team has established a legacy with PALETTERA that can live on beyond any one of us. Anything less wouldn’t be half as full.

Is there a passion project you are currently working on?

Because of my passion for culture and the intersection of identity and design, there are many cross-cultural opportunities to contribute to the greater good. Despite the incredible cultural diversity in a city like Toronto, and across our nation, I find that a lot of events and weddings are lacking soul and substance. Many expectations of what an event or wedding should be are commercially focused or constructed, and I would like to start shifting the light onto the substance and the meat of the story. There is profound beauty in each individual’s cultural identity and the story of who we are, and this richness needs to take centre stage through design. In my own community of Chinese-Canadian culture, many individuals experience a pressure of dual identity – one that draws towards an ethnic cultural heritage while another that fits into what is perceived to be expected of us as Canadians (which is an ongoing political and social process) – and unfortunately, despite the rich culture contained within the former, most of it becomes washed out or put aside. We’re too busy, we sometimes tell ourselves.

This year, we decided to create a platform to conceive something compelling that might help others to make a connection. On Nov. 14, our team at PALETTERA in partnership with the Shangri-La Hotel Toronto, and a committee of brilliant individuals, will host a wedding & events showcase unlike any this city has seen before. The Fête Chinoise exhibition engages both the audience and producer in redefining the way we approach tradition in weddings and social gatherings. Invited artists and designers will imagine, without bounds, what century-old traditions might look like today in a fashion-forward and sophisticated society. This event will bring the substance to the forefront by slowing down the pace and having people disconnect from outside distractions in order to truly appreciate what they’re seeing, tasting, and hearing.

With traditional Chinese weddings not being as carefully constructed or curated, especially when compared to its Western counterparts, cultural traditions such as the sacred tea ceremonies are becoming less and less authentic. For instance, couples are currently turning to convenient choices of disposable paper cups or mass produced plastic vessels, which lack the reverence and beauty of traditional china that could be passed on as an heirloom to the next generation. Through Fête Chinoise, we hope to instill the history and meaning behind Chinese traditions, to help a new generation of Canadians discover where rituals came from, and how to make them beautiful and relevant. By elevating the profile of these elements for new audiences, we place a thousand year old tradition into contemporary context, and create new opportunities for aspiring and professional teams around the city to expand and grow. Imagine how many beautiful products our young industrial design grads or floral designers could create for a generation that cares and values meaning. This generational shift in mindset will take time, but I am up for the challenge and want to contribute to a glorious future.

How have you stayed connected to York as a grad? Why do you feel this involvement is important?

My experience at York was definitive to my professional journey, so I believe it’s incredibly important to give back. Outside of my participation in some of York’s School of Arts, Media, Performance and Design (AMPD) student extracurricular events such as Frosh Connection, the main way I keep connected to York is through PALETTERA’s internship program.

PALETTERA takes on about two to three design interns from York at a time and puts them through a rigorous learning experience. As a student, I remember looking for opportunities to gain insight and practical skills that would inform my studies, and prepare me for the real world – and that’s what we try to do for York interns. We train and involve them on actual projects with real clients and help them to understand the expectations that they’ll need to meet once they graduate and begin their own work in the field. When building momentum for your career, nothing is more valuable than real-world experience, which offers lessons in accountability and execution. This is why I believe exposing York students to projects that will help them to define their own voice as designers is the greatest contribution I can make as a grad.

I’ve been privileged to be involved at this capacity of mentorship, but I’m always looking for more opportunities to stay connected to my alma mater and, specifically, to make an impact in the experiences of young designers. Education gives us possibility, and the spirit of always learning is something I passionately share with current and prospective students so they may better understand what is possible. Time is what my husband and I value most; it is the greatest currency. Therefore, when I invest my time and industry expertise to teach or to have in-depth conversations with my staff and interns, I take it very seriously and make sure they get the most out of it.

What is some advice you would give to current and future York students that you wish you had known during your time as a student?

I’m still learning on my journey too. My main advice to current students is to not rush, listen and always consider your framework. No matter what stage of life or career you may find yourself in, we all can and should always be willing to learn and to discover new ways of thinking that can help open our minds, make us better at what we do. When you rush, you limit yourself – take your time and you’ll come up with better ideas. That said, it’s important to understand efficiency of time too. Consider how important it is to define your values and what you want to contribute in life. Be yourself, but be yourself on purpose!

I also want to stress the importance of being collaborative. There’s no doubt that in school, in your career and even throughout your life, you’ll face an inordinate level of competition at every turn. We need to sharpen each other. When we collaborate, we not only benefit from new perspectives and fresh ideas, but our industry as a whole is improved through a commitment to innovation.

Where do you see yourself 5, 10, 20, 30 years down the road?

In general, I hope that my contributions to our practice and my influence on culture will only continue to grow as the years go by. Our team at PALETTERA will continue earning our stripes, as we actively involve ourselves in the industry and aim higher each day. We are honoured to work with big-name clients like the David Foster Miracle Gala, Mon Sheong Foundation, and the Canadian Arts & Fashion Awards, and hope to continue to be a part of the greater conversation — of the bests in the world and also to tease out the extraordinary in the ordinary.

I will inspire a wider audience to understand our vision and passion for storytelling through design. PALETTERA is my dream job and we want to create a dream job for every member of our team, so that we can perpetually provide the kind of top-line customer service and results that our clients now happily receive. With our resources and experience, I want to create new opportunities that are sustainable — I have countless ideas that I know would make our city and country a better place. I often think of the saying about the old men who plant trees so that the next generation can benefit from its shade. I would like to pay it forward for the next generation like my mother and grandmother did, by uniting more people together to pursue projects for greater good. That’s what I aspire for the next chapter of my story.