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From 1999 to 2016, ArDes made you look naturally beautiful

This is Ardes, was a purveyor of quality design services from 1999 until 2016, when the company’s founder, Ray Drainville decided to pursue a PhD full-time. He got it in 2019 at the Manchester School of Art (Manchester Metropolitan University) studying the iconography (or as he’d like to call it, iconology) of imagery shared on social media. Those interested in the subject might be interested in viewing some of his research.

ArDes provided web development & graphic design services to higher education, manufacturing & consultancies in Sheffield and South Yorkshire. Our work covered bespoke web apps that powered companies, branding & logo design, brochures, book covers, posters, and a lot more. We were early pioneers in photography-based virtual reality.

Implicit Bias Project

Creating Confrontation: Our graphical & technical approach powers arresting academic sites

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Lecturing: After closing ArDes, Ray has been teaching digital media at the University of Waterloo’s Stratford School of Interaction Design and Business.

PhD: Ray got his PhD in the intersection of iconography, social media research & digital culture. Read more about Ray’s research.

Corporate Identity: Implicit Bias Project, Women in Philosophy Task Force, Atlas Retail Consultants; Distinctive Doors corporate & “Samson” product line logos; and much more.

Print Work: book cover designs for Oxford University Press & posters for the University of Sheffield.