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Ryan Toyota

I've been interested in design as long as I can remember. In high school I took as many design and graphics-related electives I could manage, most notably yearbook and media arts. I also had the opportunity to work at a small print shop as part of a career prep course. A few months before graduation I landed my first job designing classified advertisements for a local newspaper. I stayed at the paper for three years, quickly working myself up to a senior design position.

About that time the print company I had learned at lost their designer and offered me the job. I worked there for a year, handling the entire process from design through to platemaking (which included stripping film). That same year I was married and we soon moved out to the big city of Vancouver, where I found a job at a nation-wide electronics retailer as part of their flyer design team. Four years were spent there as I moved from junior desktop publisher to senior desktop publisher, and then I heard the call to go into full-time ministry with my design.

I now work for a non-profit Christian organization called Hungry For Life International. They facilitate world relief trips for churches and groups. I am a full-time designer and video editor, working from a salary that is being raised through a network of people that support me monthly. Every now and then I get a chance to do some freelancing on the side.