Jury-GRANDS PRIX DU DESIGN / Published on January 14, 2021
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Tracy Bowie
Consultant to the Design Industry in Canada
Tracy Bowie Projects
Toronto, Canada
PROUST QUESTIONNAIRE – PEOPLE OF DESIGN VERSION!
What prescient youthful memory relates to your present career?
I always loved art especially letters and fonts and used to always be in charge of notice or bulletin boards all the way through school. I always knew I wanted to be part of a creative industry.
What are three basic rules you learned from your mentors?
1. Never give up.
2. Always treat everyone the way you would like to be treated.
3. Have fun!
What project launched your career?
Being awarded the contract to manage the IIDEX show for ARIDO with my best friend and colleague, Lorraine Tierney.
The graphics by Hambly & Wooley are still my favourite and still current today.
Any music playing while you work?
I like it to be quiet around me when I’m working…
Do you work in PJs or three-piece suits?
Somewhere in between as long as it’s comfortable!
What living designer/architect do you most admire?
I just watched the Raymond Moriyama documentary “Magical Imperfection” and I was so inspired by his history and body of work.
Eames Leg Splint Circa 1946, Toronto, Canada, 2013. At the IDC/IIDEX Leadership Breakfast.
What past designer/architect inspires you the most?
Charles & Ray Eames — I had a wonderful opportunity to see many of their archives at Herman Miller years ago and it was amazing. I also proudly own one of their pieces— the leg splint circa 1946 which is one of my most prized possessions.
Charles & Ray Eames – “The Work of Charles and Ray Eames: A Legacy of Invention”
What is your most marked design quality?
Understanding and appreciating materials and their impact on a product or project.
How would you like your designs to go down in history?
I am not a designer —
I am, however, an eternal lover and marketer of design!
What peer quality do you most value?
The ability to take an idea and create something extraordinary.
Which project is the epitome of your work?
IIDEX Canada, Canada’s largest trade show and conference from 1984 to 2016.
How are your country of belonging’s values reflected in your work?
I love the story of the creation of the Canadian flag, one of my favourite objects and have flags in different materials and sizes all over my backyard.
What always inspires you?
Attention to detail.
If a spell were to transform you into an object, by all means, what would you like to be, and why?
My favourite type of dog—a Boston Terrier!
What is your favorite place in the world?
Algonquin Park
comdias, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
