Overdrive Design: A Canadian Branding, Communications
and Web Design Studio
Since 1986, we’ve been helping organizations from Toronto to Vancouver, Ontario to Newfoundland, and around the world, build stronger brands, digital experiences, and public engagement programs.
Using strategic rigour, human craft, technical depth, and relentless curiosity we help clarify what our clients stand for and show them how to express it visually and through messaging.
Our methods are proven but never off-the-shelf. We tailor them to the challenge, leveraging critical thinking, strategy, communications, visual design, illustration, animation and custom web design. If you want a team that's adaptable, results-driven, and says what it means, let's talk.
Meet OverdriveGreat Ideas Have Humble Beginnings
Where Ideas Burn Rubber
Every strong brand starts with an idea ready to go somewhere. Our job is to turn that idea into an identity that reflects who you are - in look, voice, and spirit. By understanding your goals and the people you want to reach, we create brands that tell your story in a way only you could tell it. We help you find or refine your voice.
We don’t chase trends. We uncover what’s true about your brand and make it resonate. Working alongside you, we bring that essence to life in ways that are meaningful to the people who matter most - your audience. Trends change. When your brand truly reflects your organization, its core is timeless.
We know the Territory
If you don’t understand a client’s world and are only executing creative based on generic principles, the result is usually pretty “mid”. Over the years, we’ve built deep experience in sectors where audiences are varied, information is layered and trust matters. That means we need less time learning the basics and more time getting to your solution. The industries we are experienced in may sound disparate, but they overlap more than you might think.
Different Sectors, Similar Human Challenges
Insurance and healthcare both rely on clarity and trust. Education and museums both turn complex information into engaging experiences. Clubs and recreation depend on belonging, participation and community.
Insurance & Regulated Services
Healthcare & Medical Technology
Education & Training
Museums, Heritage & Civic Storytelling
Private Clubs & Recreation
CAA South Central Ontario
For CAA South Central Ontario—Canada’s largest automobile and travel membership organization with more than a century of keeping Canadians safe—we breathed new life into a trusted visual identity. Our refresh modernizes the brand language while honouring a heritage built on safety and service.
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Hamilton 175
For Hamilton Civic Museums, we designed “Hamilton 175”, a digital museum celebrating the city’s 175th anniversary that combines virtual exhibitions, interactive timelines and community‑driven projects. The site explores Hamilton’s past, present and future—bringing to light diverse narratives from Indigenous histories to 2SLGBTQ+ stories.
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Design Thinkers
We were honoured to serve as Design Partner for DesignThinkers—Canada’s largest annual design conference—and created a visual identity that unifies a diverse roster of speakers and attendees. The system celebrates their varied skills and backgrounds. We won a number of awards for this work, including a Gold at the Summit International Awards—selected from among 5,000 entries representing 21 countries —and a Design Award from Applied Arts magazine.
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