By Natasha Avelar Dias

For Kim Larson, it wasn’t about graphic design, it was about the look and feel of the magazines she loved. By 14 she was soaking up every magazine she could get her hands on, punctuated by a monthly bike ride into town to scoop up the latest edition of the hottest publication of the bunch, Rolling Stone.

Flipping through the features, profiles, photo spreads and cover stories, Larson learned early what worked, what didn’t, and what made the best designs so engaging.

“It really was about type and photos. Especially photos. They told a story. I wasn’t quite sure why I was so attracted to that,” she says. “I think I fell in love with magazines before design.”

Fresh out of university, where she graduated in graphic design, Larson started working at The Bullet, a local alt-weekly publication in Edmonton. Earning a pittance (and mostly paid in concert tickets), the newly minted designer had no choice but to put in the hours and make it work.

“I was really young. I had no business taking that job. But I did it. I learned everything on the go,” Larson said of those early, sink-or-swim years where she honed her emerging design talents. “Some of my covers were awful when I first started. At the very beginning, I couldn’t really see why out of 20 photos you’d pick that one photo, but I slowly started catching on to that.”

Beyond her singular artistic point of view and sophisticated eye for design, Larson has a knack for handling multiple projects simultaneously while delivering world-class results.

“Every issue is different and every day is different. I never know what is going to happen. The only thing that is always the same will be the print deadline and the copy deadline. Everything else moves around,” Larson says.

For Larson, collaboration plays a big role in the creation of great visuals.

“I start with an idea, and it’s kind of a collective thing. We go back and forth, and I really listen to what they say,” she says, adding that each member of the team brings a unique perspective and vision to the creative challenges they’re striving to solve together. The results are more than the sum of their parts.

For Trudy Callaghan, owner of ODVOD Media, there’s no one quite like Kim Larson. The art director is a creative force, consistently pushing her work, and those around her, toward excellence. Callaghan points to her editorial instincts and her willingness to support those around her:

“She has a depth of knowledge that allows her to support editors who are newer in their position, making sure that we’re telling the stories in a way that is not only on brand for the magazine, but appropriate for our city.

“She elevates the entire industry in Alberta,” said Callaghan.

Larson is well known for her creativity, leadership and vision, having worked on some of the province’s most iconic magazine titles. But perhaps her most defining recent work was the 2020 rebrand of Edify, which helped establish a new era for the magazine and contributed to the publication earning AMPA’s Magazine of the Year award after publishing just three issues.

For those who have worked alongside Larson, that accomplishment reflects something deeper than a strong visual sensibility.

“I can honestly say that she’s one of the most talented art directors in Canada,” said Joyce Byrne, a former publisher who worked with Larson at Venture and Eighteen Bridges.

For Byrne, Larson’s talent is grounded in an understanding of the relationship between design, editorial and audience.

“It belies a deep intelligence and a real understanding of how the editorial process works, and how art complements that and connects and resonates with readers.”

Even with her storied career, Larson continually strives for more, with an approach rooted in the belief that there’s always room for improvement.

“I wanted a cleaner magazine (rebranding of Edify in 2020). I wanted the simplicity. Now, I’ve gone away from that, and I am working on a new rebrand. So, January-February is when we’re going to launch in 2027, and I want it to be really good. I want to use everything that I’ve learned so far in my life and just make it amazing.”