In a nutshell
Wallop is a digital creative agency. We produce compelling strategy, video, and design for the web.
Goal Driven
Our customers don’t come to us for a shiny website or social media strategy; they come to us because they need to solve a business problem. So long before we think about our creative strategy or approach, we put an emphasis on articulating the goals and figuring out the best way to accomplish them in the most cost effective way possible. Therefore we’re solution agnostic – we’re not married to one digital channel, technology, or medium.
Process
Our goal is not to deliver a product that is simply “more creative”. We’ve developed a tried and tested method of problem-solving for our customers and we put it to use in every engagement. We apply our expertise, a rigid process, and what we consider to be the principles of a successful outcome to every project. This reduces risk for our clients and diminishes uncertainty from the outcome.
No hand-offs
This is a small company with a flat profile. That means a senior member of the management team stays with the project from initiation, through to its deployment. Clients have direct access to the people doing the work. Employees are encouraged to solve problems without needless interference from above, which removes bottlenecks, improves efficiency, and reduces frustration.
Partners
Brudder
Our video and photography partner that we often collaborate with. A full service production company that always delivers.
Shopify
In our view heads and shoulders above the competition, the third party ecommerce platform that powers our online stores.
6S Marketing
A strategic partner for all things SEO and SEM. A great crew that we’ve been working with since our humble beginnings.
Who does the doing
Stephen Saugestad Principal / Creative Director
Stephen is the Principal and Creative Director with over a decade of experience in technology. He has a diverse background that spans IT, search engine marketing, front-end development, project management, creative direction, and interactive design. The broad exposure to these disciplines allows him to solve problems holistically.
Stephen manages the studio’s day-to-day operations and takes a lead role in charting the strategic direction of our design, development, and digital marketing efforts. Over the years he’s worked with organizations big and small, many of them luxury brands in hospitality and travel.
He’s also a photographer and digital editor that regularly contributes to our engagements.
Geoff Agnew Art Director
Much of our work has Geoff’s fingerprints on it. Ideation, UX, visual design, development and deployment – Geoff is a contributor for the entire life cycle of a project. Before joining Wallop he worked with such notable brands as Pearson Canada, Penguin Group and The University of British Columbia. With his formative years spent in traditional print media, Geoff deftly employs a mix of established design principles with emerging digital practices. What excites him most about the digital landscape is the shift in individual behaviour from consumption to creation and participation.
Outside of Wallop Geoff enjoys dabbling in illustration, video and dietary record keeping.
Mike Douglas Design / Creative
Mike has 14 years of experience in a variety of roles, mainly in the entertainment and creative sectors. He specializes in motion graphics and video projects, and has extensive experience working with both 2D (Flash) and 3D animation. He is an award-winning art director and graphic designer who has lead teams to produce projects for a variety of clients including MTV, Fox Television Studios, Cookie Jar Entertainment, Turbine Entertainment, Escape Factory, Hothead Games, Sony Pictures Television, Mattel, Hasbro, Mainframe, and NBC. In his spare time Mike enjoys photography, tennis, skiing, and hanging out with his wife and two daughters.
Ryan Clarke Director of Business Development
Ryan heads up our sales & marketing effort and works in the planning phase to distill the strategic direction of new projects. He has completed an MBA, which, besides impressing his mother, comes in handy when determining and measuring our clients’ business objectives online. Before joining Wallop, Ryan worked in management consulting and commercial finance (yes, he likes this better).
Off duty, he’s usually taking pictures, playing golf, or getting lost in the mountains. Ryan grew up in Parry Sound, Ontario, but he likes Vancouver just fine.
Kevin Harley Senior Developer
Kevin holds a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and is a graduate of the Interactive Design Program from Capilano University, and since then has been delving deeper and deeper into the world of web development. Kevin has worked on projects for Metropolis at Metrotown, Kiwi Collection, VISA, and Macy’s, to name a few. He is constantly expanding the list of code languages that lives in his bag of tricks and contemplating digital brand strategy and user centered experiences.
If not working on the latest coding problem, Kevin is usually surfing, or dreaming about the next time he can get to the waves.
Janice Yao Designer / Front-End Developer
Janice graduated from Simon Fraser University with a BA in Linguistics. Having always known her passion is in design, her time is devoted to digesting tutorials and looking at pretty things online. She completed the multimedia program at University of British Columbia and began her career as an intern at Work at Play. Since then she’s worked at Ipsos and UBC Continuing Studies before becoming a Walloper.
When not in the office, you can find Janice grooving at concerts, prancing in the woods or going around town in search of the best benny.
Stefan Girard Designer / Front-End Developer
Even from a young age, Stefan has always dabbled in design for the web. At age eleven, he received a copy of Microsoft Frontpage ’99 and has been immersing himself in web technology ever since. He is a graduate of the Interactive Design Program at Capilano University, and has worked in the Real Estate Industry as a web developer. Stefan is fond of the latest web standards, and enthusiastic about our ascension into mobile web territory.
Usually you can find him pondering our Universe and test driving new web startup technologies.
Paula Fowler Finance / AR
A long time member of the Wallop family who’s been with us since our humble beginnings. Paula is a former financial advisor and has been serving as Treasurer for non-profit organizations for over 25 years. She has an exceptional ability to solve problems and provide clear and efficient solutions.
Armed with a keen acumen for accounting and business management, Paula is a CPB who keeps our books tidy and tax authorities at bay. She also helps us navigate the treacherous seas of HR, accounting, and all things pecuniary.