What do a shiny pair of black army boots, a two-wheeled scooter and a computer search and destroy game share in common?

They each play a role in the creative process that Jim Hudson embraces in his eclectic sixth floor design studio on Moncton’s bustling Main Street.

"It’s all part of the fun," smiles the talented graphic designer who is President and Art Director of Hudson Design Group.

Jim, whose smooth, calm and professional demeanor shades a boyish joie-de-vivre, says that the joy of the work takes precedence over the desire to make money.

"I have never been in it for the money. Everyone here loves what they do. Of course, we all need to earn a living, but we would do what we do for nothing if we could afford to," says Jim, adding with a grin, "Well, perhaps I should only speak for myself…"

Whether he speaks for himself or not, there is not an eye in the colorful studio that does not bespeak a glint of fun and spirit tucked beneath a very proficient exterior.

In fact, it's commonplace for the staff to witness the boss wheeling through the office on his scooter, just for the sheer enjoyment of it. And sometimes after hours on Friday nights, co-workers might join together for a rambunctious, interactive, knock ’em out game on the office computers….just to wind down.

This unusual office environment reaps great rewards in the creativity, camaraderie, and teamwork of the staff, of which Jim is very proud.

"We have really good people here, probably the best in the business." Four of the design staff have degrees from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, three are members of the Graphic Design Society of Canada.

The entire open concept studio is geared for comfort and inspiration, painted with bright colors and tempered with background music. A large library with a view of the Petitcodiac is a place for staff to collect their thoughts, seek artistic inspiration, or meet with clients.

Jim’s office gives the real clues to his personality, with a small basketball hoop stuck to a window, a stuffed gorilla perched on the computer and a parrot mobile fluttering from the ceiling. "I just really like birds," he explains gesturing to the wooden parrot. "We used to have a real lovebird here in the office."

But the environment isn’t always relaxed and easy. Everything has its peaks and valleys says Jim. Some days may seem rather slow, but then a wave of business erupts and he wonders how they will meet all the deadlines.   

Still, in spite of it all, most days, Jim Hudson cannot believe what he has accomplished, especially in the past several years.  

After graduating from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design, Jim was employed for awhile as a designer with the Province of Nova Scotia before returning to Moncton in 1983.   Back home again, he worked from his basement, knocking on doors, and seeking freelance work.  “It was hard to do.  But when you have to earn a living, you put aside the things you don’t like to do, swallow your pride and overcome your inhibitions.”  

Jim overcame his reticence enough to convince several companies that he could help them with their business.  Enough to bring in $25,000 in sales that first year.  “Of course, I might have grossed $9,000 of that for myself,” he smiles.  That was back when most of the design work was done by hand. 

“I’m just a designer who ended up with a business.  My only plan was to earn a decent living and do nice work.  I always thought I would be by myself.”   Now the Hudson Design Group has graduated to a full-service public relations firm, employing 12 individuals.  Jim expanded the company’s level of service to include art and website design, event management, copywriting, advertising, retail management, and multimedia services. 

But, he stresses, the small accounts are just as important as the large ones.  “It doesn’t matter if it is a small brochure or a large advertising campaign.”    

The modern studio takes up 3,800 square feet in the Toronto Dominion Building at 860 Main Street and is equipped with all the high-tech trappings necessary to work in the fast-paced world of marketing.  Turnaround time used to be two or three weeks.  Now sometimes it is two or three days.

“We have had to go beyond (design work).  Clients have needs in those areas, so we have brought in people who have those talents and capabilities.  Every time we hire someone, we try not to fill a vacancy, but a gap in our service,” he says, adding that by hiring new staff to complement the existing talent, it builds a stronger team.

While he says that seeing his company grow, at the same time as helping his clients to increase and improve their own business, is always exciting and satisfying, his biggest thrill was an honor that came by way of Canada Post Corporation. 

Over the past several years, Jim designed four distinctive Canadian stamps; three are his own designs and the other, a collaborative effort with another artist from Charlottetown.  In 1996, when Canada Post began looking for new Maritime design artists, their regional design manager in Halifax contacted Jim. 

Partly as a result of his interest in stamps, he asked Jim to submit his portfolio to the Canada Post design team.  Based on that portfolio, he was then selected to submit proposals for a new stamp design.   

Jim and the artist from Charlottetown were chosen to create a dual stamp to commemorate the opening of the new Confederation Bridge.  The stamps, released in 1997, depicted a panoramic view of the bridge.   

Later that same year, Canada Post asked Jim to submit proposals for another stamp.  This one marked the 50^th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations.  Hampton native, John Peters Humphrey, who prepared the original draft, co-authored the declaration. 

The creation of a stamp normally takes upwards of six months.  Canada Post maintains a roster of designers across the country, with representation from each region.   When a new stamp is to be commissioned, selected artists from the region receive a research package, which provides the theme, background information, a selection of photographs and suggested readings.  After spending time studying the package and additional reading, Jim says certain images stick in his mind.  He works from there, penciling sketches on tracing paper, tempering the images with the theme and tone of the stamp.  

Of course, the size of the stamp must also be considered.  What looks good on an 8 ½ x 11 sheet of paper must also look good reduced to postage stamp size.  Once he narrows down his favorite selections, he sends the rough proposals to the Canada Post design team.  An anonymous selection committee reviews all the submissions and makes their recommendation.  

After the initial layout has been chosen, the hard work starts for the selected design artist. 

He computerizes and colourizes the pencil design, then introduces the various elements.  Copies fly back and forth between the Canada Post designers, the selected regional designer and several levels of approval with adjustments, additions and deletions until the finished product emerges. 

After the John Peters Humphrey stamp was released in 1998, Jim was selected to do one stamp in a four-part Millennium series for McCain’s foods under the theme ‘Lords of the Freezer’.  

His first three stamps all had a New Brunswick connection and it was a real honour for Jim to be able to represent his province in such a unique and special way.  He admits to butterflies in his stomach the first time that he views his work on an actual stamp.  “I get a funny feeling even when they first ask me,” he says. 

His latest stamp, unveiled on June 1^st of this year, commemorates the 125^th anniversary of the founding of the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, Ontario.  

“It’s amazing,” says Jim of the opportunity to create a Canadian stamp.  “A lot of what we do here is temporary.  A marketing brochure will last a couple of years before it becomes outdated, or the company changes its role.  But a stamp is a more permanent piece of your work.  It’s in circulation, people collect it around the world and it’s published in catalogues.”  

After studying the research material on the Royal Military College, Jim came up with several designs that he felt best exemplified what the college stood for. One particular layout was certainly his least favorite, and he admits he was going to discard it, if one of his team had not urged him to send it along also.  

That was the design selected. 

Jim says that there is always one sketch that becomes a personal favorite, and it is usually hard to let that one go when the client dismisses it.  However, even if it has been eliminated for the stamp design, there is still the opportunity to incorporate the favorite image onto the First Day Cover, a decorated envelope that can be purchased with the stamps, which identifies the date of issue, significance of the stamp and the cancellation date.

The rough draft selected by the committee depicted a pair of cadet’s boots and a male and female cadet standing in front of the MacKenzie Building, a college landmark.  In the shine of the boots would be images representing the Air Force, Army and Navy – a CF-18, a Coyote reconnaissance vehicle and a Kingston Class maritime coastal defense vessel.

Once the layout was approved, various graphical images were used to make up the elements of the stamp.  Colours were adjusted, lines emphasized and text added. 

The graphics of the male and female cadet were actual photographs, however the faces had to be recreated, so real people would not be shown on the stamp.

At that point the only graphic not taken from an actual photograph was the boots.  

The College held a competition among its cadets and the shiniest boots were chosen to be represented on the stamp.  The premiere polished pair was sent to Jim to be photographed for the stamp.  He still has the boots, sitting on display in his office.

This is all pretty amazing stuff for a guy who wanted to be an architect.  His Moncton High School art teacher, Joyce Knapp, steered Jim in the direction of graphic design when it was just barely a profession.

“My parents were nervous, not knowing whether I could make a living.  Going to art college was not what they hoped I would do.

However, they did not discourage their son, and now, almost 20 years later, he has achieved not only a successful, emergent business, but also a national reputation as a stamp designer.