We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Azetta Young a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Azetta, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us the backstory behind how you came up with the idea?

Azetta Design Studio was born 9 years ago as a creative outlet from my struggle with severe postpartum depression after my son was born (it was a silent struggle so being creative was my saving grace.) I started making handmade greeting cards just as a hobby, but was later approach by coworkers to sell them my cards. I did not think about making a business from my then hobby. Later on, I tried creating wedding stationery as a friend was getting married and asked me to create invitations for her destination wedding. Then the pandemic hit and in-person events came to a halt. I was at the time still recovering from a serious injury and considering giving up my love for crafting and handmade stationery but my hubby (Jai) convinced me to use my love for design as part of my healing journey. Yet again, the unexpected happen, I was being approach by different women to create logo graphics and so I thought it best to focus on branding. Before I knew it Azetta Design had pivoted along with the rest of the world to offer something new.

Growing up on the Caribbean island of St.Vincent & the Grenadines, art has always brought me joy. I owe my entrepreneurial spirit to my late grandmother (Louise) who was the first entrepreneur I knew up close. She taught me what it is to hustle and do well as I watched the way she treated her customers with such care as they tasted the confectionaries she worked hard and put love into. She encouraged my creative dreams as a I would find myself closely following her every move in the kitchen and through busy streets hustling.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I am Azetta Young, a visual designer and creative director on a mission to help other women in business grow their brand. At Azetta Design, I am the founder and go-to expert in package design, custom stationery, brand strategy and building brand visuals.

My perfect world is a meshing together of architecture + graphic design. My background and experience as a full time Interior Designer for over 5 years has helped me to strengthen my designer’s eye and be excellent at listening to client needs.

It feels like building a brand instead of just a business is so out of reach and overcomplicated for so many women. It really does not need to be! Branding is about creating a consistent emotional connection. Evolving technology has made it even more possible for their businesses to create a whole new level of emotional connection between their brand and audience. Website design services including e-commerce stores set up is now one of our new offers as this has been a growing request from brand clients over this past year.

Today, Azetta Design Studio is a Toronto based brand design studio specializing in product package design and brand strategy that supports creative women in business. I believes that strategic packaging has the power to tell a story and that every product is an opportunity to connect with customers and create a memorable brand experience. .Azetta Design’s vision is to create an all inclusive space where others can achieve business growth through: product design, online content, website creation, marketing, design and print.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I want to continue to advocate for other women in businesses to assert themselves and to think BIG in a world where there are such strong barriers to accessing business support, as moms, sisters, immigrants, and so much more. I want us to show the world that we are more than our struggles. Azetta Design is currently working towards being the go to for support and connections for creative women in business that meet their brand and design needs.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

One of the things that I find my clients are saying to me constantly is that I am really good at listening to what they need and also deciphering what they are asking and bringing whatever vision they have in their head to reality. It is not every designer that can do that. It’s literally taking an idea and making it real whether it’s printing or package design,

The women-led brands that I have worked with truly stand out with multiple local awards and features in the Toronto Star through the design work we have done together. They continue to make a strong impact throughout Canada. Their branded products are currently sold in the first ever Black-Owned T.O retail stores. My designs have also caught the attention of the AGO (Art Gallery of Ontario) as well as Canadian Dragons’ Den, Wes Hall for the Toronto International Film Festival, Hello Fresh, Etalk and Food Network Canada. Another noteworthy moment is a client’s design (hot chocolate packaging) be included in the Oprah’s Favourite Things 2023 list.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.azettadesignstudio.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/azettadesign.co/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/azetta-design-co

Image Credits
photos by Monique Hutson @domproductions https://www.domproductions.ca/about