Who we are
Helping those who help others is what gets us out of bed every morning. We get inspired when our work betters the lives of people—whether we’re transforming a brand to align an NGO to its tribe, designing an exhibit that educates the public on an important subject, or developing an accessible toolkit that helps empower patients living with a difficult illness. We do what we do because we love our work—diving into something new each day and working with people that share our passion to wake up and make the world a little bit better.
Dani and Ilesh: co-founders of nineSixteen
We first bonded over our shared vision for creating work that makes positive, momentous shifts—it’s what brought us together as people and partners. In everything we do, we believe in getting it right, putting meaning into our work, effecting positive change through inclusivity, being consistent, and ensuring our clients feel engaged in their own success.
Who we work with
We work with clients that invite us to collaborate with them as part of their core team—clients that trust our expertise, respect the way we do things, and understand the value and skill we bring as professional designers.
What we believe
Everyone at nineSixteen is committed to designing and doing business in harmony with our core values:
Meaningful connections
We’re inspired when people come together to effect positive change. Encouraging meaningful connections and creating memorable experiences moves us to do our best work, motivates our clients to do their best, and creates lasting impact.
Relentlessly high standards
We are passionate about creating beautiful work, even if no one else cares. We hold ourselves to relentlessly high standards, ask big-picture questions, and are obsessed with getting it right, not just getting it done.
Accessible is beautiful
Inclusive design doesn’t limit our creativity—it enhances it. We believe that big, bold, accessible design is always more beautiful, makes a stronger impression, and is better for everyone.
Consistently consistent
We understand that consistent brands spark recognition, build momentum, and encourage trust. By being detailed and consistent in how we work, we craft brands and experiences that are powerful, purposeful, and timeless.
Working with, not for
We believe in working with our clients, not for them, enabling them to be part of the process and giving them a hand in their own success—building supportive and long-lasting relationships along the way.
Our team
Ilesh Parmar
Principal / Designer
ilesh@ninesixteen.ca
As founder of nineSixteen, Ilesh has his critical eye on on all that we do — with the foresight and experience of a successful business owner and designer. He has guided countless creative projects and is a whiz when it comes to graphics, web design and illustration. His ever-present thirst for knowledge is unquenchable and he spends many of his off-the-clock hours poring over the latest design research and techniques. With warmth and clarity, he asks the hardest questions, pushing our creative team to find the best solutions for our clients.
Ilesh’s experience and love for design doesn’t end at our studio. He spends many hours each year in the classroom, spreading his knowledge of branding, packaging and exhibit design to industrial design students at Carleton University. Teaching keeps Ilesh passionate about the future of design, allowing us to stay connected to the ebb and flow of our field and the latest and greatest in the profession.
Danielle Parmar
Principal / Designer
danielle@ninesixteen.ca
Danielle brings a fresh eye and trend-setting approach to everything we do. Whether it’s naming, branding, or laying out a publication, her designs are always pushing the envelope. With a Masters of Design degree and an extensive background in design research, she makes it her job to ensure that everything we create is always targeted, on-brand and most importantly unique — making our clients stand out and look their best.
With her architectural background, Danielle is also an exceptional environmental graphic designer and loves to create graphics that transcend the realm of 2D. She has a knack for envisioning spaces that entice and stimulate imagination. This, combined with the right amount of level-headedness and persistence makes our finished exhibits and 3D graphics carry through from the imagined to the physical with ease.
William Ratke
Contract Web Developer
william@ninesixteen.ca
As a pixel perfectionist and programming pro, William is a designer’s ideal developer. With a background in fine-arts, William is a gem to work with. He understands that user experience and design are just as important as functionality and is always willing to figure out a way to make the things we need look stunning and function seamlessly — allowing us to deliver the best digital solutions to our clients.
Always accepting of the new challenges we’re continuously handing him, there’s little he can’t do. His knowledge is always growing and runs the full range of what our clients need to establish and grow a commanding online presence. From all the latest CMS platforms, to the multiple languages we can’t understand, William is our man.
Creative Network
The perfect team — every time.
Working with us gets you access to our in-house team and our extended Creative Network of photographers, copywriters, 3D designers, scenographers, and translators — all of whom share our DNA for producing bold and creative work.
This streamlined style of working allows us to hand-select expertise only when its needed, giving you the perfect team for your unique project needs.
Discover the benefits of working with professional designers with a proven record of executing stunning creative, backed by insightful strategic thinking.
“nineSixteen’s design work has been a highlight of my private practice, still gets tons of compliments, and has enhanced my life on a daily basis. It seems to me that design is the context and, while people may be unaware of it, it changes and makes things better in their environment.”
Dr. Patricia Gervaize
Reproductive Health Psychologist