Beyond the Canvas: Pricing, licensing & illustration systems

Explore the business, licensing and creative process behind illustration systems, for in-house, studio, agency and independent creatives.
About this Event

When: Friday, November 6 from 1:00–4:00 PM
Where: Allard Hall, Room 11-262, MacEwan University (104 Avenue Northwest, Edmonton)

Designed for graphic designers, professional illustrators, hybrid creatives and emerging design students, this 3-hour practical workshop moves beyond basic drawing techniques to explore how illustration operates as a functional, scalable system across design, branding and advertising campaigns.

Navigating client expectations, pricing models and licensing rights requires a clear business framework, whether you are a designer incorporating illustration into your practice or an illustrator building structured visual systems for commercial projects. Drawing from 25 years of industry experience, Valéry will walk participants through practical business tools, real-world project workflows, pricing frameworks and usage rights so you can confidently pitch, price and deliver high-value work.

The workshop is divided into three key segments:

• Workflow & Practice: Examine real-world project examples to discover how illustration and graphic design intertwine. Learn how to navigate the initial ideation phase, structure client feedback loops and manage complex hybrid workflows.
• Pricing, Licensing & Business: Work in collaborative groups to tackle practical project scenarios. Practice calculating illustration pricing, navigating usage rights and licensing and structuring deliverables that add real value for clients.
• Creative Ideation & Systems Exercise: Put theory into practice with a hands-on exercise that develops flexible illustration concepts and systems designed for real-world design applications.

About Valéry Goulet

Valéry Goulet is an Associate Teaching Professor in the Visual Communication Design program at the University of Alberta and an award-winning designer and illustrator with over 25 years of industry experience.

Her extensive background spans commercial branding, editorial illustration, spot graphics and large-scale visual campaigns. Through her practice, Valérydesignwrks, she bridges the gap between structured design thinking and expressive illustration, collaborating with cultural, commercial and editorial clients to create functional visual communications and impactful illustration systems.