Portfolio Of
Trista
Townsend
Fabricator.
Designer.
Educator.
Art Installations
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Technology
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Woodworking
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Animation
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Graphic Design
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Art Installations • Technology • Woodworking • Animation • Graphic Design •
Welcome to my portfolio! To see my work, feel free to peruse the gallery section. I love making and fabricating, with everything from laser cutters and 3D printers to traditional oil painting and sketching. If you want to chat, drop me a line.
Explore the
gallery.
My installation work brings together research, visual communication, fabrication, and audience experience. I approach installations as more than displays; they are designed environments where viewers are invited to pause, reflect, move through space, and make connections. Whether I am planning a school-wide Red Dress Day installation or developing an educational display, I consider the relationship between space, story, materials, tone, and the people who will encounter the work.
These projects require systems thinking from the earliest planning stages. I use floor-planning, modelling, digital walkthroughs, graphic design, laser cutting, vinyl cutting, 3D printing, and hands-on installation methods to move ideas from concept to physical experience. I am especially interested in installations that support conversation and learning, where design choices help make complex or sensitive subject matter more accessible.
Collaboration is central to this work. Installation design often involves coordinating with students and staff, while also managing practical constraints such as the current space to tell the story, the current data available and considerations of future expansion. My goal is to create experiences that are visually engaging, thoughtful in their purpose, and clear enough for viewers to understand.
Prop-making appeals to me because each object has to belong to a larger world. A successful prop does not only look finished; it supports the story, works safely in the hands of a performer, and fits the visual language of the production. This requires a balance between imagination and practicality, especially when a piece needs to be lightweight, durable, comfortable, and completed within a tight timeline.
For school productions, I have created and adapted props using a mix of digital design and hands-on fabrication. Some pieces began as models that needed to be altered for the stage, while others required new solutions because the available materials or performance needs changed. I enjoy that kind of problem-solving, where the final object has to satisfy the director’s vision while still working for the people who will use it.
This work has strengthened my ability to collaborate across creative and technical needs. Props sit between design and performance so communication is essential. I value the process of refining an object through feedback, testing, and adjustment until it feels like a natural part of the production.
I enjoy the challenge of making props that look right within the world of a production while augmenting a performer’s character. This often means balancing visual style and function while bringing the director’s vision to life.
For theatre productions, I have used CAD, 3D printing, laser cutting…
My installation work brings together research, visual communication, fabrication, and audience experience. I approach installations as more than displays; they are designed environments where viewers are invited to pause, reflect, move through space, and make connections. Whether I am planning a school-wide Red Dress Day installation or developing an…
My graphic design work is rooted in clarity and purpose. I am drawn to projects where visual choices help people understand information, feel invited into an event, or connect with cultural and educational content. Whether I am creating posters, illustrations, layouts, or digital assets, I think about how the design will be encountered and what the viewer needs from it.
In my work for the North Fraser Métis Association, I created visuals for community events, workshops, and public communications. These projects required a balance between creativity and responsibility, because the designs needed to be engaging while still serving the information provided by the client. I enjoy working within that kind of structure, where the visual style must support the message rather than overwhelm it.
The Blackfoot Language App expanded this approach into interactive design. The illustrations and layouts needed to support the learner’s movement through the app while remaining connected to the cultural purpose of the project. This work reminded me that strong design is not only about how something looks; it is about whether the visual system helps people understand, navigate, and connect with the content.
My graphic design work is rooted in clarity and purpose. I am drawn to projects where visual choices help people understand information, feel invited into an event, or connect with cultural and educational content. Whether I am creating posters, illustrations, layouts, or digital assets, I think about how the design will be encountered and what the…
Create with curiosity.
Every project I take on starts with creative investigation. Life centred design is my jam!
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Coding and Robotics
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Installation Planning
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Sketching and Drawing
ABOUT
TRISTA
I am a fabricator and educator working in the area where technology and interaction meet. With a background in animation and design, I love making installations and robotics that integrate all of my skills, from 3D modelling and printing, to painting and poster design. I currently live and work on xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) territory in Vancouver, BC.
