Work that wins on purpose.

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I&P’s founder and our origin story.

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Kelly Small is an award-winning creative director, designer, author, and leader in ethical, inclusive, purpose-driven creative practice. As Founder and Principal Creative Director of Intents & Purposes, Kelly works with clients and collaborators to create thoughtful, effective work shaped by social impact, equity, and ethics. Over two decades, they have worked with global brands, nonprofits, and public institutions.

Before founding Intents & Purposes, Kelly built a successful career in marketing and advertising, leading high-performing campaigns for nonprofits and consumer brands, including a national campaign about child slavery that reached one in three Canadians and Canada’s first 360° video. Intents & Purposes grew out of a deeper ethical reckoning with an industry built to drive consumption, often at social and environmental cost.

Kelly is the author of the best-selling The Conscious Creative: Practical Ethics for Purposeful Work. Their academic research in creative industry ethics, sustainability, and social impact earned them the Governor General’s Gold Medal upon completing a Master of Design at Emily Carr University.

Kelly’s work and perspectives have been featured in media across the country including Applied Arts, CBC, and HuffPost. They serve as a juror for industry awards including The One Show and The Marketing Awards, and have contributed time through board leadership with The ArQuives: Canada’s LGBTQ2+ Archives and mentorship with Emily Carr University, OCAD University, and RGD.

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Our Services.

  • Executive Creative Direction

  • Creative Strategy

  • Branding and Identity

  • Graphic Design and Motion

  • Art Direction and Copywriting

  • Campaign Development

Guiding Values.

  • Curiosity first and always

  • Equity for all stakeholders

  • Responsibility to people and planet

  • Respect for diverse ways of knowing

  • Solidarity with marginalized peoples

  • Reflection for growth

Why I&P?

We bring big agency talent, networks, and the chops to bring any idea to life. But with the heart and commitment of a small shop. We guide our clients through insight-driven, culturally relevant, and creatively fulfilling projects that exceed expectations, transform brands, and leave the world a little better than we found it.

“Kelly listens to learn, they compress complexity into simplicity, prefer collaboration to conflict, and then present brilliant creative solutions that are on brand and attention worthy. “

— Tony Chapman, Inductee, Marketing Hall of Legends, Top-rated podcast host, International speaker

Let’s work together.

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