We are an interdisciplinary team of strategists and creatives. We come from advertising, marketing, communication design, journalism, information technology, fine art, and education. We are a global team based in Vancouver. We are Vigilantes.
We work with purpose-driven companies, whether for-profit, non profit, or charity. We listen hard to what you want, and push even harder for what you need.
Starting from yes is overrated. I'm all for starting from no. Without a critique of the status quo, how do you even know what needs improving?
Arndt Klos, Principal
Arndt Klos is a communication designer with a strong creative vision who’s known for his clear strategic thinking and idea-driven solutions.
Born in Germany, he graduated in graphic design and fine arts, and studied communication design at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany.
He began his career at brand design agency BOROS, renowned for emotionally engaging design solutions, along with visceral and, at times, polarizing advertising campaigns. After that he worked at KW43, the corporate identity division of GREY Germany, where he developed brand identities and conceptual campaigns for national and international brands.
In 2005, he moved to Canada, where he served as creative director of BURNKIT, bringing his strategic brand perspective to their design-focused, interactive work. He co-founded Vigilantes in 2012.
His clients have included Porsche Design, Nokia, Loewe, Futureshop, and Hootsuite, as well as carefully chosen small and medium-sized businesses.
As a member of the design community, Arndt does speaking engagements and teaches branding and identity design.
No one will listen to everything you have to say. But, in my experience, everyone wants to know who you really are, and why you're really doing this.
Vanessa Richmond, Principal
Vanessa Richmond focuses on identity. She is known for clear thinking, and emotionally engaging, provocative storytelling.
She comes from a background in education and journalism. She received a B.A. in English at the University of British Columbia, then a graduate degree in education from Cambridge University. She started her career as a high school English teacher where she focused on critical thinking and writing skills. She also coached the debate team, where one student went on to win the Worlds, leading her to create a documentary for CBC called “The Terminator.”
Later, as an award-winning journalist, she focused on values in pop culture in her column “Schlock and Awe” which ran in The Tyee, and was featured in a weekly segment on CKNW and Global TV. Her work also ran in the CBC, Globe and Mail, and Huffington Post.
Now, she brings educational methodology to help her clients have critical conversations, and create engagement and change. And brings journalistic approaches to brand discovery, research, and content strategy.
Her clients have included Hootsuite, Nike, Jim Beam, and purpose-driven businesses.
She has taught journalism and brand building at Simon Fraser University.
We’re always on the lookout for skilled creatives and new collaborators to add to our team or network. If you think you have what it takes, we want to see what you got.