Narrative Environments Studio

Contributing to inclusive, informed, and healthy communities by aligning placemaking and experience with brand.

What’s your story? Our story?

RECENTLY COMPLETED On October 28, 2026, the Hantsport and Area Historical Society, in partnership with the West Hants Regional Municipality, unveiled a plaque honouring the remarkable life, courage, and enduring legacy of William Hall, VC. The installation features a reproduction of the commemorative stamp Canada Post issued during African Heritage Month in February 2010, accompanied by an interpretive panel in Mi’kmaw, English, and French.

ON THE BOARDS In early May, we began working with the Town of Lumenburg to update the interpretive content and design for the well-worn interpretive panels found throughout the town. The first set is currently in production.

Town of Lunenburg, Nova Scotia

Narrative Environments Studio is excited to work again in Lunenburg, where our team has delivered multiple projects. These include the Town of Lunenburg’s award-winning pedestrian wayfinding program, the Lunenburg Academy heritage classroom exhibit, and the adaptive reuse of Lunenburg’s historic Academy building for the South Shore Regional Library, including the interpretive Roué Room.

We are storytellers—our process and outcomes are designed to help stories unfold.

We respect where we work, we are open-minded, we ask tough questions, we forge relationships with clients, and we craft memorable, lasting experiences for diverse audiences.

We build brands

  • Visual identity

  • Brand positioning and naming

  • Print and marketing collateral

We shape experiences

  • Branded environments

  • Wayfinding and signage

  • Placemaking

We connect with audiences

  • Website development

  • Social media campaigns

  • Motion graphics

We protect culture

  • Interpretive planning

  • Exhibition design

  • Strategic planning

Testimonials
Aprajita SinghAprajita Singh
Aprajita SinghAprajita Singh

John is an exceptional professor and mentor. His ability to transform complex cultural and historical themes into compelling designs is truly inspiring. His elaborate case studies of large-scale projects were a highlight of my learning experience, providing invaluable insights into a thoughtful and effective design process. I’m deeply grateful for John’s guidance and the lasting impact he has had on my growth as a designer.

—Aprajita Singh

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Greg Dubeau
Greg Dubeau

John is a pillar in the Eastern Canada design community. Whether professionally designing experiences for the built and natural environment through his practice, Narrative Environments; teaching the next generation of designers at NSCAD University; or, writing thought-provoking articles on pressing design issues for international design periodicals—John brings a passion and curiosity for the field of design that you cannot help but be inspired by. I’ve been fortunate enough to work with John under a pro bono capacity and marvelled at his talent to bring people together and coordinate their efforts to create powerful change. He is a thoughtful collaborator, empathetic leader, and a masterful champion of the creative process. He will make the outcome of any project better by simply being part of the conversation.

—Greg Dubeau

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Philip Prozenko
Philip Prozenko

John and my working relationship has spanned several decades and it has always been a pleasure to partner with John on interpretive and wayfinding projects. Unique vision, creative honesty and attention to detail are qualities rarely found in one person, but they are found in John and you can see that reflected in his amazing work.

—Philip Prozenko

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News…

For the past month, we have worked with our latest client, the Workers’ Compensation Board of Nova Scotia. We are headed to fabrication and will share the results shortly. Until then, it's been exciting working for an organization whose focus i
Sign location plans are an industry standard for indicating each site sign. Some colour code their plans, some are automated, and others are hand-built, and there are varying perspectives on labelling, especially numbering. Developing sign location p
James Orton Woodruff, a New York resident who established the Superb Stamp Pad Co., is often credited with producing the first rubber stamps using a machine. In the early 1870s, other entrepreneurs joined in, and by the early 1870s, the rubber stamp
The history of St. George’s is the story of tennis, a game that arrived from England in the 1870s, sparking a tennis boom across North America. For the first fifteen years, St. George’s consisted of three grass courts on Dartmouth's Canal
Forbes Magazine (2005) once ranked the pencil as the fourth “…most important [discovery] in human history.” Stating that mass education and literacy were possible because of the pencil, Forbes states “Cheap, reliable and conv
Kerry and I have collaborated on numerous projects over the past twenty-plus years, and our friendship goes back four decades. We have helped each other with design knowledge and expertise, from websites to brands. Already established in Halifax&rs

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