home | who is gliss media?

Quite simply, Gliss Media is one guy: John McLachlan. I have a background stretching over 20 years in the arts, both as a performing artist and as an arts administrator.

Why only one person? Because I like to focus on the work at hand—to see it through from start to finish with care and attention. I only take on projects that I know I can handle and deliver on.

From my experience in the world of the arts, I know first-hand that there are challenges to producing good quality promotional and marketing materials (web or print) on the budgets that most artists and non-profits operate within.

At its core, my design business is a creative endeavour for me, just as it was being a performing artist or in creating a vibrant and healthy, member-driven arts organization. As author E.M. Forester said, “Only Connect.” A performer with his audience, an organization with its customers or a designer with his clients... connecting is what it’s all about.

How I got started...
My father, George McLachlan, was a freelance illustrator, graphic designer and painter. When I was thick into the music business as a performer, he designed my promotional and related materials such as educational study guides for my school performances. One year, he was unable to do the design for a new 30-page guide so I had to come up with something in a hurry (and at a cheap price).

Using his guidance and feedback, I began a journey of discovery, looking at design on a page, typography, balance, etc. I discovered that I could find an artistic outlet in this arena as well as from my music, so for several years the two coexisted. As the Internet and the Web started to emerge, I expanded into creating websites and this led me further into the world of design.

Download a PDF of my brief resumé or biography.

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