Maude Bouchard is a graphic designer, professor and director of the Graphic Design program at Laval University's School of Design, and co-founder of Atelier DIR (Design: Involved and Responsible). She holds a doctorate in Graphic Design and Social Communication (Laval University, Canada - 2013) which focused on the contexts that foster the involvement of graphic designers in socially conscious visual communication projects. She also holds a Master's degree in Visual Arts (Laval University, Canada - 2007) where, among other things, she explored the authorship graphic design approach through the design of a series of posters. She is interested in the creative process and visual experimentation in graphic design projects related to social design, posters and publishing. The issues relating to the involvement, role, responsibilities and impact of graphic designers' concepts in society are at the heart of her practice and teaching.

Sylvie Pouliot has retired in 2019 after 30 years of teaching in the United States and Canada, including 24 years at the School of Design, Laval University, Canada. Always concerned about environmental and social issues, she continues her research as an associate professor at Atelier DIR (Design Impliqué et Responsable) at Laval University, which she co-founded with her colleague Maude Bouchard in 2006.

Atelier DIR is a think tank regarding methods of conceptualization, visual experimentation and visual communication problems solving. The term «impliqué» and «responsable» refers to the involvement of the designer, his/her degree of commitment and responsibilities
to integrate in his/her work issues such as : ethical, social, economic, environmental and sustainable development. The particularities of her projects reside in a multidisciplinary approach and the use of participatory methodology at various stages of the process, involving the audience/users, students, professionals and professors from different disciplines such as Social sciences, Communication and Design.