REF

REF is a Montreal-based digital agency built for retailers and brands intent on standing apart. That same intent runs through the agency itself, behind every strategic, technical, and design decision the team makes. It holds no matter the scale, whether the client is an established name like Hydro-Québec, Bell, Beneva, Schweppes, or the Royal Ontario Museum, or an emerging brand like norda, Dime, and Hilo. And it shows in the work: exceptional craft, technology that
bends to the problem, and a clear line to business results.

Executive Creative Director at REF, Joël Auchu leads the UX, UI, and content design teams. His background as a UX designer shapes how he pushes the work: keep the user at the center of every project, and give every decision a reason. But he's adamant that discipline should never smother a bold idea, and that the right friction is often where the work gets better. The way he sees it, intent should make room for innovation, not get in its way.