Loïc Poisson meets with Yvon Laroche and Raymond Bellemare

Interview conducted on December 8, 2025.

[Raymond Bellemare, Yvon Laroche and Loïc Poisson sit around a table in a light-filled archives centre.] Loïc Poisson: When you come to the end of a work day, do you actually stop thinking about it, or are you always going over your ideas? Raymond Bellemare: As long as the deadline hasn’t been met, it's not over. Yvon Laroche: There's a schedule to follow, and as long you haven't submitted your work, it can always be modified. Loïc Poisson: If you were to redo the design work for the Olympic Games today, what would you change? Raymond Bellemare: Today, we wouldn't be able to use the rainbow, because it's become a political symbol. We'd have to find something else. I don't know, I'd have to work on it. Loïc Poisson: When you look back at the work you did 20, 30 years ago, and… Yvon Laroche: …40, 50 years ago. Loïc Poisson: …40, 50 years. How do you deal with seeing something that you no longer like today? Yvon Laroche: You mean, something that you think we could have done differently? [Yvon Laroche leafs through a folder with plastic sleeves, full of graphic designs.] Raymond Bellemare: Yes, that happens often. But it's not really that bad. You have to remember that, that's how things were. It's impossible to look into the future; you don't know how things are going to evolve. I think that work can always be improved. Loïc Poisson: What advice would you give young graphic designers starting their careers today? Raymond Bellemare: You have to work hard. Talent is one thing, but you also have to work. I think it's 50-50: talent, and work. Don't think that your work is finished, for example. The next morning, come back to it, and you may find that it's not quite ready yet. Until you've reached your goal, you aren't going to be satisfied anyway. Yvon Laroche: When people ask a designer to come up with a concept, for example, they often come in with a certain idea and try to impose it. If you’re going to see a specialist in any field, it's because you need their expertise. Loïc Poisson: Thank you so much for speaking with me. It's been very educational. I love all the visuals that you've created; they inspire me every day. So thank you again for your time. Raymond Bellemare and Yvon Laroche: It's our pleasure. [The McCord Stewart Museum logo appears in white on a black background. Copyright: McCord Stewart Museum, 2026, appears in the lower right corner of the screen.]