Posters for RUSU
During 2011 I completed some freelance graphic design for RMIT’s Student Union – RUSU.
The posters and hero images below, apart form being examples of my graphic design work, are also examples of how I design; beginning with the original idea, I work up a couple of variations to be checked by the client, then refine the variation they prefer. I believe in a collaborative design process – communication between all involved in a project is key!
I produced the second set of images (‘drinks with friends’) at the same time as the first (‘scav hunt’). This examples my ability to take on multiple quite visually/conceptually varied projects at the same time without compromising the ‘look’ of either.
The hero images went up to RUSU’s website, and the posters (formatted to A3) were printed and distributed around the Melbourne City campuses.
Identity Design – The Scale of Things
During my years of study, I became good friends with a group of designers, and it was clear during 2010 that we wanted to work together in the future under our own collective – The Scale of Things.
While we all studied Industrial Design, we all have markedly varied interests and talents within this field. The challenge in creating a unified brand for us, then, lay in the generation of a graphic motif that could represent these differences while maintaining the group’s visual family.
I undertook the responsibility to design this identity, though with regular input from the other members of the collective.
I used the bracket from a piece of music (a chromatic scale) as the underlying motif. The images below show the progression through original design, iterations, business card (stamps) and finally branding on the collective’s website www.thescaleofthings.com
Mouse over for a description of each image.
The Scale of Things are: Jessica Bird, Imran Shamsul, Simone Steel, myself and William Campbell.
Publication Design – 2011 RMIT Orientation Guidebook
At the end of 2010 and during the beginning of 2011 I was part of a three person team that was contracted to design, produce and oversee the distribution of the 2011 RMIT Orientation Guidebook. This Guidebook is designed as a keepsake for all first year students entering RMIT, and contains practical information on RMIT, Melbourne, university life in general and associated transitions (away from home, to a new country etc).
We presented three concepts to the editorial panel and executed their preferred theme (images below), as well as sourcing printers quotes and investgating stock options. This theme was based on the iconic Melbourne ‘Melways’ street directory, and is complete with “hand drawn” cartoon and notes, scanned post-its and paper-clipped polaroids in order to present the publication as a personal reference guide.
While myself and the other two editors worked closely together, I was solely responsible for the “drawn on” effect – I used a Wacom tablet to draw over each page after they were layed-out in InDesign.
The final publication is 80 pages, printed on 100% recycled stock in a run of 7000 copies. Below are some images of the process I followed for the “hand drawn” effect, and of the final publication.
Carving Printing Blocks
A few years ago, while looking after the shop where I work (Ridgy Didge), I had access to some unused recycled timber parquet tiles. Using hand tools, I carved the designs below to create decorative printing blocks. I also designed the graphic and typographic motifs.
If I can get my hands on some more of the blocks I’d really like to continue the alphabet, or redesign a few of the letters.
From the Sketchbook 02
From a different Sketchbook to this one, but one that I’m carrying around none the less.
This one’s another typography exercise that I’ll turn into something one day, or maybe I won’t. We’ll see. It was fun in the making anyway 
I recommend clicking through to the larger image, especially on the finished ones.
To begin:
And then:
Product Family Study
Corner Hearth was the result of a Second Year Studio project which involved the planning of a restaurant (from colour scheme of decor to sourcing of produce for the menu) and which ultimately resulted in a family of products a customer might find in a restaurant. I handmade a set of ceramic bowls with knotted bases filled with glass beads that retained the heat of the meals, and allowed the customer to rest them directly on their lap while eating.
Below are three mood boards I created to represent the kind of environment my objects would best sit in. They are: menu, location (note the rain spots), and colours & textures.
After that are the two posters (originally formatted to A2) that were presented with the prototypes.
Product Inspiration – The Coffee Percolator
Following on from my first Sketchbook post, I’ve decided to put up a project from -gasp!- first year uni.
Forming the World was a First Year Studio that focussed on the process of redesigning a coffee percolator. The emphasis was on how the designer works through their ideas; the folio begins with ‘drawing in a void’, a section of seemingly unrelated drawings meant as a visual exercise in ‘emptying’ the designer’s brain to ‘make room’ for the required project.
The strength in this project lies in the evolution of an iterative design process; I learnt, with this project, how to tease out the best results through following a repetitive sketching/forming/prototyping/sketching… process.
This was also the project that introduced me to the idea of ‘intention’; what was the designer trying to communicate to his/her audience through the project? Did they understand that? Does it matter?
I’m still striving to answer these questions with my current work. Or striving to understand if they are questions worth answering…
Mouse over the pics for descriptions.
New links!
Hello internet!
A quick one to draw your attention to the newest feature on this humble site of mine: the blogroll.
It’s at the bottom of the column on the right of this post.
Go on, check out the cool links I’ve got going. They are mostly emerging designer/makers like myself.
Share the love!
X
From the Sketchbook 01
So, like all good designers (and even though it does put me at risk of being a hipster) I carry around a sketchbook.
Every now and then I’m proud enough of one of my sketches to share them with the interwebs. Here’s one of them:
I drew the X as a typography study, then sewed over it as a material study.
X’s are always so tricky for me to draw!
Millinery
During my Third Year at university I took a millinery elective… and fell in love. To me, hats are the perfect combination of sculpture, product, fashion and craft design. And, although I’ve had them on my mind since I completed the elective, I haven’t created any more since – a wrong I’m soon to rectify. Watch this space!
In the meantime, below are some images of the hats and I created for the elective. Mouse over for descriptions.
This was my first experience of the study if fashion, but the techniques and philosophies I learnt here will be pivotal to future endeavours. The hats were an exploration of aesthetics, materials, techniques and forms that can (and will!) be applied to any future design work.
I completed the elective with Simone Steel. Click here to see the beautiful hats she made. Simone was a big help during the creative and making processes, and a lovely model too Thanks Sim!
