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Design research
Thorough analysis of markets, audiences and human behaviour for various self-directed projects produced for my MA.
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User-centred design
Projects for my MA Information Design utilising interviews and user testing as part of the design process.
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Interface design
A cross-platform application and an accessible interface for the deaf. Projects undertaken during the MA Information Design.
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Newspaper redesigns
Complex projects involving reorganising systems of production and delivery and the creation of extensive typographic style guides.
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Corporate Communications
High quality communication materials for corporate and editorial clients including branding and trade marketing materials.
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Design for the community
Work for the public service and community-based organisations in areas such as deafness and child welfare.
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Design for music & theatre
Small theatre companies, independent musicians and a national orchestra. Output across various media.
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Creative design
The tactile stuff. A variety of projects from letterpress business cards to wallpaper design and the creative use of found materials.
Design research
Research has always been a fundamental part of any project I do and is key to discovering a design solution which works for both customer and client.
I believe that the best design is one that is appropriate for the user, and the only way to find out what they need is to ask them.
I would like to work even more collaboratively in my future roles and am looking forward to working with a team that values participatory design.
The images shown here are from the research phase of my MA projects as well as from my initial planning for this website.
Collecting a 'class of documents' to investigate how the immigration service could be improved through better form design.
Patterns are combinations of design elements that work together to solve a problem. This table is a collection of patterns in forms design.
Grouping and collating data for the design of this website.
Genre audit for the design of a cross-platform application.
Three main user needs (discovered through user interviews) are aligned to content elements to ensure that content meets user needs.
Structural and thematic analysis of viral videos for a project for the National Relay Service.
User-centred design
The following two projects were undertaken during the MA Information Design and focused on a problem from the perspective of the user.
Instructional design
A karate manual designed as part of an exercise in instructional design. After an initial task analysis, prototypes were created to test how best represent movement in a two dimensional media. The prototypes were tested with 8 participants.
In-depth analysis of procedural text and the rhetorical structures common in instruction manuals enabled the explanations to be shortened. This de-cluttered the page and made each sequence more clear.
The final book has split pages to allow a user to revise key movements without losing their place as well as an in-built stand to make the viewing of the manual easier.
Wayfinding
This project investigated how a redesigned public wayfinding system could improve feelings of safety and promote the use of sustainable transport to and from a public space.
Interviews with users of the public space were undertaken at the beginning of the project.
Page from my report investigating methods of representing movement on a static page.
Final book design showing the split page functionality.
Page from the final design that explains to the user how the book works.
Page from the final design showing part of a karate sequence.
People create mental maps to help understand spaces. A user's sketch of their mental map can help identify problems in the design of a space.
Analysis of user paths within the public space and where signage and improved lighting is required.
Sign design was based on the ribbons of the maypole. The length of each 'ribbon' corresponds to the distance to the location.
Cross-platform interface design
An application designed for use on a desktop computer and the iPhone. The application allows users to create customized travel itineraries from user-generated content that they can download to their iPhone to use once travelling.
Personas were created after contextual research and interviews with potential users.
Accessible interface redesign
The National Relay Service provide phone calls for the deaf and the hearing impaired. Their internet application required redesigning to make it more user-friendly and attractive to their diverse audience.
I added social networking components as well as various designs to aid the user. For example, the 'dim the lights' function that darkens everything on the screen other than the conversation window so that the user's attention is not compromised.
Both of these projects were undertaken during the MA Information Design.
iPhone user flow for the Tale Trails cross-platform interface.
Home page of the desktop version of the cross-platform interface.
Elastic list design for the Tale Trails cross-platform interface.
Redesign of the National Relay Service's internet application that enables deaf people to phone the hearing.
'Dim the lights' feature focuses the user's attention on the chat window.
Newspaper redesigns
Whilst working for de Luxe & Associates I was the lead designer on many newspaper and magazine redesigns. These are extremely complex projects that involve multiple stakeholders. The two newspapers shown here are just two examples of the type of work conducted for a newspaper redesign project.
The Hong Kong Standard
I was the lead designer on this large-scale and complex redesign project for a Hong Kong English-speaking newspaper.
The role began with conceptual design presentations to senior editorial staff. After initial approval I was then responsible for multiple strands of the redesign project including: overseeing the technical implementation of new fonts and styles; training of sub-editors and layout staff; management of style guide creation; and management of junior staff.
The Sydney Olympic newspapers
I was the lead designer on the Sydney 2000 Olympics project for John Fairfax Publications (publisher of the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age).
One year out from the Olympics I began to design typographic styles and present to and collaborate with senior editorial staff on how the papers could be best designed.
As there were to be four editions per day, I designed the papers to be extremely modular so that layout staff could quickly update pages without destroying the clean design aesthetic.
I also had new icons commissioned as the official ones were not sophisticated enough for this design.
The redesigned Hong Kong Standard front page (left) and the paper before the redesign (right).
Redesigned spread. A more condensed headline font allows for a larger point size to be used whilst also fitting more words per line.
From the typographic style guide.
Sydney Olympic newspapers. Three editions per day were differentiated by the use of colour in the masthead.
Internal spread from Olympic newspaper. This is a prototype page produced during the design phase.
Icons commissioned from illustrator Simon Harris.
Corporate communications
The unexpected, the artistic, the nostalgic—all ways that a company’s message can resonate with an audience. I start by looking at the audience profile and the client's goals for the project and then craft a perfect solution to please both parties.
It always helps to have a sense of humour.
Trade marketing material designed and art directed for the Australian Financial Review Magazine to promote their brand within advertising agencies.
Commissioned paintings from Mark Gerada were used in all visual materials for a technology conference and then taken into the company's permanent art collection.
New logo and associated branding materials for Fairfax's digital division.
Promotion for an interactive edition of Time magazine designed to promote the concept of interactivity within a print media.
Promotion for Sydney photographer Martin Mischkulnig who was returning to work after a major operation. Yes, that is him in the hospital bed.
Design for the community
I worked part-time for three years for Armedia who only do work for clients in the public service or non-profit arenas. Small budgets and extremely tight deadlines are the challenges of working with these clients, but the payoff is that the work is of benefit to the community.
Work shown here is for the National Association for the Protection of Children from Abuse and Neglect (NAPCAN), an organisation dedicated to fighting for the rights of children. www.napcan.org.au; and the National Relay Service, an organisation who provide phone calls for the deaf and hard of hearing. www.relayservice.com.au
Postcards designed for the NAPCAN.
Posters designed for the NAPCAN.
Posters designed and art directed for the National Relay Service.
Postcard designed for the National Relay Service. After the post-it note is removed, HELL becomes HELLO.
Company B, Belvoir St Theatre
I designed and art directed promotional material for Company B, Belvoir St Theatre from 2005 till 2009.
With each production I read the script and then brainstormed with directors and marketing staff to get the best image and typographic idea to sell each show to the public.
I also designed postcards, posters, cinema slides, invitations, key rings, vouchers, and annual reports for the Company.
Other clients
I have also designed posters for the Sydney Symphony, flyers for various club nights, and record covers. Working for these very creative clients is a wonderful opportunity to explore my creative skills.
Pages from the 2009 Season Book for Company B, Belvoir St Theatre.
Pages from the 2009 Season Book for Company B, Belvoir St Theatre.
Pages from the 2009 Season Book for Company B, Belvoir St Theatre.
Voucher design for Company B, Belvoir St Theatre.
Art direction and design of postcards for various plays at Company B. Photographer Alex Craig.
Poster design and concepts for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, produced in conjunction with Digital Eskimo.
Cover design for Sydney hip hop band Astronomy Class. Writing styles by Presto.
Flyer designs for various club nights in Sydney.
Creative design
I really love print and its tactility. I am particularly interested in using found materials and old technologies such as letterpress printing.
Letterpress card printed/embossed at the University of Reading on an Albion Press using the Linotype Futura collection.
Type for my business card in the form.
Business cards foil stamped on found stock, including old record covers.
Wallpaper designed for Naked & Angry, a division of Threadless (the t-shirt people).
Business cards for a lighting designer printed using thermography (raised-printing) to make the cards more tactile.