The studio was awarded several design excellence awards at the 2008 Australian Graphic Design Association National Awards held in Adelaide over the weekend. These awards include, click through to see project details:

2008 Distinction awards

• Stephen Daring Brown packaging paper promotion for client Spicers Paper
• Stephen Recipe publication new paper range promotion for client Spicers Paper
• Stephen Exploration publication new paper range promotion for client Robert Horne in the United Kingdom
• Read Me First publication for client the Australia Graphic Design Association

2008 Finalist award

• The first edition of The Design Papers editorial design for the National Design Centre

Melbourne’s XYZ Studio was also awarded a Finalist award for the animation developed for the 2007 Melbourne Fringe Festival that developed from the creative theme devised by the studio.

Many thanks again to clients AGDA, Spicers Paper, Robert Horne UK, National Design Centre and Melbourne Fringe for developing strong creative briefs and fostering engaging outcomes.

Visit AGDA here

The 2008 AGDA National Design Conference, in Adelaide, was the stage where 3 Deep Design shared their approach to the design process, during the “Love your enemy” presentation.

Inspired by Richard Gere’s looks and natural acting style; in the 1980 cult classic – American Gigilo, 3 Deep have shaped a design concern that is sophisticated, elegant and breath taking. Their presentation in Adelaide mirrored Gere’s verve, with a bounty of ideas, dreams and cinema grabs. A memorable video bight selected by 3 Deep was a line delivered by Gere amid his client service process – You are a very sexy lady… I am going to make you wet – the remarks left the audience convinced of 3 Deep’s commitment to providing a design product of the highest quality in any market they choose to operate within.

3 Deep Design are a very sexy studio, and made for a inspired and breathtaking design experience. David and Brett are without question the Tigers of design.

Visit 3 Deep Design here

The 2008 Melbourne Dream festival is an initiative of the National Australia Bank or the NAB. The festival has a distinctive image that has all the signs of being an underground cultural campaign. Yet what makes the concept seems more like a sophisticated marketing programme, (than a spirited cunning cultural campaign), is the budget it has available to run a small space ad campaign Melbourne’s largest tabloid paper – The Herald Sun; the frequency prime time television commercials spots and these slick stick up posters (a street poster site has been painted out with white paint and then the finely cut out photocopies applied).

If one visits the website this festival doesn’t seem to have a curator, or an artistic director, or a graphic design outfit for that matter (with such a distinctive campaign under their belt) not willingly crediting their unique output. Many questions come to mind querying this process. One has no issue with corporate companies getting involved in their own cultural programmes. One sees in this instance the cache that the word ‘festival’ brings to an event. One also sees that the act of a festival that credits the team behind the project is an act that assigns an event with cultural credentials.  The simple act of crediting the creative team behind the project – the curators, artist directors, producers, the sponsors and even the lowly graphic designer underwrites the integrity of the cultural product on offer to the public and potential audiences.

All said, the people who developed the graphic work behind this campaign deserve a mention. The graphic in not a new idea, never-the-less the overall effect is very distinctive and intriguing. The irony is hidden with this sample of stick up images. If one pays attention to the act that this campaign covered up, the poster painted over promotes the latest series, the third series, of the Mighty Boosh (one of the UK’s most original and dream like comedy exports), a draw card act worthy of any Dream Festival.

Visit the Dream Festival here. Visit the Mighty Boosh here.

In branding briefs there is a requirement to match the messages with the experience, otherwise the brand risks turning advocates into enemies.

A regular complaint of young bands is patronage. Audiences are willing to pay over a hundred dollars to see some crusty old band, and yet won’t part with ten or fifteen dollars for new lesser known acts. Not since seeing Lee Scratch Perry in Sydney in the late 1990s and Bob Dylan in Melbourne in 2008, has one felt so disillusioned with seeing older acts in concert. That was until Devo’s recent tour came to town to top the lot.

According to wikipedia, Devo was formed in 1973, their front man Mark Mothersbaugh was born in 1950. Devo’s great legacy has been built over 30 years with a memorable song list, a manifesto, a curious assortment of performance antics enforced by a striking collection of music videos. As one can expect and appreciate, the idea of what Devo was back in the early 1980s as compared to what they are today is a different thing – they are in their late fifties for one thing.

How long ago did Devo look like this, or this as depicted on thevine.com.au promoting the 2008 tour?

The 2008 version was a performance stuck in a 1980s time warp. Their awkward, tired and silly manifestation isn’t remotely like the slim confident rendering protrayed in poster material – see the image appropriated to promote the 2008 tour. What came from Thursday’s performance was a respect for entertainers that are realistic about their image and capability by providing their audiences a manifestation that interprets their past with the present. Brian Eno comes to mind. Eno’s policy to not revisit past projects unless the project is a new manifestation is a unpredictable and adventurous choice. The Rolling Stones with their grandfathers of rock stance is very clear statement of what to expect. Kraftwerk’s (pictured also formed in the early 1970) recent tour was amazing experience where the group produced an experience that rocked, inspired and exceeded expectations.

Kraftwerk at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival 2004

It has been 25 years since Devo played in Melbourne and on this visit they were supported by local acts Regurgitator and (ecsr) eddy current suppression ring. As it turned out one should of started the night at 7.30pm, saw (ecsr) then Regurgitator and left at that point to dine over the memory of Devo. If you turned up to only see Devo, one witnessed a bunch of guys in unflattering yellow jump suits bounce on stage, to destroy every great song that ever passed their lips with average musicianship, vocal range and interpretation.

The set didn’t start until the second song – a favourite, Peek-a-boo, it warmed up a little when the yellow suits were ripped off revealing black tees, matching shorts and knee socks. Then the encore came at 10.50pm, which slam dunked any good memory of Devo that one was left with, as a dire rendering of a Beautiful World ringed out by Booji Boy, in herendous falsetto no less. It was time to hit the bar and down a cocktail aptly named a lady boy and block out the last 70 minutes.

From wiki again, the name “Devo” comes “from their concept of ‘de-evolution’ - the idea that instead of evolving, mankind has actually regressed, as evidenced by the dysfunction and herd mentality of American society. If Devo stayed true to this manifesto, as their loyalty to their dress sense suggested, they would have evolved their act into an idea compliments their current form – instead the audience was left to think that Devo is deluded or cashing in on well intentioned fans. It would have been exciting to see a Devo that evolved their ideas and appropriated them to recent history, and re-applied the concept of their image in a contemporary context. Instead we witnessed guys doing dress ups at a pop themed party, that had the potential to be a vibrant act with roots in punk and new wave music.

One recommends to see Devo at your own risk, or see Mark Mothersbaugh when he comes to town with recent projects that touch on his work in composition, sound track and theme music. Or stick to watching Devo’s extraordinary film clips, playing their songs on your ipod and taking the time to see groups like ECRS live next time they are playing in your neighbourhood.

Visit ECSR, Kraftwerk here,

The process of working in communication design is often about change. A brief is cast, one design outcome is developed to supersede another outcome.

When designers create work for people/ clients, one is simply making a personal expression – contributing experiences, ideas, vision to ultimately making something. There are many pieces on this site that investigate the process of clients changing the communications mix to meet changing marketing needs. These written pieces often tip upon how the incumbent designer feels about the changes a client makes with their graphic communication with the new designer – it can lead to a colourful read.

In such cases the new designer often works with the client to adapt the existing work, evolve the work or introduce a new work. The incumbent designer either expresses annoyance, disappointment, jealousy, or admiration for the new work that takes place. In an environment where a sound critical process isn’t in place – this is where the sparks fly – opinions fly, rumours are formed, few learnings are drawn upon, few processes are given the opportunity to evolve and improve…

In this case, as the incumbent designers of Chamber Music Australia since 1999, we would like to flag the new look for Chamber Music Australia designed (depicted above on the right) by Derek Samuel Design.

We dedicate this post to the mixed feelings that the incumbent feels about seeing their efforts change direction, and the joy that new designers feel about their new output. May a critical forum come to our profession soon.