The finished kit

First reveal

Second reveal

Often we are invited to respond to a problem with predetermined outcome; such as we need a brochure, or website. There are also occasions where we are encouraged to solve a problem by researching and developing possible outcomes, be it a website, an event or action, or a printed communication.

Australian Paper wanted a gift for their visitors, customers and partners and we thought is would be an idea to put aside the corporate gift brochures full of pens, mouse mats and stress balls and put people in contact with their product – paper. Developed in 2001, this paper kit with four page greeting cards and matching envelopes was wrapped in a paper carrier that protected the contents and invited, illustrated, instructed receivers to tool up and make and creating their own greeting card range.

The event imagery

Signing (temporary) – 1st attempt

Signing (temporary) - 2nd version

Pop up entry

WIndow display

Internal space

Black and white poster (1 of 12 outcomes)

The tee

Internal neon

A5 brochure/postcard

Brochure / event invite cover image

Jardan Furniture has commissioned the studio to develop a concept and image for the 2010 Saturday in Design (SiD) event in Melbourne, held this weekend. The SiD is a two day programme and to get more value for the spend time, energy and resources Jardan sort out a pop up solution that is open for several months rather than two days.

The Richmond pop up will be the back drop of a new range of furniture allowing the Jardan sales team and potential client view pieces in a convenient location.

Like many of the solutions we develop for clients, the forms and fixtures has a light touch, allowing the work to have the greatest impact whilst being reusable, recyclable and engaging.

The building is facing demolition in a few months and we initially developing a temporary signing scheme that was to be directly painted on the building. The painter was five letter forms into a fifteen letter form piece, until a local sticky beak called the landlord – exclaiming that “young people are painting on the building”. Richmond has a rich history of graffiti dating back to the 1970s (with some excellent samples of trade union based pieces, now sadly painted over) and many locals are suspicious of paint based works. We were then limited to produce real estate agent style hoarding panels, which we had made of ply and vinyl lettering and to paint the entry doors pink to identify the site.

Three Deep Design often accuses us of using too much pink. To those boys out there in big bad design ubërland we say – boo, hoo, hoo – it is a happy, cheerful colour and perfect for a world looking for glimmers of such things. If their Mums had a pink kitchen, like Andrew’s Mum did, then maybe they would be strangely driven to splash around a little pink too.

Thanks to the crew at Jardan for all your collaborative spirit.

Graphic custom lettering

Ripper! – Pip and Co’s Australia made brand

Optix adapted brand with graphic interuption and new tag line

Hand collating

Custom envelope

Covers

Spread detail

First spreads

Second spreads

Optix paper is one of several key products manufactured by Australian Paper and distributed by paper merchants Spicers Paper and CPI Paper. Optix has over 30 different colours (a spectrum of colour) across a range of weights. It has been some time since the paper has been any significant promotion. The client wanted to the studio to put in place an outcome that in effect relaunches the range.

In December 2009 we were charged to research, rethink and proposition Optix paper. The main theme we established is that – Optix of all the papers in the market place, is by its very nature a vibrant, exciting and visible stock, and it is these qualities we seek to celebrate.

The project saw the development of several technical printed, marketing and communication outcomes. The initial response was to identify printing techniques which performs well on the stock — strong line graphic and text. To enhance the effect of printing special and process colours on the paper it self. The quality of visibility was an idea that we presented across the whole promotion – in a new brand mark, a brand tag line, the printed pieces and to the ideas expressed in the pieces – A guide to the modern extrovert.

The Optix brand has a new proposition that invites designers to create communications that – stand out and be seen. The piece invites viewer to use colour to impress, have communications noticed and move away from boring white paper and have some fun!

It is a practical working print sample which explores ideas of how people stand and be seen in the community. The piece is printed and finished in four colour process, and in special colours on Optix 110gsm and 200gsm.

All components have been designed and manufactured in Australia, supported by the Australian Made logo which is available to go on any Optix printed piece your designers, printers or end users produce.

The printed piece is made up of five mini booklets that guide you on being an extrovert and propositions you on how you can stand out. Bound by an Optix ribbon, it is designed to inspire and showcase that printing on colour can add impact and the wow factor to end printed materials.

The entire suit of images and writing has been researched and developed by the Studio. Each piece irreverently explores, contrasts and re-purposes contemporary methods that exist in culture where people have stood out. These writings have been reworked and put into an Optix context, these include:
– Commercial product review or guide
– A journey in stardom
– A body of work or the development of a movement
– The How to get rich scenario
– Developing a manifesto, action, collective or association

To compliment the campaign the studio have developed a new website that explores colour, which also has information about Optix, along with a gallery documenting projects around the programme.

The project was printed by Gunn & Taylor, please visit this post to see the project coming off the press. The studio to save money is hand collating, fixing the Optix ribbon and stuffing in the custom made envelope.

Visit the Colour Collective here

Front cover

Map overview

Map and correlating location lists

Mapping detail

Coffee Supreme charged the studio to develop a low cost map which outline their favourite coffee spots in Melbourne.

The aim is to publish maps biannually with updated and new locations, along with new themes and image making. Armed with a detailed map of Melbourne, images made by Andy Sargent from South South West, patience and a fixation for detail, the first bookish edition is on the streets looking for new owners and friends.

The trickiest part of the project was working out a system of plotting out scores of locations, mostly in concentrated clusters. To plot these locations we started with mapping websites such as whereis and google maps. A warning for designers is to check the location outcomes, in most instances the website plotted marks tens of metres away from the actual spot.

The piece starts out as an A6 and folds out to A2, it is printed in two on Tudor RP 100 recycled paper.

Thanks again to Andy, Coffee Supreme and Gunn & Taylor Printers. Pick up your copy at your local Café that chooses Supreme Coffee in Melbourne.

One lift out poster, a pull out programme, 25 portraits, over 100 images extracted from the internet, 40 pages, three typefaces, sketch spaces pulls together an event curated by conference creative director Mel Dodd. We wanted a work that summed up a three day programme in an exciting, sustainable and useful form. The piece was pull together with a month of research and collation coupled with a week of intensive of imagemaking, typographic and publication design.

Thanks again to Mel, the Australian Institute of Architecture and Newsprinters for making this process special.

Guys & Toys

Games & Travel

Girls & Trouble

Gin & Tonic (the Quinine plant to be exact)

Gunn & Tailor (the fish that is)

In the liner notes of the remastered recording of album “Sail Away” by Randy Newman, Newman sprukes the idea of combining two elements to achieve a success of sorts, quote, – ‘You know 1+1=3. Billy Joel + Elton John = Big Money, Depeche Mode + Rose Bowl = Sell out’. In the Australian context Pip&Co + client = work on the fringes. And one could substitute many studios from Australia with ‘Pip&Co’ and get the same result. In our obscurity we thank organisations like G&T who trouble themselves with getting to know and encouraging one and all to do more, and make exciting work.

We are very please to be working with people and organisations that encourage us to dig, dream up and bring to life our idea of making ideas.

In the context of this brief we explored one of the currencies in printing is dots, colour and transparency. It seems that twenty years of press checking and watching ink on paper happen has been a major influence. Press proofs are confirmed by inspecting a freshly printed piece and comparing it to a reproduction proof via a printers glass – big dots, bold images and colour layered on colour is a big part printing. With much encouragement we celebrated the new year with Gunn & Taylor by creating these images that are a twist on Gunn & Taylor’s acronym G&T. Our G&T’s became limited edition client focused promotions in advertising, print and apparel.

Thanks again Mr Gunn for your commitment

Get a dash of G&T here

The studio was commissioned to develop an A6 custom map for the clients of Melbourne fashion retailer Fat4. Along with the mapping details each map has one of four A2 posters by friends of Fat, including one by the studio – ACE clothes. Thanks again to the Fat crew.

Pearl Café Spring image 01 by Andrew Ashton

Pearl Café image 02 by Andrew Ashton

Café menu front and back covers

Pearl Café Spring cover and mini poster

Mr Gunn called the studio last Monday and said – it is my last week at Pearl and I need to get the Spring image up next Sunday night.

Spring gardens in Melbourne haven’t peeped from the winter soils, the roses are just thorns, fresh stems and aphids. A call to florist found something simple, something white, something that complements the sky. A quiet photo shot with Pearl’s signature glass wear on Monday afternoon. Then the design, art and goodbye was ready Wednesday morning. Thanks you Mr Gunn and Mr Lindsay for all your support, another spirited outcome sprung from nowhere.

Pulse is a boutique health and rehabilitation centre for people looking for remedial massage and traditional Chinese medicine, or TCM. Part of the TCM process is assessing pulses and then using treatments to bring these pulses back into equilibrium, which is depicted in the brand variations.

We also developed a direct mail campaign that presents a variation to the whole alternative medicine thing, which often beats to the drum of mauves, dream catchers, crystals and whale music.

Brand, print collateral, signing, uniform and a simple web outcome was developed by the studio. Thanks goes to the Pulse team for their collaborative spirit.

Visit Pulse here.

The studio in conjunction with Gunn & Taylor Printers has produced a 32 page publication of photographic selections by Andrew Ashton.

The publication is an introduction to Andrew’s photographic work spanning ten years. Scale, diversity, contrast, and a spareness of graphic elements (accompanying descriptions and typography) was put in place in the design to allow the narrative within the images to prevail.

The notes and related information are stitched to the outside of the piece printed in one colour, allowing the viewer to gain an insight into the images and process. The notes are printed on a light, delicate stock designed for easy removal or left in place by the piece’s owner.

The 24 page image section is printed in 4 colour process on an oversize A3 format. We specified an uncoated workhorse offset paper (FSC accredited) with a self covered finish to allow the piece to be rolled, stowed and presented again on a generous flat surface.

Thanks again to Gunn & Taylor.

Copies can be purchased from Greville Books, the Studio direct, or if you work with Gunn & Taylor you may find a copy coming your way soon.