One of our many activities has included bringing our design product to the public. Our activities started in 2004 when we dreamed up Australia’s first boot market for design – The Ready Made Market (which we named) with the National Design Centre, it was then renamed The Melbourne Design Market. We have taken this idea further by now taking our products to the internet, via global community shopping cart site for musicians, artists and fashions designers – bigcartell.com

Visit our shop, tell your friends, suggest new products here

Another initiative is to use existing internet media channels to communicate ongoing studio initiatives and activities. We have brought together existing channels such as Twitter, Linked In and a Facebook fan page. We will be using less of this website to document our daily chatter, and continue to create more resolved and lasting content from the findings and feedback uncovered in our work and day-to-day experiences.

All of the pages on this website are linked to FaceBook. If you like a post, hit the “FB like” button at the end of the post, which with then communicate your ideas and feedback back to FaceBook.

– Facebook members can become a fan of Studio Pip and Co Forever here
– Twitter members can follow the Studio Pip and Co here

Why? Some open thoughts…

The concept of design is enjoying unprecedented community interest. Our televisions are spewing from its bowels entertainment that charges people to go forth and design. Across the world hundreds of design schools are being created which in turn are churning thousands of design students inspired by a wealth of design reference. There are also brigades of international design mentors, mainly from the UK and the US, who crisscross the world presenting their version of design at conferences, design love ins, or out performing each other on Ted TV. To top off design TV, the design student glut, design celebrity, there is also new inexpensive hardware and software technology, marking what was once impossible and specialised, quick to learn with infinite possibility. In 2010 everyone can be a designer, backed by the will and technology, a body work of inexpensive and convincing communication awaits.

The net result is that in twenty short years, the highly specialised profession of graphic communication and design seems to have lost it’s specialised quality. At the design sector’s extremes, there are a handful of established studios commanding respectful design fees and profits, and at the other, there thousands of creative service providers scrapping for awareness and client share. In market flooded with so many options, clients are also prepared to accept a lesser quality of work to cut costs, as long as it look good – even if the look compromises the brand’s value

Longevity and loyalty in design services are off the agenda, in a market flooded with choice because clients can :

– afford to jump from studio to studio without effecting the quality their marketing, in the short term
– the quality of the design work is high, the design fees are inconsistent,
– there are many new players in digital and media offering new and exotic products
– there are an abundance of studio’s willing to undercut each other and keen to work with jumpy clients

Designer seem to be in a strange uncertain place. In our supply and demand world a good carpenter, plumber and lawyer are rare and therefore enjoy enough demand for their work to create certainty. In comparison a good designer in market of many designers, finds they are competing aggressively to win a good reputation, yet even at this end, there is no guarantee of having enough certainty to sustain a stable career.

To change this situation designers need to reinvent themselves, to develop new qualities, skills and processes an define new roles, purpose and desire that a skilled computer operator, a design aware audience or client can not replicate. In a way, designers have to reconnect with the alchemy which makes creative thinkers unique, move beyond the “designer” cliche which seems to saturate mainstream past time and interest.

Maybe it is time to call on some age old adages – of finding a new balance, to be less of a conformist and more of a maverick, a wonderkind, or even find one’s zeitgeist.

What did George Bernard Shaw say again? “The reasonable man adapts himself to the world; the unreasonable one persists in trying to adapt the world to himself. Therefore all progress depends upon the unreasonable man.”

If you have ideas or feedback, your comments are welcome here, on FaceBook, or on Twitter

Concept brand for cultural movement

Event brand – 40th celebration

Type mark for a family bakery

Custom type mark for digital designer / developer

An arts production company

Custom type mark for an independent rock act

Graphic brand mark technology consultant

Online poster gallery custom type mark

Brand for a marine jets manufacturer

Administration services organisation

Government institution brand

Stencil symbol for coffee kiosk

At the centre of any brand campaign is a single graphic, type or symbolic mark that is the single identifier or sign off for the vast range of communication project.

All our brands start out as refined black and white expression which is a response to an idea, theme or vision. We spend countless hours ant f_cking our brand outcomes so they communicate and standout embroided, on sail clothe or as a digital animation.

Home page

Album track listing and sample player

Cartell news site

Cartell Music has expanded it offerings of producing music brand and event, such as the So Frenchy So Chic brand to an online store – Cartell Downloads. Cartell Downloads is a unique Space for French sounds and inspirations from Air, to Daft Punk, to Jean Michel Jarre, Django Reindhardt, Josephine Baker to the curious Perrey & Kingsley.

This digital design and development project, involved sub branding, web design and complex digital development by web developer – The Mighty Wonton, ie Little Irrepressible Wonton. The site hosts over 4000 tracks, each track can be sampled, and all can be purchased as single track or packaged as albums. Individual as well as gift voucher purchases can be made. Thanks to JF for the this fantastic project, good luck and best wishes for your new venture.

To celebrate the launch of Cartell Download and the new So Frenchy So Chic TV series four free tracks are available, click here for details

Visit Cartell Downloads here
Visit The Mighty Wonton here

Spring 2009

Early Summer 2010

Autumn 2010

Winter 2010

Winter 2010

A new addition to Brighton, why?

In the suburbs of Australia, there is a transformation of domestic architecture taking place. Robin Boyd in 1960 wrote of this idea in a publication called – The Australian Ugliness, a seminal investigation Australian architecture.

From the independent weekly by Teri Louise Kelly

A nation of gross architectural incompetence and negligence where foreign opinions and plans override local initiatives. A stark, incomplete, “she’ll be right mate” attitude to planning, giant kitsch, plastic flowers, jobs for the boys, not what you know but who you know, old school ties, pseudo colonialism, faux Americanism hitched to successive short-sighted leadership … it all pretty much sounds like The Australian Ugliness could have been released this year.

Some 50 years later the wrecking balls are sounding through the suburbs of Melbourne, crushing masses of unremarkable yet well considered domestic dwellings for built outcomes squeezed on their plot in ones, twos, threes and fours.

For every vacant lot there is a promise of poor architecture, short sighted land management and a range of materials that are mostly skin deep, cheap and fragile. May good luck be with these owners in a decade or so; when the product guarantees expire, veneer flakes off, the external walls sag, silicon seals unfix and general wear and tear takes place – quite possibly the wreckers ball will be called upon again.

Over several months one has witnessed this palace rose out of the ground, like one strange mushroom. One wonders what this thing is trying to be – Neo Georgian architecture, crossed with desert chic. What have English Coach lights got to do with blonde rendered sand stone finish and round lights straight from the isles of supermarket hardware – alot it seems in the land of Design-It-Yourself.

In a street filled with mostly functional architecture, this dwelling appears to be a parody of the concept house, an art project even inspired by the works of Australian artist Callum Morton. Sadly the project seems to be a real outcome, as two dominant and separate dwellings are squeezed onto a suburban block, that once had one unremarkable home.

One thing that any budding artist or, designer learns from an early stage of their working life – is that if you are prepared to design and make something, then be prepared to have it critiqued. The process of critique helps all involved to understand and learn from an outcome in the hope that next time something is produced the result at the very least will be an improvement from the last expression. Let’s hope that the house being wrecked around the corner has a critical, studied and considered designer behind the plans – as unlikely as this situation will be.

May collaboration with the architectural process in range of variations from kit, off the plan homes to bespoke concepts be common place soon.

Read about Melbourne architect and writer Robin Boyd here

Read about artist Callum Morton here

Valhalla by artist Callum Morton, NGV Melbourne 2009

In closing it is worth while mentioning a comprehensive gallery of built projects recognised by the Australian Institute of Architecture Awards programme, for people looking to develop new buildings. There are countless projects here with detailed reviews and images representing a range of budgets.

Visit the AIA Awards gallery here

Hawthorne Residences – Arco Eco

The Enclave Affordable Housing – Bligh Voller Nield

With a gentle touch of the wrecker’s ball – Studio Pip and Co.

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.

A card by cul-de-sac

cul-de-sac is a place where thoughtful and beautiful design happens. Integral to our disciplines of graphics, interiors and styling is a passion for creativity and respect for design. Regards, Marco Cicchianni, cul-de-sac design place

Visit cul-de-sac here

Editor’s notes:

Marco and the studio have a rivalry that is deep rooted in anger, aggression and plain face jealousy. Some say, Ashton has based his early success upon projects that he and Cicchianni had collaborated on — even though Ashton flatly ignores and denies any association.

“I was at the center of lot of ideas which were mused in late night clubs, gin joints and shady Kings Cross bars with Andrew in the 1990s, that were later to become the cornerstones of his high flying and prosperous career” Cicchianni adds, “Just ask Graeme (Smith), Andrew basically robbed Smith of his art-design-writing aesthetic and called it his own as well”.

We’ll let the people out there be the judge, maybe there are some comments, heady observations, ideas of the Sydney design scene in the 1990s, pre the Vince Frost, that need to be part of the public record… It would be good to get some real opinions, email us if you’re game, in the meantime drop Marco and his crew a few lines, they are a great force, and their new website says it all, best Toward Hansen

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.

The Colour Collective is a project developed by the Studio to illustrate how colour, applications and people, connects, is used, or amasses. The site keeps the words to a minimum and lets the images as an individual or collected outcome illustrate their point, or purpose. A little like a book shop, or library, the collection we are seeking to make is diverse, at all levels of interest and importance.

Our work with Optix paper motivated us to make this project happen. Along with gallery posts for Optix, an ongoing stream of ideas and workings documenting colour in action on our planet awaits.

Register, suggest, look, read and do so often… visit The Colour Collective here

Poster front

Poster back

The studio in association with AGDA is putting together the latest forty-eight event – an event is about supporting Australian creative people and celebrates the diversity of their output.

The theme loosely explores…

In 2010 we are asking speakers to respond to the idea of being at a crossroads, a significant moment, encounter or situation that brought about a change in direction or a clarification. Your crossroads could be a project, person or process that changed the way you work, the output you make. Throughout history many movements, outcomes and ideas have come about from a punctuated moment of inspiration or insight.

Our speakers this year cover the bredth of creativity art, design, film, and music (in alphabetical order), each speaker has a six minute slot of which fate and their stories, work and ideas dictate the rest.

Laura Cornhill, Studio Binocular – designers/image makers
Di Elderton, Argonaut studio – designers/image makers
Dominic Forde, Famous Visual Services – designers/image makers
Raafat Ishak – artist
Darren Henderson, dirtygood – designers/image makers
Tim Hocking and Tommy Elliot, Newbirds – Musicians on the make
Aaron Moodie – The People collective – designers/image makers
Pete Salmon, Salmon Design – designers/image makers
Tim Kentley, XYZ Studios – Picture Maker

Forty-eight (is at a cross road)
6.30 to 8.15pm
26 July 2010

Telstra Corporate Centre Theatrette (enter from foyer)
242 Exhibition Street (corner Lonsdale Street),
Melbourne

There will be drinks afterwards

For ticket details contact
vic (at) agda (dot) com (dot) au

A big thanks goes out to The Gunn & Taylor Printers crew for printing the invite, Optix by Australian Paper and Spicers Paper Paperpoint for the paper and cheer.

Book early as tickets are limited!