For regular followers of this blog, you may already know that I am working with Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) on rolling out their new look branding. RMHC helps seriously ill children and their families through a broad range of programs and initiatives, one of which is Ronald McDonald House  (you can find out more at www.rmhc.org.au).

I had been asked to design an interior wall mural for one of RMHC houses and I was pretty excited. RMHC had joined forces with HP to produce this project on a big scale. HP have developed a new PVC-free wallpaper that was going to be ideal for this use. The wallpaper is ideal for photographic prints, is odour free, applies to the wall surfaces with water (which activates the glue) complies with a huge range of Australian standards, flame retardant AND lasts 20 years! You can read more about this amazing product here – View datasheet (pdf, EN only).

The final mural was close to 5m long. That may be one of the largest prints I’ve done to date! One of the things I had to take into consideration was the sheer size and the fact that most times for large posters or murals, they are meant to be viewed from far away, however in this instance, viewers would be sitting fairly close to the wall so we had to present the information comfortably at a height that was easy to read and also not overwhelming in the space.

Also, given that families might be staying for a while and may have to see this over and over again, we wanted to be able to keep it evolving. So the bottom half includes a series of blanks bricks so that families can add messages of support and hope to the wall, add their ‘mark’ so that future families can read those messages of inspiration and encouragement.

So here it is, the final mural. I have yet to see it in person – but I can’t wait!

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Posted by Netra on Oct 20th 2011 | branding - corporate - design - graphic design - print design
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REDefining, REDesigning Part III

If you have been following this blog over the past few posts you will know I have been on a journey of self-discovery. Or perhaps that should be ‘rediscovery’. Part of this was moving out of my dedicated home office, and into a commercial space. Part of it was reflecting on the journey to date, what I bring to my clients and who and where I want to be in five, ten and twenty years. Another part of it was the realisation of working for myself, means I can actually be myself without feeling that I need to conform to what I thought a corporate in-house designer should be.

And it’s the small things. Small things like the colours in my logo. The posts below explain it all, so I don’t need to harp on about it again. But here it is. My new look and logo. It’s red, its vibrant, its passionate and exciting and I love it.

My old logo was a series of rings expanding from each other. This logo is three simple rings coming together. No dotted or dashed lines, only solid linework. No shades or transparent colours, they are all solid. No random expansion and growth, it’s all focussed. It’s an evolution of the old logo, but it’s a visual representation of who I am and what I want to do going forward.

As much as the logo represents focus, it also represents vision. The same way you can look through a camera, or telescope, or microscope or any other instrument of vision, there is a dial that makes all the fuzzy bits clear – that’s what I want to do with the clients who come to me with a tangle of ideas in their heads. I want to help people focus and achieve their visions of their business and brand.

In terms of vision and focus there is a much more personal meaning layered under all of that as well. It’s essentially my name. I love my name – granted I have never ever found it on a keychain, or a mug – but I love how unique and unusual it sounds. I also love it’s meaning – as a word it means ‘eyes’ in Hindi and Thai (so I’ve been told). Within the last 2 weeks as I’ve googled, I have also discovered that as a name it can also mean ‘vision’, or a ‘guide’ (to be the eyes for another person). That has been a lovely way to be able to articulate all the hope that I have for the exciting journey ahead.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts with photos from my launch party. But for now, here is the new look.

Posted by Netra on Oct 8th 2011 | branding - card - corporate - design - graphic design - logo - marketing - personal - print design
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Posted by Netra on Sep 27th 2011 | branding - corporate - design - graphic design - marketing - personal - print design
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I have been volunteering with www.heartfelt.org.au over the past 3 years in some way or another. As a photographer (I am on a break from shooting at the moment), as a retoucher (I have 3 retouching jobs on right now for 3 very special families) and as a casual designer.

For those of you who are not familiar with Heartfelt, I’ve copied this from their website:

“Heartfelt is a volunteer organisation of professional photographers from all over Australia dedicated to giving the gift of photographic memories to families that have experienced stillbirths, premature and ill infants and children in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units of their local hospitals, as well as children with serious and terminal illnesses.

Heartfelt is dedicated to providing this gift to families in a caring, compassionate manner. All services are provided free of charge.”

I designed and produced the first Heartfelt Exhibition in 2009 in Sydney, and this year was very lucky to be asked to be involved with the exhibition panels and catalogue again. The exhibition was on in March this year, but better late then never… here it is.

Please make sure to go to the website and familiarise yourself with the service and what the organisation does. You can also find Heartfelt on Facebook, like the page and help spread awareness of the service. It is my hope that you and all those around you never, ever have to call.

If you are a photographer or retoucher and would like to join Heartfelt. You can apply online at www.heartfelt.org.au.

The last image here on the right is an image I captured during a Heartfelt session of baby Noor who had already passed away when the image was captured. In this image, he is holding onto his father’s thumb.

Posted by Netra on Sep 2nd 2011 | design - exhibition graphics - graphic design - personal - photography - print design - pro bono
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Alex Castle was after a new look for her photography business, Jumping Jigsaws Photography. The challenge with this particular project was to find a way to express the fun, whimsical feel of her brand and style without resorting to jigsaws (too obvious) or anything that involved people jumping (I must admit I got stuck on the jumping people for a bit).

The business name itself had its roots in the names of family members, so changing it was not an options. Finally after some tearing out of hair (not me, I meant Alex!) we settled on the floral pinwheel. Once this was locked in, we began to see endless possibilities in the pinwheels as a theme to carry through the photography as part of her visual identity.

Working on her blog interface, Alex came up with the brilliant idea of the pinwheels spinning and coded the flash header herself!!! (Alas she is not giving up her photography dream to go into full-time Flash blog header animation as much as I pleaded).

So without any more waffle from me, here it is – the new look for Jumping Jigsaws Photography! 

Posted by Netra on Aug 7th 2011 | design - graphic design - logo - marketing - print design
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Anneke Green and I have been collaborating on the development of her brand for grown ups. She already has an existing brand for the younger folks, called Tummy to Toddler and was after a new look and feel for a more sexy, grown up market.

Anneke had chosen the name Capture Me Beautiful for her new brand. Being that the focus was on boudoir, couples sessions and other similar shoots – we started off playing with the notions of ‘capture’ and what it meant to be captured.

In a playful twist, the idea that by letting someone ‘capture’ a subject in an image, would be empowering and liberating – almost like setting oneself ‘free’. And so, the first symbolic icon was born, the cage and bird in flight. From there, the rest of the icon suite grew and grew. The idea is that Anneke can add more if she likes, swap and change them as the need arises.

They all sit within a framing device, much like a voyeur might peep through a window, or watch a reflection in a mirror, or someone might see silhouettes through a window late at night. It’s all very grown up, and very sexy!

Check out Anneke’s work at the Capture Me Beautiful blog.

Posted by Netra on Aug 3rd 2011 | branding - card - design - graphic design - logo - marketing - photography - print design
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Earlier in the year, I was contacted by the Australian Breastfeeding Association to ask if I would be interested in pitching for the design component for their upcoming International Conference. Of course I jumped at the opportunity to work with them again, in particular Susan Greenbank who is always a delight to collaborate with.

I submitted my proposal and waited a few nervous days before I found out that it had come down to the wire, but I had won the project. It was huge. The scope included developing the logo for the conference, extending this to a visual identity and branding that could be adapted across many different promotional pieces, and then the design of those pieces as well!

It’s always SUCH a pleasure and relief to be able to take a branding project from the logo right through to the end design. It let’s the designer really do what they are supposed to, and enjoy the process, work with the brand like a nervous mother might hover over their own toddler, and finally waving it off into the big wide world.

There are still a few bit and pieces left for this project before the conference at the end of October. But for now, here is the logo (complete with blocks to step up and concentric rings expanding and reaching out like a broadcast message) and the icons we developed to identify the key themes of the conference (community, innovation, discussion & support).

There is also the first couple of pages of the Sponsorship Prospectus hat was done as a print and interactive document, the 24pg Conference Proceedings and Registration booklet  (I especially love the form on the last page – I have a thing about making all forms look like tax forms) as well as the banner for the web page.

Make sure to check out the Step Up, Reach Out website and also make sure to have a look at the program.

Just wanted to say thank you for the marvellous work you have done with the design on our international conference materials. The conference program arrived from the printer today and looks fab. We are now at 620 delegates and I think that is of course due to the FABULOUS promotion we have done! I really have enjoyed working with you and thank you for all the weird hours you’ve had to put in. There will be many more projects to come so I’m sure you’ll hear from me again soon!
- Susan Greenbank, National Marketing Manager, Australian Breastfeeding Association

Posted by Netra on Aug 2nd 2011 | branding - brochure - commercial - corporate - design - graphic design - logo - marketing - print design
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PCCA are hosting their big Australasian Networking Conference in Sydney in a few short weeks and we got to do all their material for it! As it is a conference for international attendees, PCCA were keen to showcase the location and what better way to do that but to use the all-recognisable Sydney Opera House on the front!

The scope of the project included an RSVP card, a save-the-date card and magnet. We have just finished producing the conference agenda on a lanyard insert, gate-folded to slip into attendees lanyard to keep handy at all times.

We were very lucky to find a stock art image of the Opera House that was close to the corporate blue of PCCA, so with a bit of a boost to the levels in Photoshop, we were able to bring the image in line with the brand colours.

Posted by Netra on Jul 26th 2011 | branding - card - corporate - design - graphic design - invitation - marketing - print design
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Tara Hawley from Sweet Little Birdy dropped me a line to give her a hand revamping her business identity and applying it to a suite of promotional collateral. Clearly with a name that included a bird, we were going to stay with the bird she had. We just tidied it up a bit, gave her an interesting shape to brand with and keep her existing colours.

Once that was done we started rolling out the new logo on her material. With a business that sells party and homewares, gift and event styling options, there was a phenomenal range of imagery to choose from – and everything was just so gorgeous! So far we’ve done a couple of adverts (keep an eye out for the Sweet Little Birdy advert in the upcoming issue of Donna Hay Kids) and postcard, flyers are just about done as well.

I just love having a strong identity that carries through all the accompanying material. When you take a step back and see it as a whole, you really get a sense that this is a business that has things together. Its looks so professional and I hope this really helps Tara take her business to the next level.

Make sure to stop by www.sweetlittlebirdy.com.au and check out her products – they are just fabulous!

Posted by Netra on Jun 9th 2011 | branding - brochure - card - commercial - corporate - design - flyer - graphic design - logo - marketing - print design
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I’ve had the distinct privilege of working with this brand since its inception and evolution over the past couple of years. What initially started out as NFE Design and then grew to require the specialty sub-branch Indulge has now shifted gear to evolve into a new sub-brand direction called Beloved by Renee Bell.

Renee has built a strong visual identity within her own personal and business brands over the past few years. Both each have their own equity and so all we had to do to leverage this equity was to tweak Indulge slightly and so… Beloved was born. You can check out more of Renee’s work on her Not For Eating blog at www.nfedesign.com.au or her website www.reneebellphotographer.com.au.

Posted by Netra on Jun 7th 2011 | branding - card - design - graphic design - logo - marketing - print design
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