Category: <span>Work</span>

dralionA work Christmas present got Geoff and I to Dralion, Cirque Du Soleil.

It was amazing, people should NOT be able to bend like that or hang off someones neck mid-air or run up walls or balance 6 people on a ball when they are dressed up in pairs in massive dragon costumes!

The dragon’s were by far the most entertaining (and if I can be girly and mention how cute they were), the acrobatics, trampolining and the juggling wonderful – astounding, the singing people were naff, but all up it was extremely worth every minute. Although the 2.5 hours seemed to go very quickly.

If you get the chance, go.

Culture Life Work

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The MECS signs are up in the flesh. It’s a bit odd seeing them. The still haven’t cut the posts down (so you can’t see the tops) but there you go. I am not super impressed with the top bubble’s light-brown as it looks more yellowish than it should. I guess Pantone can let you down a little afterall… might be the surface?

Branding Design Work

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Today – finally – is the launch of the new MECS brand. Initially the project was part uni assignment that I coupled with a pitch and managed to get the job! For the last little while I have been working on their signage and stationery and as soon as I get given copies, and the signs are put up – I will share some photos. Note to the locals: I’m not responsible for the car stickers or the open day signs… just the other stuff.

This is the logo, by way of explanation it is:

  • An abstraction of three people in conversation, this ties in with both a community focus and home-school partnership.
  • A tree, representative of growth and suitable for the Yarra Ranges environment.
  • Pathways, indicative of MECS providing direction and leading students through their time at school.
  • And to a lesser extent the addition of five colours is reflective of 5 values (which I cannot pull off the top of my head at this very moment).

The logo has undergone several transitions from where I left it and a huge number from where it started. The one submitted to uni used an entirely different typeface and was one-colour, the placement was also closer to the secondary vertical version. The typeface in use now is Fontin it suits the school better than the previous one, it also makes my life easier because it is of superior quality and can be used more widely.

Secondary vertical version:

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This morning the school had a brief morning tea to officially kick off the branding. I am really happy with the outcome, it feels right for the school. Here’s to hoping I get to dig my hands into their website in the next few months. In the mean-time I have picked up another job doing a website revamp for a pharmacy.

I am not sure if I have talked much about concluding my time working at Ergo Consulting. I am in the handover process and will be finished by the end of March it seems the timing is really good. I’ve loved working with Ergo and learnt a huge amount while I’ve been there – not only in administration/design but about the business world. They are exceptional people to work for. This year however, I need to focus on uni a bit more and want to keep doing this freelancing stuff to get some experience under my belt.

On the design note, I have also just finished the Business Sustainability Round Table website (Work through Ergo) – the focus of all my IE complaints via Twitter of late. The fun area is in the member section (Which you aren’t allowed to go to!) and I got to dig around and make useful various plugins and php. I also created the BSRT logo – the pyramid is to do with some business model/a leaf shape for sustainability, the ’round’ bit is quite literal for ’round table’, you could say it is globe’ish too, but that could be taking things a bit far. A brochure is currently getting printed, photos to come of that too.

Print

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It is entirely up to me to eventually work out which are feasible, but it is now 2009 and there are, however ridiculous: resolutions or I could term them idealutions, at least that way there is leeway in sidestepping the mark.

2009 came in moderation, not with a bang. There were no fireworks, but we had sparklers, music, champagne, a marquee and a few friends. I most enjoyed the early morning introduction to ’09. First up after a less than perfect sleep in a tent on less than flat ground, but there was an eggshell sky and sun, a silent field and moment of the same before it went to the crapper and the clouds and we got some rain.

The news continues to talk about 2008 as a non-highlight and begs hope out of the new year. I am inclined to disagree with the former statement however the word hope is a sweet one that should live on.

In a moment of introspection (aka. now) here are my highlights of the past and hopes for the present (with a few true aspirations and undoubtedly top shelf items that I won’t really reach, being short and all).

Highlights

  • January 5th I married my best friend. And consequently spent the rest of the year married to him (to be continued…). It’s been interesting and fun! Needless to say, I really love being married and I really love Geoff! It’s certainly been a wildly contrasting year in regard to all previous years.
  • Uni, second semester proved full of inspiring people especially in regards to tutors. I finally felt like I was pulling my weight effectively and got to try things like branding and animation. I have come to the realisation that I mightn’t fit the typical traditional stereotype of ‘graphic designer’ but can work from my interests and strengths and hopefully can levy more out of the web stuff and marry it with my ‘designish eye’.
  • Frustration. It seems a weird choice to include it here, but God has increased my frustration with how I live as a Christian and how church can/could operate. It hasn’t gotten too far but there is room for movement and there needs to be room for movement. Some of this is tied up with finishing up with leading youth and being dumped in the deepend of doing nothing.
  • And there are the miscellaneous things like: growing friendships with people like Beth and Bri, marvelous restaurants, some great movies  and books and some less than typical experiences – like seeing Wicked.

Un-Highlights

  • A bodgy start to the uni year with some super low motivation levels in regard to particular subjects.
  • Less investment in certain friendships and not because of want, but because I am a lazy and…
  • Feeling so busy and unorganised

Idealutions, resolutions and hopeings

  • A slower year, where priorities become priorities and the trivial things are thrown out with the bathwater
  • Invested time and head space to enjoy and get the most out of uni
  • To be more organised at home
  • Eat better, cook nicer food – to be bothered
  • Get more fit
  • To continue to investigate, read more about, and live out some of the results of the aforementioned frustration
  • More time for God…. listen more, write more
  • Be less critical of things like traditional church and learn to love what is good and do differently instead of simply getting annoyed.
  • Be a part of something that explores doing Church differently, try some things!
  • To freelance for a while and to do well at it in terms of being self-disciplined and gain useful experience
  • Put together a portfolio, get a design job
  • More head in the blog. More faithful writing, less crap. Perhaps make something more of it.
  • Release a WordPress Theme (and yes it is in production!)
  • Learn to use the Wacom properly and work on practicing drawing/illustration etc.
  • Learn more about Flash
  • Learn more about Illustrator
  • Learn some of the little extra things about webdesign and standards that I might otherwise ignore.
  • Get my head around Javascript/PHP etc..
  • Continue to work on building a really good marriage and be better at loving Geoff
  • Be better at maintaining and developing friendships
  • Invest in things like Soul Survivor etc.
  • Keep track of the money I spend
  • Spend less money
  • Own less, give more
  • Greater confidence and willingness to try things (especially re. design)
  • Days of doing different things, like taking my camera out somewhere foreign or less than usual
  • Finish uni, and do well in my final year
  • Righteousness and peace… Isaiah 32, Romans 14

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There’s a small part of me that thinks I should have studied Interior Design. Yes I would suck, but I’m obsessed. A good percentage of the blogs I read are interior based – I think I just like pretty, pleasing things.

And OH MY GOSH. This site is splendid. It showcases the interiors of creative workplaces – (Yes that means Design studios and the like).

This Ain’t No Disco.

But hey, I can’t say I’ve got it too bad. My part time job at Ergo Consulting is in a pretty lovely place. (I’m responsible for those ‘posters’ on the staircase wall)

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And we’re not even in a ‘traditionally creative’ field.

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