Michelle Tickle discovers what sets Melbourne’s design community apart.

Written by Michelle Tickle, Aquent Area Manager in Melbourne

Go to Google, put in the search terms: ‘Graphic Design’, ‘Melbourne’ and what do you get? A list with no fewer than 529,000 results. Perform the same search using Yellow Pages online and you will end up around 120 different listings.

Whichever method of search you use, one thing is certain: There is no dearth of advertising agencies, design studios – in-house and studios – here in Melbourne. But what, if anything, sets graphic design in Melbourne apart from the rest of the country and indeed the rest of the world? After all, we Antipodeans have always measured ourselves against our counterparts abroad. In 2006, has this really changed?

There is no doubt Melbourne has long been seen as a “Design Mecca” here in Australia and in recent times, has been recognised overseas in the forms of fashion, architecture, food and photography. But when it comes to graphic design, are we on the world stage or are we simply part of the audience?

So is there anything that is unique about graphic design here in Melbourne? According to Tim Arrowsmith, Creative Director of Interbrand, there is. For him, “it’s the right mix of contrasting values, sophistication and irreverence.” Melbourne has long been seen as Australia ’s most multicultural and it is this mix of European and Asian ancestry, combined with our own indigenous culture that has given the Melbourne design community a unique identity and personality. “We’re a bit like the platypus,” says Arrowsmith, “made up of so many different bits and pieces that somehow come together as something that is a winner.”

Stephen Van Elst, Creative Director of SEE New Media, believes this uniqueness has a lot to do with ‘attitude’. For him, ”there is an eagerness to win accounts and establish our design credentials with our popular rival, Sydney. Melbournians work that little bit harder to develop innovative and unique design executions.” Arrowsmith agrees, adding that “there’s a sense of independence and a can-do attitude amongst Melbournians that ensures our current and future success.”

This attitude is most clearly demonstrated by the high level of partnering between Designers and their clients, and that same level of partnership between Designers and their clients’ communication partners. All have come to expect the highest level of accountability and, as Arrowsmith also points out, “Melbourne Designers handle these situations well with a bit of perspective and a sense of humour.”

David Pidgeon, newly appointed Victorian AGDA President and owner of the
multi-award winning studio, Gollings & Pidgeon, believes there is a Melbourne mindset of constantly broadening our horizons and that means embracing all, being open to innovation and learning from others. And along with our diverse art and design community, an excellent education system has been created, which in turn allows us to continually draw from the best people and ensure they remain in the country, instead of travelling abroad.

The Aquent Salary Monitor 2005/2006 research highlights Melbourne’s commitment to retain its talent in the creative industry by offering them opportunities for continual learning. We have the highest level of Mentoring programmes (35%) in the country and overseas training programmes are offered to many designers.

So, with all these advantages, what’s on the agenda? Well, according to David Pidgeon, we have to constantly work on raising the profile of graphic design. For him, “it’s an ongoing issue to have the value of graphic design understood by the broader community. Van Elst agrees adding that “Australian clients are the most conservative and lack confidence when it comes to big ideas. They seek previous success in other markets as evidence, rather than taking the idea on for its own uniqueness.” With this in mind, there is a real opportunity for Melbourne design studios to set themselves apart, at least here in Australia.

For Interbrand, Arrowsmith believes “It is balance: trying to service a mix of international and interstate clients while maintaining our relationships here in Melbourne. China is a huge opportunity for us in terms of brand identity, so too is brand valuation throughout Asia Pacific. The true integration of business strategy and brand strategy is what we’re all about. Our design team at Interbrand helped China successfully manage their two biggest projects last year. It was a fantastic experience for all of us – and we know that here in Melbourne we have the right credentials to further impact that market.”

According to Arrowsmith, “ There’s an overwhelming social trend for ‘regionalism’ as communities react against globalisation, so an understanding of Asian cultures and cross-cultural communication skills are a huge bonus for us. We need to be willing to embrace these cultures as more and more Asian businesses look to Australia for help. That’s when the attitude and talent of Melbournian designers can shine through.”

The one undisputable factor is the commitment Melbourne Designers demonstrate to produce the very best work. Based on that commitment, what actions need to be taken to ensure a vibrant and successful future?

Van Elst has a positive outlook on the future. According to him, “with such great designers working in Melbourne , there is endless potential for the design industry now and in the future; however, to maximise this potential, Creatives need to gain client trust and confidence to prove that client success can be obtained through creative work.”

Similarly, Pidgeon believes our success is dependant on Melbourne's design community continually pushing itself forward through great thinking and healthy dialogue with both the design and wider communities.

Arrowsmith points to three critical factors: growth, education and

diversification. He believes that “we need to focus on punching above our weight in the Asia Pacific region, especially when Melbourne’s on a giant PR campaign... So much is happening this year from both a political and social point of view; hopefully a lot of goodwill will also be generated. The State Government is taking a keen interest in design, so we have the support and infrastructure to make the most of our opportunities happen.”

The paradigm is also shifting as the roles of traditional design/advertising/marketing/brand consultancies become blurred. We are now seeing design companies on the pitch lists for advertising campaigns. Hence diversification has a critical role to play in our future success.

With all that Melbourne has to offer in the way of environment, community, education and attitude, I look forward to the 2006 AGDA National Awards. I expect the result from 2004; (three Pinnacles awarded to Melbourne studios of the 11 on offer), will not be repeated. And of course, it has to be said: despite what many Sydney-siders might say, we do, in fact, have great weather. And don’t forget that we have also been voted the world’s most liveable city!

About Aquent

Michelle Tickle (mtickle@aquent.com) is the Melbourne Area Manager for Aquent (aquent.com), a global firm specialising in staffing solutions for the Marketing, Communications and Creative industries. Through a network of nearly 70 offices in 16 countries, Aquent services in the areas of print and Web design and Production; Advertising and Media, Marketing, Public Relations and Business Support. In its nineteen-year history, Aquent has made nearly 400,000 matches of independent professionals with client companies worldwide. The company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters are in Sydney. In Australia, the company has offices in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth.