Welcome back! A new year and a fresh start. Some gladder than others now that 2011 has drawn to a close.
Aqua Agency celebrated the new year with delectable meals from A Tavola and some of us travelled the world.
Now that we’re back, we’re in full swing ready to go. So 2012, give us your best shot!
Batter up!
Your local Graphic Design Studio, wishes you a Merry Christmas!
Let’s momentarily ignore the fact that this looks like packaging for Lynx deodorant.
After opening to grab some deliciousness, I was greeted by some more black. But the thing that persuaded me to shoot this packaging design was the amazing attention to detail given to individual wrappers. Each row is wrapped in a different position to allow the ’5′ repeat pattern to follow through seamlessly.
Attention to detail has great importance in graphic design. All the little things count to make graphic design great.
Taking Apple’s advancement of interface design, we can see that they really know the value of attention to detail in graphic design.
Check it
interface graphic design
Read the full article on Apple’s interface design changes here. Some things as minute as this may not seem like much on its own. But when it’s surrounding environment is given the same level of detail, the users experience is altered entirely.
It’s important not to interpret ‘attention to detail’ as making your graphic design complicated. The key is to achieve simplicity while maintaining attention to detail, much like Apple have done.
A quick tip on kick-ass graphic design.
Our graphic design service has been utilised by the Leichhardt Municipal Council for numerous years. It was through this affiliation that the Italian Forum Cultural Centre came around to us for new branding, promotional and website design of their newly renovated performance space.
Their brand design brief included logo design, stationery design (including business cards, letterhead, envelope and compliment slip), event posters, programme brochures, website design and build with CMS including an e-newsletter design and template.
The Brief: The Forum is a space for artists. A projection of artists’ dynamism and a place to suitably cater for every artists needs. The Forum provides for theatre, music, arts, cooking, comedy and even business conferences. The main arts theatre features acoustics especially for musical resonation, catering for large crowds, kitchens for masterclasses, foyer space and an exhibition gallery room. Our graphic design brandingfor The Forum had to be something which reflected these qualities. Check out our final solution!
Graphic Design Sydney Leichhardt
And here’s the branding distributed across stationery:
Stationery Graphic Design Sydney
But hey, it’s not over yet. Head over to italianforum.com.au to see our web design too! We built this site using Joomla, Joomla is an open source content management system (CMS), which enables you to build websites with powerful add-on modules to really make your website stand out. Using CMS means the client can update and change any information at their own leisure, without needing knowledge of the techy-coding stuff or going back to a web developer to make changes at an extra cost. Easy peasy website design.
Graphic Design Sydney
The website was launched in time for the hugely popular Sydney Fringe Festival 2011, in which the Italian Forum Cultural Centre was a host. A bright start for The Forum!
You may have heard earlier in the year about the recent movement to ban graphic design branding on cigarette packaging. A few months later, it’s confirmed to follow through, making Australia the strictest on anti-smoking laws. A proposed packaging design has been released:
Graphic Design Packaging
Anyone would have thought this was packaging for industrial kerosene… but then I guess that’s the point.
The familiarity of a company’s brand is a powerful thing. With a visual consistency of graphic design across all brands, will smokers really be waned off? It takes another part of the brain to not give in to impulse/addictions. Hopefully Australians would have exercised that part in time for this to come.
New packaging is set to release on January 1, 2012.
Since snagging some publicity from mUmBRELLA on our Total Synergy ads, we’ve been mindful of Sydney Graphic Design everywhere. What makes a good ad? What makes graphic design effective?
We spotted this ad on a Sydney bus this week.
Sydney Bus Ad Graphic Design
Play on words gives a cheeky cleverness to your product. (see what I did there)
Even from a graphic standpoint, we haven’t got many components to play with. Being mainly imagery the product is given a chance to ‘speak for itself’ without the extra ‘glitter’.
Ordinarily, one would assume graphic design is making something pretty. We do that too. But graphic design is more than this. Graphic design is about evolving and producing solutions to convey a company’s message. The ‘glitter’ is only a small part of what we do at Aqua. This sydney graphic design bus ad is a great example of that. Design that looks appealing but also holds it’s own intelligence is what makes graphic design truly effective!
John asks…
I am a web designer who has good experience in web design. What I am doing now is designing a portfolio site for myself in hopes of getting more business. I have read so many online seo sites and forums but i cant get my site a reasonable page-rank. If someone can look at my site and give me tips or refer me to an affordable and effective seo service that would be great. My site is urlocalwebdesigner.com (also if have any tips on my site that would be awesome to 
Thank you so much!!!!
About your site and your portfolio…
That is a very subjective request. You have good spacing and use of images. My only suggestion would be tone your design down a little bit. Contemporary web design is shifting to softer, lighter colors, subtle design techniques seem to be the in thing now. Your Discount Mike design looks pretty soft – but the gradient brown columns are a distraction and make the user feel boxed in. Open up your side lines, if you want to delineate the interface boundries — be subtle. See how Yahoo Answers does it with a simple 1px #CECECE border. Soften your drop shadows to 40% opacity – avoid contrasting bright colors, use gradients sparingly. Just because you can do something, does not mean you should.
Couple of examples of what contemporary is popular. Notice the attention to the soft hues and tones.
Http://www.travelclick.net/ | http://www.haycreekhospitality.com/ | https://www.audiencerewards.com/Shows.cfm | http://www22.verizon.com/
For brochure-ware type websites, don’t give the user a lot of call to actions — make it very simple to navigate without a lot of options, like this
http://www.mcneillmedia.net/
Mary asks…
I want to know more about SEO and different ways i could promote the site. I have optimized the site for web design wakefield as a keyword or phrase. But i would like to do some off page SEO. Has anyone got any tips or suggestions software anything?
Thanks in advance for any answers.
On-site SEO advice: Have a bit more text on the home page to boost the keyword density, and use titles on links and alt text for pics to do the same. Off-site SEO: start social bookmarking, networking, Twittering, blogging and using sites for putting up content with links like Hubpages and Squidoo, etc, etc. You can quickly get 40-50 incoming links that way.
Sharon asks…
As a professional web designer (now ready for business) I’d like some ideas for a pricing chart.
Business, Corporate, Personal, etc…
What are some prices to always ask for and some tips on negotiating prices for those who don’t see the value in the price I ask.
Should certain features cause the price to go up? Like a site with video = $, a site with a premium template = $, a site with Ads = $, a site with extra SEO = $, a site with x amount of articles = $, a site that they want me to host and maintain vs them doing it = $, a site + some web design training so they can manage it =$, …
what about a pricing chart with all the basics on 1 half of page and a la carte features (extra design tweeks) on another? Which design extras should be on a Extras DesignList?
Any help is kindly appreciated!
Hi Chris,
Feel free to pop in to the Aqua studio when you have a moment and we might be able to give you some face-to-face advice on graphic design.
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Michael asks…
Hi i’m 22 i would like to know if there is any job’s in Information Technology i did TAFE i have three Certificate’s i have done Certificate I in Information Technology and Certificate II in Information Technology and Certificate III In E-Business and now i’m doing Certificate IV In Web-Design i finish that in december this year please help me or put a link up so i can see it Thank you.
If know any programming or coding, you can check out http://www.vworker.com/RentACoder/DotNet/default.aspx
It’s a site where people post projects that they need done and other people sign up to do those projects for them. I’ve never used it, but my friend made some money from it a while back.
Carol asks…
I am a 16 year old boy and I am in year 11 in a school in NSW, I want to earn money, my parents are not allowing me to work outside due to some personal reasons, I want to work from home or something like that, I can sit on the computer and do something to earn money for around 1 hour a day, I tried eBay but I wasn’t too happy because I was hardly earning anything and I was doing too much work for it, I don’t know if I was doing it the right way. I don’t mind doing jobs like completing surveys or something easy like that, I don’t want to do a job for which I earn under 100 dollars a month, I need to do something because the financial conditions in my family aren’t too good, I am good at computers, I don’t mind learning something new, but I don’t want to pay for something to earn money, I heard about stuffing envelopes, Mary Kay, freelance, web designing, eBay and writing but I don’t really know what this stuff is so if anyone knows what it is please tell me about it.
I would prefer being helped by someone who is already doing it and knows about it so that they can help me at the start.
Thanks
I had a look at some other stuff but it was mostly from america so it said that it was’nt available in my area.
most of the offers vailable on other sites are for overseas…i want something for Australia!!!
and i dont have a credit card 
Graphic design requires not only the drive from yourself but also the want to build businesses through marketing and branding. If you’re in for a quick fix, graphic design probably isn’t for you.
Helen asks…
As a new not-for-profit organisation, based in Sydney, we are in desperate need for a web presence but do not have the money to pay for one, neither the knowledge to create one.
For those thinking of posting a cynical or sarcastic answer … PLEASE don’t waste YOUR time.
You can find designers willing to do something like this on sites like Deviantart. You can browse users to get a taste of what they’re like first and post your project in the Projects forum. (www.deviantart.com)
Mostly designers offering to do free work are inexperienced. If you can’t find someone and would like some professional graphic design work, feel free to contact us!
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Pic Credit: Jonathan Mak
To some he was the mastermind of computing. Steve Jobs achieved a lot for technology today. We surely wouldn’t be where we are without the first release of the iPhone, iPad or iPod. His products altered our perception of technology and entertainment. As the head of Apple, the credit was to Steve Jobs.
I’ve been reading a lot of glorifying about Steve over the past week, which is why this particular article, ‘What Everyone is Too Polite to Say About Steve Jobs’ caught my attention. Actually, I came across a comment earlier today from a reader saying ‘Steve Jobs was not God’. He did contribute a hell of a lot, but are we over-glorifying him?
In relation to the article, yes, the working conditions: a no-no. We’ve heard for some time about the poor working environment Apple gives to its employees in China. The minimage age for leaving school in China is 16. And in this article from Feb 2011 we find Apple’s child labour issue worsens, utilising at least 91 children under 16 in factories.
In Person and At Home
This article takes a whack at Steve’s personality. You gotta respect the CEO of one of the greatest technology companies to date. And to be the head of a company of that capacity you need to develop ways to maintain and better the standards of your product. To strive for ‘better and better’ requires unbiased and critical standpoints. Steve’s employees would have had to expect that they are going to be hit with the good and bad. With some of his quoted references, do you think he took it too far?
On not donating to charity… ever
“He clearly didn’t have the time,” is what the director of Jobs’ short-lived charitable foundation told the New York Times. That sounds about right. Jobs did not lead a balanced life. He was professionally relentless. He worked long hours, and remained CEO of Apple through his illness until six weeks before he died. The result was amazing products the world appreciates. But that doesn’t mean Jobs’ workaholic regimen is one to emulate.
Hard work is respectable. But one should also realise the line between hard working and over-working. I wonder how Steve Jobs thought about his work practice? What motivated him the most to work so hard?
Despite the little negative attention Steve is getting, I don’t feel I’ll stop covetting my iMac or iPod for a while yet…
P.S. Still wish Michael Jackson was here.
Mandy asks…
Hi, I’ve recently become interested in web design and would like to take further courses preferrably at a university or tafe institution where I am able to transfer into a university degree.
I already have a bachelor of business degree under my belt and probably don’t want to do another bachelor degree (unless this was the best option and more can be gained by doing so than just a post graduate degree).
Does anyone have any recommendation on courses or advise which institution is renowned for their web design courses (and provide the official course name if you can).
Thanks. Much appreciated.
Actually, maybe the real question is do I need a university post graduate degree to be hired as a web designer? Or would one of those non-university institutions will suffice?
Hi Mandy, it’s preferrable that you have a degree in web design when looking for graphic design work. This tells your potential employer that you’ll know the inside and outs of designing for web!
Some of our staff have studied overseas, in universities and TAFE colleges. Tafe is great for a practical area like graphic design.
Daniel asks…
Hello, I am a recent graduate of Diploma in website development in Sydney, unfortunately they didn’t teach us what to do next in TAFE so right now I am unsuccessfully applying for web design jobs which require experience. In TAFE they taught us that web development jobs are contract jobs, but all the ones I can find say “full time/permanent”. Can an experienced I.T. Professional please tell me what to do next? I wish to apply for web design or development jobs, I have a little experience in TAFE as we had to manage a project of developing an advanced shopping cart in PHP, as well as paperwork, business models, etc. for an actual client. Candle I.T. recruitment has my resume but claims they do not specialize in web dev jobs. Any advice on how to get my foot in the door, or advertising myself will also be greatly appreciated. Also I am applying for MCSE as there seems to be demand for a web developer with networking knowledge. Can anyone please tell me if exam 70-620 (Windows Vista client exam) is still valid or many workplace computers have upgraded to windows 7 and I should focus more on that?
The best experience you can get in web development is by means of work and training. But you should firstly have a reliable technical background to get a nice position in programming and development.
I looked on Google for technical programs and training companies, and I ended up finding good references. A lot of what kind of position you obtain has got to do with your search tactics. What kind of people do you see yourself working for? Where can you find them? Job seeking can sometimes be an arduous journey, but the trick is not to just settle! Perseverance is a God-send!
Best of luck!
David asks…
Just wondering if a teaching degree is required to teach technical courses such as web design / development. I am thinking of pursuing teaching as a part-time job in a local community college or things like that. I am in sydney, australia. Any info will be highly appreciated.
No, you do not need a teaching degree to teach beyond high school here. Yes, there are plenty of ways to teach in those fields without even a degree.
To teach at a college, you must have a Master’s degree or better.
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Has anyone else seen these clever bus ads for Be Natural muesli bars?
Advertising Be Natural’s new muesli bar range titled ‘four’, promotes the inclusion of fruit, nuts, grains and seeds.
Not only can they be understood from both sides of the shelter, but also has 3-D seed and nut lettering in the space between the panels!
How brilliant!
We’ve gotten some controversial publicity over our Total Synergy ad.
Already having great success in the UK, it was time for the ‘More Time’ campaign to hit Australian shores.
Having approval by Architecture Australia, Architecture Review and AEC Magazine, things were looking positive that Engineers Australia would look to the ad with similar humour. But this apparently wasn’t the case.
EA refused to run our ‘Bruce’, seeing the image as a ‘sexual reference’.
“I asked whether it was the pierced stomach, the tats, the nappy or the high heels that was the problem, and was told it was the overall sexual reference that was not acceptable,” said Total Synergy’s marketing manager Katie Yates, who co-wrote the ads with the company’s CEO.
So what is it they see? Were they right to have rejected Bruce?
Read the full story at mUmBRELLA
Balmain is full of great restaurants, cafes, pubs and shops which have been promoted in a SMH insert produced by the Balmain Chambers.
The Aqua Agency has designed the 6 page folds to A4 size brochure with a map to highlight the venues linked with their listing and a full description. The historical aspects are discussed as well as photos of the colourful locals in the area.
To brand or not to brand that is the question. Branding or rebranding can be an important part of setting you apart from the crowd. In these competitive times it is important that your company is represented in the market place with the correct image. Image is everything and your branding is an important part
of this.
Branding is usually the first thing a prospective client will see when looking at engaging a company. Furthermore, your brand will need to be consistent through all your contact channels such as website, stationery, POS, advertising and livery. You only have a few seconds to inspire a person, to stop and reflect on what has hopefully just impressed them enough to choose you.
Once your brand is developed and you establish a standing in the industry it may be that every few years slight changes are needed to stay current. Never rest on your laurels.
Below is an example of successful rebranding The Aqua Agency recently did for the Leichhardt Park Aquatic Centre. They wanted a fresh new look to suit their state of the art $7 million refurbishment.
Before
After
We’ve been having some fun today exploring Google’s new drag and drop image search feature!
You can drag an image from an existing search, or even an image straight from your desktop! Google will come back with where it’s used and also detects similar matches.
Maybe this can come in handy to check for ripped off work…
Irene
this house is for sale over looking the Sydney beach, Tamarama. what were they thinking with the roof, floor and wall
A company’s web presence has now become a necessity. Without being listed online, where do new customers come from? Being online gives your company the mandatory push towards business growth.
Now that our society has made everything ‘at the push of a button’, you’ll find that most potential customers/clients won’t find you unless you find them first.
Enter social networking.
Facebook is an integral resource in terms of connecting people and expanding in company contacts. Suggesting friends and companies to your page strengthens existing connections and helps to establish new client relationships.
Although, social sites alone aren’t enough to institute the confidence level needed from new clients/customers. This sense of professionalism can be achieved through an independent website for your company.
Here are a few things to consider when going online independently.
Optimise Your Website
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) means your website is built in such a way that it has more chance of appearing in Google search results. A service Aqua provides. Although, we know that the technicality of a website only accounts for a small portion of its effectiveness.
Be Direct
In a google search, the average user will spend 3-8 seconds on a selected page. If the information they’re looking for isn’t easily accessible, they’re running some place else. These 3-8 seconds are not about communicating all you can about your company. Rather, communicating your company’s core service in the most direct way possible. This way users will quickly know if you can offer them what they’re searching for.
Establish a Network
Give your users the opportunity to join your network. Achieving consistency across your pages gives a sense of community and connection.
On your home page: link to your facebook, twitter, blog…
On your Facebook: link to your home page, twitter, blog…
On your Blog: link to your homepage, twitter, fb…
And so on.
I like to think of these pages as your ‘internet fingers’. Touch as many sites as you like, so long as they come back to your company hand. Hello cyber-community!
It’s important to keep these pages up-to-date to show your network that you’re up to speed with regular workflow.
Establishing connections through social networking allows you to connect with clients on a personal level which can strengthen trust and respect
(so long as your not posting about the dances you got at your mate’s bucks party).
Have you made connections through social networking?
Have you applied SEO to your website?
Some users will only wait a few seconds before closing a website. How long does your site take to load?
Are all your ‘internet fingers’ linked to one another?
Taking your company to the digital realm can sometimes seem daunting, with so many paths to take. So long as all your online presence is linked to the same place, your company will portray that level of professionalism and knowledge we all want to reveal to our customers.
Irene
This is a photobooth I constructed out of foam core and tracing paper. You simply direct lights through each side and top which gives off a diffused light. We can perform product shots through an opening in the front without getting any reflection, shadows or light blasts on the products.
We can choose to even have the front accessible for handheld shots like this one…
Lovin it. Can’t wait to shoot some more!
Tim.
The Aqua Agency’s been chosen to rebrand newly elected Greens Member, Jamie Parker for the Balmain area. As the first Greens member of the Legislative Assembly, the pressure has certainly been on to deliver Jamie’s
full potential to the locals. We got the opportunity to have him photographed, right here in the studio!
Lookin’ smart Jamie!
Irene
The latest addition to the Aqua team; after flying into a window and given a proper ceremony…
The Pitta bird. Usually found on forest floors and listed as endangered… from deforestation.
Not flying into windows.
The Bowerbird, another inhabitant of forests. Known for building his nest from shiny things in an attempt to attract a female. Reminiscent of some people I know…
Taxidermy. Creepy or cute?
