The Apple Eco System Experience is the largest internal event that Apple has created in Australia and New Zealand, and is currently showing in Melbourne.

Our small team worked with Apple to create a set of high impact experiences for partner and customer executives (and decision makers) to bring to life Apple’s values, devices, software and services ecosystem.

Small 3x5 meter theatrical sets where designed and custom build to showcase what Apple technology can do in a home setting, retail, warehouse, office and a field setting. Apples specialist presenters moved seamlessly between the settings as they explained Apple features to the select audience.

I was the Creative Director of the experience, designing all the sets, working closely with set builders, lighting and AV specialist, as well as being the main contact into Apple. I also created the film (seen above) that was sent out to all the invitees.

As a Executive Creative Director at Semi Permanent my team and I collaborate with brands and organisations in order to help them express themselves on film, in animation across print, and in physical spaces.

I have over 20 years of experience working with large brands through global and local branding agencies such as Collider, Interbrand, R/GA and M&C Saatchi.

Below are five aspects of the design process that are important to me.

We wanted to bring motion to the brand, first and foremost. The demand to bring movement and liveliness to brands in general is increasing, so we always think motion first when we come up with ideas around key art for performances. This allows us to create artwork that can find multiple expressions around the same theme, allowing us to not get stuck on one key visual for all the different outputs.

Blending the digital with the physical.

We were asked to create both digital and physical installations in the foyer of the new Commonwealth Bank Headquarters at Barangaroo in Sydney. The foyer, designed by Hassell, features two areas devoted to the function of ongoing curative zones; a 10m LED wall and seven enclosed display cabinets.

On the ground foyer entry we worked with CommBank’s Archives team to curate an richly immersive exhibition that was designed to work across the seven box formats and illustrate some important moments in the technological advancement in Commonwealth Banks history..

We used a combination of physical props, moving animatronics and screen animation to communicate the main feature of each technological era.

Keep it simple. Or don’t. (But no hanging out in the middle).

I generally like to boil things down so that we are left with just the most effective elements that tell the story. But sometimes just being loud is the story, so then we just go with being loud.

Left: Book cover for Vigmostad & Bjørke, Norway.
Right: Book design for telecom Belong, Australia.
Done at Collider together with Andrew van der Westhuyzen.

An example of being loud is the Book of Limbo. It was done on behalf of the progressive carbon neutral telco, Belong. The brief was to manifest the concept of a digital wormhole in book form.

It won a wooden pencil award at the D&AD Awards in 2022. Below is a small ‘Making of’ film.