The Department Communications and the Arts occupied 5 floors in the Nishi building in Canberra, and the wall opposite the lifts on each level were utilised for directional signage to assist staff with navigation.

The main signs were designed with angled panels, providing better visibility of the floor number for staff exiting the lifts. An additional, smaller sign was installed closer to the sliding doors used for entering and exiting the lift areas. The two signs were connected by an LED strip light that sits flush with the wooden wall panelling.

The information displayed on the signs has been added as cut vinyl, allowing for cost and time effective updates, should they be required.

When existing as the Department of Communications and the Arts, the 2017–18 Annual Report was the first produced since the launch of a new corporate brand.

A series of illustrations were produced for a highlights section at the start of the report — this presented a summary of the department’s most significant work throughout the past financial year, and provided readers a high-level understanding at a glance. These illustrations were also repurposed for promoting the report through the department’s social media channels.

Located in a shared-use building, an illuminated sign for the department was designed and built for installation adjacent to the security front desk to assist visitors with navigation.

Subtle brand elements were incorporated through the use of negative space, with an LED backlight illuminating the spaces to define the geometric shapes.

The project involved consultation with the sign builders (Screenmakers), electricians, and the department’s building services manager.

In 2017, the Department of Communications and the Arts moved its Canberra office to the Nishi building. As part of a wider internal communications campaign, the Nishi welcome book was produced to assist staff with the transition to a new location.

The book was a printing production challenge, designed to include customised fold-out covers and a perforated panel containing a section of content intended as a quick reference guide to new technology being introduced at Nishi.

Visuals act as a strong support to many communications pieces. They assist users with identifying and understanding messages and key information.

Shown here is a small selection of some of the visual messaging that has been produced for a variety of purposes.

When existing as the Department of Communications and the Arts, a corporate brand was developed in consultation with an external agency. Once refining the brand in-house, rollout to various collateral was undertaken. Shown is a small selection of items I have applied the brand to. From top to bottom:

• Twitter banner and avatar

• Windows 8 desktop background

• Certificate of achievement

• Business card

• Pull-up banner

In the Canberra office of the Department of Communications and the Arts, a display was installed in the foyer area adjacent to the lifts. Designed to establish the department’s presence in the building it displays the names of departmental award recipients, and showcase announcements relevant to high-profile work.

The sign was designed with a customised system for the award recipients component. With a requirement to update the names each year, I worked with a external signmaking company, Screenmakers, to devise a solution that enabled flexibility of layout and a timely and cost-effective means for updating the names. Affixed on magnetic grid, a series of acrylic blocks applied with printed vinyl achieved what was required.

The main panels are vinyl wrapped aluminium, slotted into a frame fixed to the wall. Below the main panels a strip of Echopanel was installed to display polaroids of departmental events. The layout of the sign was design to incorporate a digital screen for displaying announcements relevant to the work of the department.

The Prime Minister’s Literary Awards is an annual occurrence, and was managed by the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts until 2023. In 2016, I designed a new identity for the awards. The circular element represents a spotlight, reflecting the awards’ recognition of prominent and emerging Australian literary talent. The bars mimic the shapes of bookshelves and lines of text. The geometric elements are versatile devices that can be applied in various ways, making for a dynamic and easily identifiable brand.

Committed to attracting high-quality candidates to the department's graduate program, various touch points existed as a means for potential applicants to seek information about the department and what to expect as a member of the graduate program cohort. These include career fairs, a dedicated graduate program Facebook page and the department’s Twitter channels. The materials designed for these purposes are consistent with the department’s corporate brand, and reflect the modern and progressive culture of the workplace.