Client: Moreton Bay Regional Council

Services: Masterplanning, creative workshops, research, spatial planning, interior design, graphic design

We were engaged to develop a master plan for the the Redcliffe Library to ensure it is fit-for-purpose to meet customer needs, interests and aspirations for the next 15–20 years..

The project involved several workshops with Redcliffe Library leadership and operational staff to understand the context, collection and aspirations for the library. Extensive research was undertaken into the strategic context and how libraries are changing the way they deliver their services.

The master plan involves a staged transformation of the library and a redesign of a number of existing spaces.

The images presented here show the re-imagined floor plan, white model renders of the proposed redesign of spaces and the moodboard of materials and finishes.

Visit the Redcliffe Library website.

Client: The Joy Dispensary

Services: product design, graphic design, web design, project and production management

Blackwell’s Design Co. was approached by Stace Callaghan and Liv Cosham from The Joy Dispensary to bring the game they’d developed to life.

We developed a series of prototypes and focus tested these to clarify and drive the product design.

The genius of the game is the Key Learning Table (KLT) and the series of 10 stencils that overlay the KLT to reveal various games. It was an amazing, complex challenge!

The Oom-Pah! logo, and look and feel were created after extensive market research.

Visit the Oom-Pah! website

visit The Joy Dispensary website

Client: Moreton Bay Regional Council

Services: Masterplanning, creative workshops, research, spatial planning, curatorial framework, interior and exhibition design, graphic design

We were engaged to develop a 10-year masterplan for the redevelopment of the Redcliffe Museum.

The project involved several workshops with Redcliffe Museum curatorial and operational staff to understand the context, collection and aspirations for the museum.

The master plan involves a staged transformation of the museum exhibition spaces and a redesign and extension of several of the existing exhibits. New content, drawn from the strengths in the collection is now showcased.

The Redcliffe Museum reopened on Saturday 26 May 2018 and has been transformed in line with the phase 1 recommendations proposed in the masterplan.

The images presented here show the re-imagined floor plan, white model renders of the proposed redesign, and how the redeveloped museum looks today after stage 1 of the master plan has been implemented.

Visit the Redcliffe Museum website.

Client: Mountain Designs

Services: Concept, photoshoot art direction, graphic design

Photography courtesy of Mountain Designs

Winter catalogue feature photography by Tim Allen

Client: Moreton Bay Regional Council

Services: Interior design, furniture and joinery design, furniture specification, production management.

We were engaged to design the foyer, retail outlet and maker space for the Redcliffe Art Gallery.

Client: Moreton Bay Regional Council

Services: Master planning, creative workshops, research, spatial planning, curatorial framework, interior and exhibition design, graphic design

In 2019 we were engaged by Moreton Bay Regional Council to develop a 3-year Visitor Experience Masterplan for the redevelopment of the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum.

The project involved several workshops with Pine Rivers Heritage Museum curatorial and operational staff to understand the context, collection, vsision and aspirations for the museum.

The masterplan recommends a staged transformation of the museum spaces across three buildings and the grounds. The design concepts presented created multiple new exhibition and display spaces, which completely transformed the the open plan, barn-like main gallery to deliver a range of compelling visitor experiences. This allows for current content to be explored more fully, and for new content, drawn from the strengths in the collection, to be showcased.

The images here include a couple of historical images in the PRHM collection, the re-imagined floor plan, white model renders and concepts of the of the re-conceived museum.

Visit the Pine Rivers Heritage Museum website.

Client: Leap in!

Services: Graphic design, finished art

Leap in! is Australia’s leading NDIS plan manager. As part of their commitment to their customers they produce a range of material to help people with a disability access the NDIS and live their best life.

Client: Flight Centre Travel Group

Services: Research, writing, content development, exhibition design, graphic design, illustration, project management, production management, documentation

MOFOS Museum of Our Story consists of nearly a kilometre of visual stories installed in Flight Centre Travel Group's (FCTG) global headquarters at Southpoint, in Brisbane.

The story of FCTG is over four decades long. It’s a great big story. In 2016, the company has almost 20 000 people in 14 countries around the world and more than 40 brands.

In April 2015, FCTG engaged us to develop a museum for their new global headquarters. Over the next 18 months, our team at Blackwell's Design Co. created MOFOS Museum of Our Story. The scope of our work involved:

A reverse brief to determine the purpose and aims of the museum and to unearth the extent of archival material available

Extensive research and review of archival material and publications as well as interviews with key players and seeking contributions from FCTG people globally

Consultation with FCTG's Peopleworks team to ensure museum content supports recruitment, induction and leadership development outcomes

Identifying six key themes and a framework of interconnected stories

Writing, curatorial and content development

Facilitating workshops to co-create key content pieces with FCTG's people

Exhibition design

Designing nearly 100 stories in a range of formats

Coordination of fabrication and installation

Signage and way-finding

Branding

Devising a series of self-guided tours to suit visitors' interests and time

Creating a museum catalogue and collateral

FCTG is a company that challenges convention, and MOFOS is an unconventional museum. Through story telling, MOFOS connects FCTG's people with the company's evolution to date, its current and next chapters, and its culture of ownership, egalitarianism and irreverence.

Principals’ Guide to teaching an Aboriginal language or Torres Strait Islander language

Client: Department of Education, Queensland Government

Services: Graphic design, finished art, working with the Department of Education brand guidelines

For this project we were engaged by the State Schools – Indigenous Education area within the Department of Education.

We worked closely with the client, who also provided illustrations from a local Indigenous artist, to bring this publication to life.

Client: Museum of Arts and Applied Sciences

Services: Exhibition design, lighting design, documentation

Reigning Men: Fashion in Menswear, 1715–2015 explores the history of men’s fashionable dress from the 18th century to the present. A riot of colour and style, Reigning Men is the largest and most important menswear exhibition ever assembled, and explodes the myth that menswear is restrained.

This exhibition was premiered by LACMA (Los Angeles County Museum of Art) and re-designed for Museum Applied Arts and Sciences, which open May 2018.

Visit the MAAS website

Client: Mitchell Services

Services: Research, writing, graphic design, illustration, project management

Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Mitchell Services, Good Ground tells the story of the company from its origins in 1969 through to 2019.

Client: Leap in!

Services: Brand strategy, graphic design, illustration

BDC was engaged to design the app interface for Leap in! The app has been developed to facilitate access to NDIS funding for people with a disability.

As the key customer touchpoint for the brand, it was essential that the design interface reflected the energetic and fun personality of Leap in!

All elements of the app interface were designed by BDC including avatars, screen templates and workflows, buttons and icons, and pop-up modal screens.

The project included prototyping and testing functionality and workflows with research groups, and working closely with developers to deliver an amazing user experience.

The app meets AA+ web accessibility standards.

Client: Aurecon

Services: Creative workshops, research, wayfinding, environmental graphics, production management, documentation

We created the wayfinding and storytelling for the engineering firm Aurecon as they move into their new regional headquarters at 25 King Street, Bowen Hills.

This new building is the tallest free-standing timber engineered building in the world and our client was excited at the prospect of working with us to make this new treehouse a home for their people. To bring the workplace to life we conducted a series of workshops and creative tasks with Aurecon people to get to know them, what drives them, and what qualities create an environment conducive to them producing their best work. Another important component of the project was to help create an engaging client experience at 25 King Street.

Aurecon’s people moved in late last year the feedback from the Regional Director, Facilities Manager and staff has been extremely positive.

As they settle into their new home we will continue to work with Aurecon on further developing aspects of the interiors.

Find out more about Aurecon.

Client: Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG)

Services: Branding, writing, graphic design, illustration, project management

The MOFOS identity was designed by Susi Blackwell, and shortly after the opening of MOFOS it was decided that the bar and bistro on level 15 of the FCTG building should be called MOFOS and adopt the branding of the Museum.

As part of the MOFOS Museum of Our Story experience FCTG we produced a catalogue of the Museum.

The 240 page book has been distributed to FCTG offices globally so all FCTG people might have an experience of MOFOS. The catalogue is also used by FCTG as a corporate gift for investors, suppliers and partners.

A set of postcards, which feature designs from MOFOS was developed to promote key components of the Museum. A number of these also include custom designed tours of MOFOS on the back – there’s the ‘Irreverence’ tour, the ‘Thinking outside the box’ tour, and the ‘No externalising’ tour among others.

Client: Leap in!

Services: Illustration

BDC was engaged to create a series of customised illustrations to be used as avatars within the Leap in! app, and in other contexts.

Client: Rixon Hair

Services: Interior design, furniture design

WINNER: ‘Best Salon Design 2018’ Hair Expo Awards

Brad and Sharon Rixon engaged Susi Blackwell to design their new salon in Edward Street, Brisbane.

The space of around 250m2 offered amazing potential, along with some interesting challenges.

The salon is located on the first level, with full glass frontage to Edward Street.

Through a process of space planning and workflow mapping the floorplan took shape with clear zones of activity.

The finishes and colour palette are restrained and dramatic - plywood, dusty pink, white and oriented strand board (OSB) all work together to create an expression of the Rixon Hair brand.

Bespoke joinery pieces - reception desk, color table, mirrors and central feature unit in the cutting area all formed part of the integrated design.

Images courtesy of Rixon Hair

Check out the feature on the Austaron website.

Photography by Daniel Cougan, Shutter & Co Media

Lighting by Caribou

Client: Wallace Bishop

Services: Concept, photoshoot art direction, copywriting, graphic design, illustration, project management, production management

Over the last few years, our work with Wallace Bishop focused on refreshing the brand, and developing signature pieces of collateral that set the brand apart in the very congested jewellery retailing market.

The Diamond Guide is designed to help customers navigate the tricky terrain of buying a diamond or a diamond ring. Developed in collaboration with writer Simon Mathias, the guide presents insider knowledge from Wallace Bishop about what you need to consider when making the big decision. The Diamond Guide received a 'Highly Commended' in the 2016 Australasian Catalogue Awards.

Cover photo by Olivia Lam

Client: Travel Associates

Premium travel retail brand, Travel Associates, engaged BDC to design their new retail flagship store fit-out. A gorgeous character building (formerly a barber shop) was the site for the flagship store featuring the new design scheme. For this project we designed a number of bespoke furniture items including work stations, display cabinets and a utility bench.

To facilitate future store fit-outs, we produced a fit-out guide, which includes every aspect of the design from finishes, furnishing, cabinetry and display artworks. Since the opening of the flagship store in December 2015, we have overseen the application of the design scheme to six unique sites across Australia.

Client: Hardy Brothers

Services: Concept, photography, styling, graphic design, copywriting, industrial design

Nature's artistry never ceases to amaze
– Hardy Brothers brand strategy

Our work with Hardy Brothers involved brand strategy and conceptualising and executing the creative for high-profile campaigns. Each campaign includes magazine spreads in Vogue (Australia and China editions), Qantas magazine, Harper's Bazaar, Wish magazine and Voyeur, a catalogue, an Instagram feed, and visual merchandise and point-of-sale to showcase the feature rings in Hardy Brothers boutiques across Australia.

Photography and styling: Susi Blackwell

Client: Mitchell Services

Services: Research, writing, exhibition design, graphic design, project management, production management

Mitchell Services celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2019 and to celebrate this milestone they engaged BDC to devise a series of displays for the foyer of their headquarters at Seventeen Mile Rocks. A timeline was developed that charts the companies development from the late 60s through to current day.

A key component of the project was developing a series of archetypes of key roles within the organisation. These were focus tested with Mitchell’s people and annotations that capture the spirit of the role were written. ‘The Mitchell’s Crew’ is now an almost life-size feature in the Mitchell Services boardroom.

Client: Hardy Brothers

Services: Concept, photography, styling, graphic design, copywriting, industrial design

Photography and styling: Susi Blackwell

Client: Hardy Brothers

Services: Concept, photography, styling, graphic design, copywriting, industrial design

Photography and styling: Susi Blackwell

Client: Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG)

Services: Concept, graphic design, illustration

Core to FCTG’s culture is their purpose and 10 philosophies. FCTG asked BDC to bring these to life through a series of posters that would be distributed to every FCTG office across the globe.

We developed a suite of illustrations that reflected each philosophy and paired these with photos of FCTG people. The final suite of posters is a true reflection of the spirit and culture of the company.

Client: Wallace Bsihop

Services: Concept, copywriting, graphic design, illustration

The Men's Guide to Buying an Engagement Ring is a pocket-sized how-to booklet. It helps guys 'crack the code' of buying the perfect engagement ring for their beloved. Developed in collaboration with writer Nic Harman, the guide is packed with handy hints from the different diamond cuts through to proposal location ideas.

Client: Flight Centre Travel Group (FCTG)

Services: Concept, copywriting, graphic design, illustration

Flight Centre Travel Group is a global company with retail and corporate brands in over 30 countries around the world. Our brief on this project was to conceive of a careers website for FCTG that enabled all FCTG businesses to recruit candidates through a ‘one-stop’ portal.

This is a collection of posters designed by Susi Blackwell.

The Love means never having to say you’re sorry poster was designed in collaboration with Lin Tobias and Monique McNamara as part of a poster making workshop run by the Guerilla Girls in Melbourne in 1999. This poster refers to John Howard's refusal to apologise to Indigenous Australians and the Stolen Generations. The poster was selected to appear in outdoor advertising spaces throughout the city after the workshop was complete.

The poster is a three-colour silk screen print on paper.

The , Blue Stocking Week, Reclaim the Night, Education Week, In need of childcare? and Active 8 posters were designed for the QUT Student Guild and screen printed at the University of Queensland.

Susi designed posters and CD covers for the Dream Poppies for several years. CDs include Don’t go and Poppycock.