Amalgamate 2012- Rowan Laubsch

I was lucky enough to have taught Rowan Laubsch when he was in secondary school. He has an awesome eye for design and attention to detail. His blurb on the Amalgamate website reads:

“Rowan Laubsch enjoys working in areas of design including packaging, typography and branding. Taking a clean, minimalist approach, he explores possibilities to reach unique concepts, which add intrigue to the design outcome. A discovered passion for the tactility of paper led to his desire to pursue a career specialised in print design.”

“Tea Lab” was his response to a brief to develop the branding and packaging of a luxury item. This design won him the student Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA) award for three-dimensional design.

It draws connections between brewing tea and the field of chemistry.  The catalogue of flavours mimics the periodic table linking the names of tea styles with letters similar to those in the periodic table, with each variety corresponding to a different colour. The bags are packaged in a square box with the information about the tea written in a white section on the side. The exterior makes use of dynamic angles similar to those contained in the logo to add interest to the package. The coloured section has been embossed to create a tactile component to the design.

Throughout the packaging the angles of the colour blocks are set at that of a hexagon, these hexagonal elements mimic the shapes found in carbon chains and the interlocking nature of covalent bonds.

Also, the grid that fills the entire package and catalogue is also an isometric grid of repeated hexagons. The identity logo itself was also drawn from this hexagonal grid.

The logo utilises positive and negative space to accentuate the interlocking box shapes that form the “T and L” this makes it both visually appealing as well as communicating the brand name. The tea boxes are reflected in the design as well as the chemistry theme.
The overall design is particularly successful in communicating to the tea enthusiast the nature of the product and the complexity that exists within. For the novice it is an easy to understand; organised format to communicate simply the product range.

Amalgamate website: Rowan Laubsch

Amalgamate 2012- Victoria Casson

Amalgamate is the title of the University of South Australian 2012 Bachelor of Visual Communications Graduate Exhibition. A vast array of work was on display from two main genres of Design, Illustration and Graphic Design. I was impressed by the overall standard of the work which featured a wide array of media and technique. Victoria Casson’s work caught my eye.

A specialist in illustration; Victoria Casson works in both traditional and digital media, with a keen interest in inks and watercolour. Her work caught my eye as it was fresh and vibrant and clearly conveyed a personal meaning.

“Empowerment”, 2012, was designed for a brief which had a citizenship theme. The image is of a young lady in a white dress swinging, with legs outstretched on the branches of an old tree. The tree takes the form of an old Aboriginal Australian man; kneeling with his bearded face bowed in quiet contemplation he looks ancient and wise. Green foliage extends from the branches with loose playful lines. The whole scene is aglow with deep green light which has been washed onto the surface. This work mixes wash with pen and ink to create an organic feel that highlights the natural nature of Indigenous Australians. Line is a unifying element along with colour. The dynamic angular line creates an energy which complements the static forms of the tree and balances the work. Light has been used to direct the viewer and highlight these dynamic features.

Victoria’s approach through this work it to explore the lessons we learn and the growth we can experience from a life of good citizenship. It is about how we share our choices now with those around us as a legacy for future generations. The Aboriginal imagery is an element which connects the female figure to a timeless natural existence. It is not restrictive at all on the contrary the association allows the female to soar cradled in the safe arms of those who have travelled this world before us.

“Connect” 2012 is an illustration with two figures,each a mirror image of the other. They unashamedly face each other naked and cross-legged in front of a large full moon or celestial body. They are in a meditative pose with one hand raised seemingly to sense the other. The background is blue and rhythmic; haphazardly brushed. At various points the two figures overlap. At this intersection the colours merge into a blue grey. The figures float in the space attached to nothing but each other and the glowing moon above them. This work uses symmetry to great effect; developing an interplay between the shapes. The line work is simple and boarders the complex forms well. It is more solid and contrived rather than organic and flexible.

“Connect” was created as part of a series exploring the mental, physical and spiritual benefits of meditation. This work explores a self-connection and awareness. How, through becoming more self-aware we can learn more about who we are and our place in the universe.

Victoria Casson is only at the beginning of her career and I am looking forward to seeing what she will produce in the future.

You can see more of Victoria’s work at her website.

www.victoriacasson.com