Flux Visual Communication

City of Prospect

The brief

The Open Space Strategy was developed by the City of Prospect to improve and maintain more than 30 open spaces in the Council area. The aim of this project was to collect community feedback, in the form of a simple thumbs up or thumbs down, on the Council’s proposed improvements and aims of the strategy in relation to each open space.

A digital version of the Open Space Strategy and an accompanying signage system (to be placed in open spaces and throughout the neighbourhood) were to be developed.

The approach

We began our research by visiting a range of open spaces in the City of Prospect. As there are seven different categories of open spaces, we made sure we visited a wide range to gain an understanding of the different ways that the open spaces are interacted with, as well as the surrounding infrastructure.

For each park, we needed to strategically place signs that would ask visitors for feedback by firstly visiting a URL on their mobile device. This would explain what the Council was planning to do in that specific park, and let visitors have a say on these plans. Visitors would also be given the opportunity to read further information about—and give a thumbs up or thumbs down to—the City of Prospect’s broader Open Space Strategy.

We needed to ensure that the campaign was eye-catching, and that the information about the Open Space Strategy was presented in a clear and easy to understand manner.

The solution

The concept for the signage system we developed uses old fashioned games that children would play outside. We felt that this fun, playful approach would engage a wide demographic, as the games would be appealing to children and young families, while also resonating with older generations who remember playing those games in their own childhood.

Springbank Secondary College

The brief

Late in the spring of 2018, Springbank Secondary College (formerly Pasadena High School) came to Flux in need of an identity update that would give their branding a fresh, contemporary feel. Along with the new school name, they wished to modernise their overall look while still keeping in mind the school’s history and long-standing place within the surrounding community. The school’s pedagogy, specialised facilities and new partnerships with the Australian Science & Mathematics School and Flinders University were also to be considered.

The school

Springbank Secondary College is a progressive, forward-thinking school with a focus on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics). Students have opportunities to participate in a number of music, drama and performance events at the Tower Arts Centre. The Disability Unit, Basketball Academy and Trade Training Centre also provide students at Springbank College with a wide range of specialised opportunities. The curriculum encourages curiosity, innovation and creativity through enquiry-based learning. It was clear that the new identity system should incorporate a small piece of all of these attributes while also creating a sense of unity and inclusivity–values that the school bases much of its teachings around.

The approach

Based on these values and priorities, we developed a new motto for the school: ‘igniting inquisitive imagination’.
The overall meaning is to spark an interest in learning things and form new ideas.
‘Igniting’ is a scientific-based verb meaning ‘to start something with a spark’. ‘Inquisitive’ describes the desire to learn though curiosity and process. ‘Imagination’ is usually associated with the creative arts, but also closely tied in with modern day STEM. Advancements in science and engineering can only be made with forming new ideas on top of a solid knowledge base.
We also felt that this motto was inclusive, as having imagination and an inquisitive mind are attributes not exclusive to those with academic ability.

One for the honey, two for the bees
For the Love of Honey

The brief

For the Love of Honey is a honey business based in the Adelaide Hills. They needed a distinct identity and packaging system for their honey products, which would distinguish them from market competitors by emphasising the key ethical and environmental values at the core of their business.

The approach

As the brief was constructed, it became abundantly clear that this was a business that took extreme care and thought when producing and packaging their product. Throughout all steps of their supply chain, from the bees through to the beekeepers and consumers, this was a product that provided ongoing support for all parties involved and transparency throughout production. The business and it’s beekeepers were so well versed in their practice that they could taste-test different honeys and identify the exact plants or botanicals that the bees had collected pollen from.

The result

Since transparency and authenticity were such a big part of this business’s values, we developed a two-label packaging system to highlight exactly which beekeeper and location each jar of honey has come from.

Taking cues from the bees and the beekeepers, a unique set of pointillism style illustrations were created to communicate the innate connection to native flora, while also reminding the consumer of the origins of the production process. Paired with a bold, geometric logomark and logotype, this created a dynamic contrast that ultimately gave the product the unique and careful identity system that it would need to stand out on the shelf amongst other honey competitors.

Big identity for a mega festival
Naracoorte Lucindale Council

The brief

This project was commissioned by Naracoorte Lucindale Council through a public tender process. Flux was selected from a group of high quality creative firms that ranged from big agencies to small design studios.

We were then asked by the Council’s marketing staff to create a recognisable brand that can be used to promote the inaugural Naracoorte World Heritage Festival and Trail Run. We needed to communicate that a visit to Naracoorte and the Naracoorte Caves is a unique experience that no other region in South Australia and few in the world can offer.

The Naracoorte Caves National Park is South Australia’s only World Heritage site. They are World Heritage listed, and one of the world’s most important fossil sites. They are a unique attraction that appeal to a wide range of people from young children living locally to international visitors keen to explore a different country. The opportunity is, through the Naracoorte World Heritage Festival and World Heritage Run, to grow awareness of the Caves and the connection between a Caves experience and the surrounding towns and region.

The Festival (to be held in November 2019) will feature cultural and social activities linked to the World Heritage values of the Caves, entertainment and local food and drinks. There will also be a trail run in the morning, where participants are encouraged to be active and can enjoy being immersed in the beautiful scenery of the Naracoorte Caves National Park.

The research

Boy, did we learn a lot about fossils through this project! We were particularly fascinated (as we would imagine other people to be) by the Megafauna that were fossilised in the Naracoorte Caves. For half a million years the Caves acted as pitfall traps and predator dens. Animals would fall in through a hole in the ground and not be able to escape. Bones collected – layer upon layer, year after year – creating a rich fossil record of the ancient animals that roamed the area. The fossil record covers several ice ages and the arrival of humans in the area and the extinction of Australia’s iconic Megafauna roughly 40,000 years ago. Palaeontologists have excavated and dated many of the fossils in the Naracoorte Caves. They have reconstructed the skeletons of many of the Megafauna that lived so many years ago and the environments in which they lived.

The solution

We decided to base the branding on the Megafauna, firstly by naming the event ‘Mega Fest’. We linked this largeness to the excitement and vibrancy of the upcoming festival and trail run. We played with scale, depicting the Megafauna as small compared to gigantic runners and huge skeletons. Footprints have been incorporated into the Mega Fest logo to further the connection with Megafauna. We combined bold, colourful shapes with fine illustrations of fossil layers.

Throughout the campaign, we have used playful words and phrases to connect back to the Caves, sometimes using ‘mega’ as an adjective, and sometimes concentrating on the large size.

We applied the brand to posters, flyers and social media accounts. We also developed and built a responsive website for the event, providing all necessary information for Mega Fest attendants, run participants and potential stall holders. All applications use colour, visual interest and playful words to get the audience excited and this fantastic upcoming event, which we all hope to see you at in November!

The brief

Product Action is an Australian Disability Enterprise and employs people with intellectual disabilities. They provide support, mentoring and training for their employees, who in turn provide high quality packaging services to commercial clients. We were thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with Product Action on a branding refresh, to help them attract employees and customers alike.

The process

The look and feel needed to be positive and engaging, to express the person-centred approach and supportive culture that Product Action provides for staff. It needed to evoke feelings of empowerment and ownership, while displaying a professional and high quality standard.

We discovered that many other disability service providers use blues and greens in their branding. By sticking with and refreshing the existing purple and green palette, we realised we could reference Product Action’s existing colour palette, as well as connect closely with the NDIS. We also needed to consider the contrast ratio of the colours to ensure that they meet the requirements of an Accessible website. To achieve this, the contrast ratio must be 7.1 or higher— the new Product Action primary colour palette contrast is 9.6.

The solution

We created an updated, contemporary version of the existing logo. Using the letters ‘P’ and ‘A’, we created a playful and engaging logo mark. The simple, geometric styling gives Product Action a clean, crisp and modern look. By referencing the old Product Action logo, brand awareness and recognition will be retained.

The brief

Product Action is an Australian Disability Enterprise and employs people with intellectual disabilities. They provide support, mentoring and training for their employees, who in turn provide high quality packaging services to commercial clients. We were thrilled to be given the opportunity to work with Product Action on a branding refresh, to help them attract employees and customers alike.

The process

The look and feel needed to be positive and engaging, to express the person-centred approach and supportive culture that Product Action provides for staff. It needed to evoke feelings of empowerment and ownership, while displaying a professional and high quality standard.

We discovered that many other disability service providers use blues and greens in their branding. By sticking with and refreshing the existing purple and green palette, we realised we could reference Product Action’s existing colour palette, as well as connect closely with the NDIS. We also needed to consider the contrast ratio of the colours to ensure that they meet the requirements of an Accessible website. To achieve this, the contrast ratio must be 7.1 or higher— the new Product Action primary colour palette contrast is 9.6.

The solution

We created an updated, contemporary version of the existing logo. Using the letters ‘P’ and ‘A’, we created a playful and engaging logo mark. The simple, geometric styling gives Product Action a clean, crisp and modern look. By referencing the old Product Action logo, brand awareness and recognition will be retained.