Annual Publication | Surf Life Saving Queensland

Project Overview

The Coast Safe Report is a flagship publication produced by Surf Life Saving Queensland, offering a comprehensive snapshot of aquatic incidents and fatalities across Queensland’s coastline. It combines key statistics, research insights, and strategic updates to inform government bodies, media, and key stakeholders about the state of coastal and aquatic safety in the region.

The report plays a crucial role in guiding drowning prevention strategies, highlighting emerging safety challenges, and communicating the organisation’s response through initiatives, public education, and legislative advocacy.

My Contribution

I was the lead designer on the inaugural Coast Safe Report and continued to deliver subsequent editions year-on-year. This project combined data-driven communication, stakeholder alignment, and high-stakes design delivery—requiring equal parts creative execution and strategic collaboration.

Key contributions included:

Project management across departments and timelines, ensuring the report aligned with data readiness, approvals, and public release schedules.

Stakeholder engagement with internal teams, government relations, and the Chief Operating Officer to align messaging, tone, and impact goals.

Design and layout of complex statistical content, infographics, and written reports into a digestible and highly visual document—balancing clarity with authority.

Print and digital delivery of the final publication, with variations prepared for stakeholder presentations, media kits, and public access.

Impact

The Coast Safe Report became a trusted, evidence-based resource that helped shape conversations around aquatic safety and funding across Queensland. Its clear, compelling format ensured the message was heard by decision-makers, including:

- Government ministers and departments
- Regional councils and tourism bodies
- Media outlets reporting on water safety
- Surf Life Saving leadership and volunteers

The report also demonstrated the organisation’s commitment to transparency, strategy, and continuous improvement—presented through a professional, consistent visual identity that I developed and maintained across editions.

Why It Matters

This project sits at the intersection of public safety, advocacy, and communication design—a space I’m passionate about. It challenged me to think beyond aesthetics and focus on how design can support behaviour change, public awareness, and policy engagement.

Working on the Coast Safe Report was more than layout and delivery—it was about designing a document with meaning, urgency, and the power to inform real-world action.

UI Case Study – Create a website for Polaris Airlines, promoting ultra-comfortable, economical flights.

1. The Problem

Polaris is an emerging airline brand focused on providing ultra-comfortable, economical flights for modern travellers. Market research identified two underserved user groups: the Comfort Seeker, who values legroom, hygiene, and a calm travel experience, and the Globe Trotter, a frequent flyer who chases value through deals and promotions.

Despite their different priorities, both groups shared frustrations with the typical flight booking experience: confusing deal pages, unclear in-flight information, and limited access to personalised offers. Usability testing also revealed that users frequently missed critical information like departure cities on the homepage, and struggled to find answers on underdeveloped Help pages.

Polaris needed a clean, compelling interface to launch their website as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP)—one that would establish brand trust, communicate value clearly, and support a seamless booking flow across devices.

2. My Role & Process

As the UI designer, I was responsible for transforming validated UX research into a user-friendly, mobile-responsive interface that reflects Polaris’ positioning as a high-comfort, low-cost airline.

Strategy & Design Foundations
Collaborated with the UX team to extend research insights gathered from user interviews, testing, and low-fidelity wireframes.

Developed a moodboard that anchored the visual direction in feelings of calm, clarity, and trust.

Created a full component-based design system, including typography, spacing, colour palette, and UI elements—ensuring visual consistency across all screens.

User-Centred Flow & Feature Design
Mapped and designed high-fidelity user flows across key journeys: flight search, browsing deals, signing up for PolarisFF membership, and accessing support.

Focused on simplifying layout while surfacing what users cared about most:

Hero carousel showcasing comfort highlights and PolarisFF sign-up prompts

Deals page structured for scannability, with filters and expiry info

Support section enhanced with FAQs and a built-in search bar

Testing & Iteration
Conducted mid-fidelity usability testing with target users.

Iterated based on key insights, including:

- Enhancing the visibility of the “From” location in homepage flight deals
- Adding a “Deals end by…” message to create urgency and reduce confusion
- Introducing search functionality to the Help page for easier access to support content

Deliverables
Responsive high-fidelity prototypes (desktop and mobile)

Design system documentation and component library

Full UI handoff ready for front-end development

3. Challenges

The biggest challenge was designing for two distinct audiences—Comfort Seekers and Globe Trotters—without crowding the interface or diluting the experience for either.

I also had to work within the constraints of an MVP scope, ensuring that only the most valuable features made it into this version. This required a flexible, modular layout system that could scale over time while staying clean and uncluttered.

Another focus was building out UI states for loading, empty, error, and success scenarios, ensuring a polished, reassuring experience at every interaction point.

4. Outcome

The final design delivers a frictionless booking experience that captures the Polaris brand promise from the first interaction. Key features and results included:

A homepage experience optimised for first-time visitors and repeat users, encouraging immediate engagement through search and deal exploration

A visually engaging in-flight experience section, using imagery and copy to reduce uncertainty and build trust

A seamless membership sign-up flow for PolarisFF, embedded into key touchpoints throughout the site

Feedback from usability testing confirmed the experience was easy to navigate, visually appealing, and better aligned with user expectations compared to traditional airline sites

The Polaris UI project demonstrated my ability to translate UX strategy into a sophisticated and scalable design system—delivering real clarity and comfort for a user base looking for just that.

To watch the full client presentation video, click here.

UX Case Study – Enabling Product Comparison on rebelsport.com.au

1. The Problem

Rebel Sport is a leading retailer of sporting goods in Australia, yet its digital experience lacked a key functionality: the ability for users to compare products side by side. This created friction for online shoppers—especially those purchasing performance-based gear—who wanted to easily evaluate specs, features, and price points before committing to a purchase.

Without a comparison feature, users were forced to open multiple tabs or toggle back and forth between product pages, making the experience time-consuming and cognitively taxing. The result? A higher likelihood of abandoned carts and missed conversions.

2. My Role & Process

I led this project end-to-end, taking full ownership of the UX strategy, research, and design. My focus was to improve Rebel Sport’s digital shopping experience by introducing a comparison feature that empowers users to make confident, informed purchase decisions. Here’s how I approached the challenge:

Problem Identification & Opportunity Mapping
I proactively identified the absence of a comparison feature as a key usability gap, mapping it to both user frustration and business opportunity. Comparison tools are standard in industries like tech and finance but underused in sporting retail—making this a clear competitive edge for Rebel Sport.

User Research & Synthesis
I began with a landscape audit of both retail and non-retail sites (Apple, JB Hi-Fi, CommBank, iSelect) to benchmark best-in-class product comparison design. I also gathered user insights through interviews, uncovering common frustrations with navigating product-heavy e-commerce sites and difficulty remembering feature differences between items. These findings were distilled into clear user goals and pain points to shape design strategy.

Idea Generation & Prioritisation
Multiple enhancement opportunities were explored, but I prioritised the product comparison feature due to its direct impact on user decision-making. A feature-impact matrix was used to evaluate feasibility, effort, and business value.

Information Architecture & Wireframing
I mapped key user flows and created wireframes showing how the feature would integrate seamlessly into existing product listing and detail views. The priority was intuitive placement and minimal cognitive load.

Prototyping
I began with paper prototypes to sketch out early ideas, then moved into a medium-fidelity clickable prototype that demonstrated the full comparison journey—from item selection to side-by-side evaluation and purchase readiness.

Usability Testing & Iteration
I conducted informal usability sessions with target users to gather feedback on the prototype. Based on these insights, I iterated on scannability, navigation clarity, and interaction flow to ensure the feature was easy to find, use, and trust.

Strategic Thinking & Recommendations
Throughout the process, I worked with a modular mindset—designing a flexible spec display system that could adapt across categories like footwear, apparel, and equipment. I proposed a phased implementation plan and highlighted how the feature could improve user satisfaction, reduce bounce rates, and drive conversion.

3. Challenges

One of the major design challenges was creating a scalable, modular spec display. Rebel’s product catalogue spans a wide range of categories—shoes, apparel, equipment—each with its own comparison-relevant attributes. The design needed to adapt dynamically to different spec types while remaining intuitive and consistent.

I also had to ensure brand alignment. Rebel’s identity is bold and energetic, so the feature had to blend seamlessly into their visual system while still delivering the clarity and calm required for comparison tasks.

Finally, given the scope of the feature, I designed with technical feasibility in mind, structuring the UI to fit within existing patterns to reduce development lift and improve time to value.

4. Outcome

The final deliverable was a clickable medium-fidelity prototype showcasing a user-friendly, responsive comparison feature embedded into the shopping experience. Key highlights included:

- A “Compare” checkbox on product cards
- A comparison drawer that appears and updates in real-time
- A clean, scrollable table layout for specs, reviews, and pricing
- “Add to Cart” functionality directly within the comparison view

User feedback was overwhelmingly positive. Shoppers appreciated the simplicity and utility of the feature, particularly those comparing similar footwear or fitness gear. The tool significantly reduced navigation time and decision fatigue—resulting in a smoother, more confident path to purchase.

This project not only solved a real pain point for users but also demonstrated how a strategically placed UX feature can drive commercial value, enhance customer satisfaction, and differentiate a brand in a competitive market.

To watch the full client presentation, click here.

Contract Graphic Designer | Rebrand, Marketing & UX/UI Support

Project Overview

Finlease is a nationwide equipment finance brokerage firm that supports businesses across all industries by simplifying the finance process and putting customer relationships at the heart of everything they do. Their brand voice is sharp, confident, and often tongue-in-cheek—designed to cut through the clutter of traditional finance messaging and resonate with real business owners.

I worked with Finlease as their contract graphic designer for several years, becoming a trusted creative partner across print, digital, brand, and web projects. My work spanned both day-to-day marketing and larger strategic initiatives—including their company-wide rebrand and a full UX/UI refresh of their website.

My Contribution

1. Ongoing Brand & Marketing Design

I was responsible for a wide range of creative output during my time with Finlease, including:

- Print and digital advertising campaigns
- Pitch decks and capability statements
- Client-facing brochures and fact sheets
- Animated social graphics and EDM templates
- Internal templates and visual communications

Working closely with their marketing and leadership team, I ensured all collateral was on-brand, on-message, and visually aligned with the company’s bold, conversational tone.

2. Rebrand Execution

When Finlease made the decision to modernise their brand identity, I played a hands-on role in bringing the rebrand to life. This included:

- Evolving their visual identity while preserving existing brand recognition
- Implementing the new brand, typography styles, and colour palettes
- Rolling out updated brand guidelines and templates across teams
- Reworking key collateral to reflect the new brand direction
- The goal was to maintain Finlease’s recognisable personality while sharpening its visual system to support growth and consistency across platforms.

3. Website UX/UI Redesign

As part of their digital evolution, I collaborated on the UX and UI redesign of the Finlease website. My contributions included:

- Reviewing the existing website’s pain points from both a user and business perspective
- Assisting in reorganising the site architecture to better reflect user journeys and services
- Reworking page layouts that blended credibility with Finlease’s informal tone
- Creating flexible component-based UI templates to support future growth
- The final result was a more intuitive, mobile-friendly site that not only reflected the company’s values but also improved usability and lead generation across key pages.

Why It Matters

My partnership with Finlease is a great example of what I bring to long-term client relationships: creative consistency, strategic thinking, and the ability to scale my support as business needs evolve. From designing tactical marketing pieces to shaping the digital experience and executing a rebrand, I was deeply embedded in the visual and verbal language of the company.

This body of work demonstrates my ability to design with voice, energy, and business outcomes in mind—a combination that makes design not just look good, but work hard.

2011 floods awareness poster | Queensland Premier’s Disaster Relief Appeal

In early 2011, devastating floods swept across Queensland, displacing communities, damaging infrastructure, and leaving a lasting impact on the state. In response, the Queensland Premier launched a statewide Flood Relief Appeal to raise urgent funds for those affected.

I designed a poster titled “Inundation” to help raise awareness and support the campaign. The concept focused on the emotional and physical weight of the floods—using the word “Inundation” to encapsulate both the scale of the disaster and its overwhelming impact on the people of Queensland.

A key feature of the design was the subtle typographic shift, replacing the letter “I” with the number “1” to read as “1nundat1on”—a quiet but powerful nod to 2011, the year the crisis unfolded. This detail grounded the piece in time while reinforcing the personal and collective significance of the event.

Visually restrained but deeply intentional, the poster served as a call to action—encouraging donations, empathy, and public solidarity. It was distributed as part of the broader awareness effort supporting the Queensland Premier’s Relief Appeal.

Launch Issue | Brisbane Powerhouse

Generator is a quarterly publication developed for the Brisbane Powerhouse, a vibrant cultural venue known for its diverse programming in theatre, music, art, and performance. Aimed at an audience of culturally engaged patrons and Powerhouse members, the magazine offers a curated preview of upcoming shows and events, presented with visual flair and editorial edge.

I was responsible for the development, art direction, and full design of the magazine’s launch issue—establishing its tone, layout system, and visual identity from the ground up.

Creative Direction & Design

The magazine needed to reflect the youthful, bold, and experimental energy of the Powerhouse, while also feeling polished and intentional for its arts-savvy readership.

Highlights from the project included:

- A custom masthead designed to feel edgy and iconic, capturing the irreverent and creative spirit of the venue

- A dynamic contents spread and feature article layout, designed with layered imagery, bold typography, and flexible editorial pacing

- A cohesive visual system to guide future issues while allowing room for variation and play

Feature Story – Cluedo: A Play of Murder

The cover feature centred on Cluedo: A Play of Murder, a theatrical reimagining of the classic board game. The lead image showcased a modern-day Professor Plum, styled with attitude and armed with his infamous spanner.

I worked closely with the photographer to art direct the shoot, coordinating everything from costume and styling to lighting and prop use. The aim was to balance theatricality with modern visual storytelling—creating a striking, character-driven image that felt instantly arresting and on-brand.

Impact

The magazine launched successfully, helping to elevate the Brisbane Powerhouse’s identity as a creative hub while giving its members and patrons a tangible, high-quality insight into the season ahead. The design established a foundation that could evolve with future issues while remaining true to the venue’s artistic DNA.

This project allowed me to flex across editorial design, art direction, and publication strategy—crafting a launch issue that was both functional and full of character.

Brand Identity & Art Direction | Brisbane Rock Band

Cardigan Empire is a young, emerging rock band from Brisbane known for their raw energy and moody, melodic sound. They needed a cohesive visual identity that captured their tone—gritty yet polished, youthful yet self-assured.

I was engaged to art direct, photograph, and brand the band, creating a visual language that reflected their music and helped position them confidently in the local music scene.

Brand Development & Visual Style

The goal was to craft a brand that felt authentic to the band’s personality while giving them the professional polish needed for promotion, press, and performance collateral.

Key creative outputs included:

- A logo and wordmark that felt handmade and grounded, yet adaptable across formats

- Photography direction and location scouting for the shoot—opting for natural light and textured backdrops to contrast with the band’s darker aesthetic

- Art direction that leaned into subtle edge: muted tones, layered silhouettes, and a lo-fi, cinematic mood

The Shoot

The photoshoot was staged outdoors in urban settings that offered character and texture—brick walls, concrete corners, pockets of light. I worked with the band on styling and positioning to capture a brooding, cool aesthetic that felt true to their sound without feeling overly manufactured.

These images became the cornerstone of their press kit, social banners, and early promotional materials, giving the band a recognisable identity to grow with.

Outcome

The final brand and visual assets gave Cardigan Empire a distinctive presence—one that could sit confidently alongside more established acts while still feeling grounded and grassroots.

This project allowed me to bring together art direction, photography, and branding into one creative vision—helping a young band define who they were before the world had fully heard them.

Brand Identity | Coffee Meets Letterpress

Located within the Brisbane Museum of Print, Ink Espresso Bar is a small, hole-in-the-wall coffee shop with a concept deeply rooted in its location. Drawing on the shared language of coffee and print, the brand identity celebrates the raw materials of both—ink and espresso—while creating a warm, tactile experience for museum visitors and café regulars alike.

I was tasked with creating and presenting the brand identity for the espresso bar, developing a visual direction that seamlessly linked the worlds of specialty coffee and letterpress craft.

Concept & Visual Language

The name Ink was chosen for its layered meaning—appearing in both printing and coffee slang, making it a natural fit for the space. This duality informed every aspect of the brand.

Key creative features included:

- A logo system inspired by vintage typesetting, using distressed letterforms and classic print textures

- A palette of rich, inky blacks and vibrant colours, echoing the visual and material overlap of the two crafts

- The use of letterpress-style textures, ink splatters, and imperfect stamp marks to give the brand a tactile, analogue feel

Brand in Use

The identity was designed to live easily across:

- Coffee cups and takeaway packaging

- Shop signage and window decals

- Menus and loyalty cards, each with subtle nods to typographic history and hand-pressed texture

The result was a brand that felt artisanal and rooted in place, giving visitors a deeper sense of connection to both their coffee and the museum space it lived within.

Outcome

Ink Espresso Bar launched with an identity that not only captured the spirit of its product but told a story—one of craftsmanship, materiality, and the joy of small details.

This project showcased my ability to design brands that are both conceptually tight and visually rich, especially in contexts where place, product, and audience intersect.

Luxury Resort Rebrand | Daintree Rainforest, QLD

Bloomfield is a secluded luxury resort nestled deep within the Daintree Rainforest in Far North Queensland. Ranked the world’s best remote hotel by Forbes Magazine in 2010, it offers an immersive experience of untouched nature, fine dining, and barefoot luxury—accessible only by plane, boat, or 4WD.

My role to rebrand Bloomfield, involved crafting a refreshed identity that would capture its unique sense of place, elevate its visual presence, and align with its reputation as a premium, world-class destination.

Concept & Visual Direction

The rebrand was inspired by the extraordinary biodiversity of the Daintree, with particular focus on one of the region’s rarest and most visually striking species—the Hercules Moth. Known for its size and beauty, the moth became the hero of the identity: a symbol of quiet grandeur, transformation, and natural elegance.

Design elements included:

- A custom logomark featuring the silhouette of the Hercules Moth, delicately stylised to evoke both luxury and life in the rainforest

- A rich, organic colour palette drawn from the surrounding landscape—mossy greens, warm bark tones, river stone naturals, and soft sunrise golds

- Refined typography that balanced elegance with restraint, ideal for use across signage, print collateral, menus, and digital platforms

Brand Application

The refreshed identity was rolled out across:

- Guest touchpoints including welcome kits, brochures, signage, and spa collateral

- Resort stationery and merchandise

- A reimagined digital presence, with the new branding ready for integration across web and social

Every design decision was made to reflect the seamless blend of luxury and nature that defines the Bloomfield experience—elevated but never overstated.

Outcome

The new Bloomfield identity delivered a quiet confidence—one that honoured the resort’s setting and story, while giving it a distinctive and cohesive brand voice. The design helped reposition the resort not just as a place to stay, but as a destination rooted in rarity, calm, and environmental connection.

This project reflects my ability to develop meaningful luxury branding with a deep sensitivity to place, heritage, and experience.

Real Lies | Artist Book & Personal Identity in Design

Real Lies is a hand-made artist book created as a personal response to the brief: “Promote yourself and your creative identity to the industry.” Rather than taking a purely polished, professional approach, I chose to explore the blurry lines between fact and fiction—between who we are and how we present ourselves.

The result is Real Lies—a play on the words “realise” and “real lies”—a visual narrative that explores the truths and fabrications of my life through six imaginative, self-reflective prompts.

Concept & Craft

The book was entirely hand-made, merging traditional and digital techniques to present a raw, tactile expression of personality.

Each spread was designed in response to a different question about my life—some serious, others tongue-in-cheek—with answers represented through:

- Photoshop composites

- Original photography

- Hand-drawn illustrations

- Typography-led storytelling

The visual approach shifted from page to page, depending on the tone of the response—allowing each answer to feel honest, performative, or somewhere in between.

Personal Take

More than a portfolio piece, Real Lies was an experiment in vulnerability, humour, and storytelling. It offered a space to explore the contradictions that shape us as designers and people, and presented that in a way that was visually arresting and emotionally layered.

The hand-crafted nature of the book made it feel personal, intimate, and unmistakably me—a break from conventional self-promos, and a creative expression in its own right.

Outcome

Real Lies offered industry a rare glimpse into the person behind the portfolio—presented with craft, wit, and a willingness to blur the lines. It reinforced the idea that design is deeply personal, and that our most effective work often begins with a true understanding of ourselves.

This project demonstrated my ability to communicate conceptually, work across mixed media, and infuse personality into everything I make—especially when the brief is wide open.

Graduate Campaign | Design College Australia

The Endangered Species campaign was created to promote the 2011 graduating class of Design College Australia’s Advanced Diploma and Photoimaging programs to potential employers and industry contacts.

Design College Australia is known for championing traditional, hands-on design practices—such as hand lettering, letterpress, and analogue photography—at a time when digital-first learning dominates. It’s increasingly rare for students to be taught using such foundational, tactile tools, making the college’s approach as unique as the graduates themselves. This philosophy inspired the concept: the students were positioned as creative “endangered species”, fighting to preserve the craft of design in its most expressive, human form.

Concept & Campaign

The campaign took the form of a tongue-in-cheek postcard series, styled after World Wildlife Fund (WWF) conservation appeals. Each card profiled a student as a rare and valuable creative species, calling attention to their skills in dying design crafts such as:

- Hand-rendered typography

- Woodtype letterpress

- Film-based photoimaging

- Bookbinding and analogue layout

The tone was witty but sincere—celebrating the skill, dedication, and uniqueness of each graduate while also critiquing the fast-paced, trend-driven nature of modern design.

Visual Language

The aesthetic drew on both natural history documentation and vintage conservation materials, creating a tactile, aged look using:

- Natural-toned papers and raw print textures

- Silhouettes and “specimen-like” portraits of the students

- Serif typefaces and field journal-inspired layouts

Together, these elements gave the campaign a crafted, archival feel, contrasting with the flashy digital design promos often seen in graduate showcases.

Outcome

The Endangered Species campaign stood out as a clever, memorable way to introduce graduates to industry—one that balanced humour with a deeper commentary on design culture. It was well received, sparking conversation and leaving a lasting impression.

More than just a graduate promo, it was a project that reflected the values of the college and its students—craftsmanship, creativity, and reverence for process—wrapped in a playful but meaningful concept.

Various logos/logotypes.