Category Archives: Design

COFA grad interview

My job is…
I work at Zen Garage and I am the brand manager.

I would describe my job as…
An amalgamation of passion related projects. It’s taken me many years to pull it off, but I’ve finally managed to combine all my passions; bikes, cars, design, fashion, music, photography and art into the one project which is Zen Garage. Being the brand manager allows me to curate and promote whatever it is I’m into at the moment, without feeling unnecessary internal or external pressures to promote things that I’m not into right now. This puts me in a constant state of Zen!

I’m inspired by…
For a long time I tried to only take inspiration from family and my past. I figured that I was the only me in the world, so as long as I took inspiration from myself, my past, then whatever I create would be original and true. I’ve eased up a lot of the years though and I now very happily take inspiration from popular culture, especially many grass roots sub cultures where you find individuals doing what they’re doing because they totally love what they do.

The best part of my job is…
I’m my own boss and I’m free to push whatever it is my heart is into, seeing others get into the stuff I’m into makes me happy. I’ve got great business partners who motivate, support and inspire me and I’m always meeting new like-minded people through running our Leichhardt store and events.

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Field Trip


Posters look awesome! Look out for them all over the streets of Sydney soon.

Picked up Field Trip posters from Digitalpress this morning. Cops pulled me over just outside (I was driving the Golf). Tried to defect me but my engineering certificate saves my ass (today is a good day!).

For more info on Field Trip conference, visit: http://thefieldtrip.com.au/

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Field Trip Sydney 2013

And we’re on again! Field Trip conference will be held at in Sydney on the 30th of August 2013 @ Monkey Baa in Darling Quarter.

If you’ve often wondered how the hell do creative people create the things they create, then Field Trip’s the conference for you. We invite our speakers to the stage to not only talk about where they’ve come from and what they do, but to actually show you, on the big screen, how they create their work from start to end (essentially giving away all their secrets!).

Tickets are on sale now, fingers crossed it’ll be another sell out event!

Visit: http://thefieldtrip.com.au/

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Field Trip Melbourne 2013


Long story short, but I was the first to get in and I didn’t have a key, and the guy on the phone at Quest didn’t have my booking. I sat outside and had to wait for him to let me in. Once I was in I ducked out to buy some beer and a bottle of red. I just popped the red, started to relax and I got a call from the Quest guy saying I’m in the wrong room and that a party of 6 were in the lobby trying to get in (they couldn’t as I took the key in the security key deposit out on the street). Zann then rocks up, and luckily for us they had another room to put us in for the night.


Damien got in the next day and along with some volunteers we spent the afternoon packing the Field Trip tote bags with all sorts of goodies form our sponsors. Late that night back at the apartment Zann got his ticket scanning gear sorted.


6am we were at ACMI Fed Square setting up.


A tote bag on every seat in the house! Seriously sweaty work!


8.30am and the doors were open for registration.


3 speakers in and it was lunch time. Charlotte from the Jacky Winter Group killed it with this amazing lunch box for us. Love eating in Melbourne, so good!


Typographer Luke Lucas was a standout. Love his work. Also, Mimi Leung blew my mind, her process is so fresh.


Panel discussion with all speakers.


An enso on the wall at the apartment, was meant to be! :)


Damien left super early on Saturday morning, then there were 2 again. A Garry Trinh inspired shot of Zann and I.


Hosier Lane is always worth the visit.


Spotted a Low Bicycle. Love the look of these.


Heard good things about the Meatball & Wine Bar. An hour wait, but we were all up for it!


Right into the wine (I’ve forgotten what I ordered, but damn it was smooth).


Sliders were delicious!


Meatballs! The pork meatball with pesto sauce on smashed potato was such a killer combo.


Happy Zann.


Mei and Colin were in town too, so good to catch up with these guys again so soon (after Easter break).


The amazing Todd Proctor in the house.


We hit numerous pubs and in search of more food towards the end of the night we hit Chin Chin.


Chin Chin was shut upstairs, so we settled for their bar downstairs where we found a DJ spinning some pretty awesome tunes.


Paul Kotz, Zann and Todd. Both Paul and Todd run Small Studio, be sure to check them out.


Home, so beautiful.

Had an epic weekend in Melbourne for Field Trip which was a sold out event and went really really well. So glad that Zann organised for both him and I to have that once extra night just to come back down to Earth post event.

I’m exhausted, didn’t help that I went straight to an event in Sydney once I got off the plane! More on that event soon. Right now I’ve got to crash.

EDIT: We had a pro shooter on the day, some of his (amazing) pics are up here.

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Luddenham Raceway


Not usually into entering comps, but lifetime free go karting of they choose your logo? Why not!

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Fuel 4 Charity

f4c

Organising a charity event is something that VWGolf.net.au moderators myself, Christina Lock, Jose Togle and Marco Contreras have wanted to do for some time.

2 nights ago we had a meeting with Sergio Capozzi from ALL STARS and after much discussion plans have been put into action.

Rather than organising one single event, we’ve decided to set up an umbrella organisation with a view to do multiple events in the year, all for different charity foundations.

We’re excited!

Our first event will be a car show where all the proceeds raised from owners of the cars on show, traders who will be invited to run stands and spectators will be donated to The Leukaemia Foundation.

Our first event will kick off in June 2013.

Please like our page and spread the news (much appreciated). Also, please get in touch if you’d like to get involved, we need all the help we can get!

Like and share: https://www.facebook.com/Fuel4Charity

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Yokohama 86 livery

eastonchang_86
Those of you at Top Gear Festival last weekend would have seen this 86 at the ADVAN Yokohama stand. I’m proud to say that I designed the graphics for it. Photo by the amazing Easton Chang.

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Logo work

Just a few logos I’ve been working on.

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Students Guide To Digital Design

Last night’s Students Guide To Digital Design event featuring industry pros John Butterworth, CEO of AIMIA, Jon Christensen co-founder from Tractor Design School, and creative directors Ash Ringrose and Brad Eldridge from Soap Creative went down a treat last night at the Apple Store Sydney.

The panel gave the many students in attendance (so many more than we expected that Apple staff scurried to get more chairs out!) tips and tricks on how to get ahead in the digital design industry. They also praised the students in attendance for being there, and standing out from all the other students who, for whatever reason, didn’t show (you’ve got to be in it to win it!).

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We’re heading to QLD!

Yup, it’s going to be EPIC. Road Trip, holiday beach house, mates and a massive ALL STARS car show.

PS: That’s the wonderful Jay in the photo, shot today over the bridge by Alain from BLOW&TREES. She’s one of our bikini car wash girls at this weekend’s ALL STARS event at Eastern Creek. Here’s a photo of her in the office today (geez I love my job!).

Posted in Cars, Design | 3 Comments