staying ahead of the design curve

staying ahead of the design curve

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when is STREET ART considered VANDALISM?when is STREET ART considered VANDALISM?

DESIGN TENNIS: THE NEXT ROUND

DESIGN TENNIS: THE NEXT ROUND

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How to pimp your portfolio

Welcome, To our tenth issue, we have a jam packed issue for you this month! We look at some of the animals rights issues that have reared their head of late and ones that we here at Volley are very passionate about. We hope that you enjoy the third round of Design Tennis, we have had an overwhelming response from our readers about the competition.

We will be announcing a new competition within the next few weeks, so keep an eye out on our facebook page for the details. This issue you can learn the best ways to optimize your portfolio for the best chance of success in the industry, check it out on page 11!

We are expanding our magazine to cover more articles and next month we are looking at doing an article on op shop fashion, we are doing outfits for a budget of $50 and under..so don't miss it! We'll also be doing a Wordpress Tutorial on starting your very own website.

Enjoy,

Editor in Chief | Volley Mag

volley_mag volleymag www.volleymag.com

Front & Back Cover Image Courtesy of Pete Kell Photography {re:petephotography} user: flickr.com/chewy13robots

WHEN DOES STREET ART GO TOO FAR?

WHEN DOES STREET ART GO TOO FAR?

WHEN DOES STREET ART GO TOO FAR?

WHEN DOES STREET ART GO TOO FAR?

by GABRIELLE FORMAN

CHICKEN FARMING: You decide

Meat producing chickens are selectively bred. Their food is genetically altered to produce bigger thighs and breasts, the parts in most demand. This breeding creates birds so heavy that their bones cannot support their weight. These birds can no longer stand up. As they are bred to be grown fast, they reach market weight of 1.6 kilos in seven weeks.

Meat producing chickens are raised in overcrowded ‘broiler houses’ instead of cages to prevent the occurrence of bruised flesh, which would make their meat undesirable. Their beaks and toes are cut off as the broiler houses are usually unfit to prevent fighting among the birds.

There are so many other horror stories, we haven’t even touched on their slaughter or what happens to these birds when they fail to produce. But maybe this little insight will change the way you feel about eating meat, if anything, change the way you shop.

I ’m not a vegetarian. I love chicken, eggs and most other meats. But in researching for this story, I am pretty close to changing my mind.

The information I have read and the images I have seen will be burned into my memory now for a long time. When I buy my eggs at the supermarket I look out for the ones that are clearly labelled ‘free range’ or ‘cage free’. When I buy my chicken however there is really no indication of the meat’s origin. But now I know. Not all chickens are farmed in inhumane ways, but I’d like to draw attention to those that are.

‘Inhumane’ farming practices mean that the producer farms without compassion for the misery and suffering of the animal. In the case of egg farming, this means cramming up to eight birds into a 14-inch cage, where without room to move, air to breath or adequate access to sunshine, the birds become stressed, agitated and aggressive. Many birds dehydrate and die inside the cages either because of the crammed environment or because they have become stuck or wedged between the wires. Remaining birds are left to stand on their dead cage mates for as long as it takes for the producer to notice and do something about it.

As male chickens are not useful for the meat producing industry, and 50 per cent of chicks hatched are males, they need to be disposed of and killed at birth. It has been reported that often, male chickens are disposed of live – thrown in the trash and left to suffocate.

For more information about what the RSPCA is doing about chicken farmingvisit: http://www.rspca.org.au

V O L L E Y | 4

We’re facing a sickening reality in Australia today; 250,000 healthy, but unwanted cats and dogs are killed in Australian

pounds each year. In Australia, we have a system that perpetuates a cycle of breeding to excess, impulse purchasing of pets and then the quiet killing of the surplus 250,000 mainly healthy cats and dogs year after year. More than 57,351 domestic animals are killed every year in New South Wales alone. This is not justifiable, not ethical and not acceptable. These animals are not just statistics; each one is a live sentient being that can suffer immense stress in a frightening environment prior to an untimely death. Surely we have the ability to fix the problem and stop the oversupply and consequent unnecessary euthanasia of healthy cats and dogs by tackling all the reasons for it?

We are forever hearing about children being used as slaves, or young women sold off in prostitute circles, we are all aware of children and of women suffering. We are aware of domestic violence, of how people are constantly murdered and of tragedies that happen worldwide, be it a cause of Mother Nature or a sick psychopathic killer. Yet, most people don’t see or understand that the very same issues that we as humans face; are also suffered by helpless animals. These animals don’t have a voice or a way to tell us that they are hurting or being mistreated, they are silent sufferers and unless we the general public do something about it; the future is looking pretty damn grim! We owe it to these animals to ensure that they are being brought into the world in a healthy state, treated with the love and affection they deserve, and loved for the entirety of their lives, not just while they are cute little babies.How many times have we walked past a pet shop and been captivated by that sweet little ball of fluff, putting on the ‘puppy dog eyes’ and making us all turn

By Sarah HarrisBy Sarah Harris

So...You Think You’ve Bought A Purebred Puppy from a loving home...

So...You Think You’ve Bought A Purebred Puppy from a loving home...

to mush? Having seen many a gorgeous pups in the window, yet I have always had a gut feeling that I just couldn’t buy a dog from the pet shop. I could never support the idea of putting a baby in a small glass box, letting it roll around in its own urine and faeces and a bit of shredded paper as a means of comfort. Not to mention the prices that pet shops usually ask for their animals, and knowing full well that in order for pet shops to still be in business, they are obviously making a profit on the animal somewhere; so how are they making a profit? Well it’s simple, usually these poor little animals are not in the best of health, they are usually not properly vaccinated and wormed and they are seen as a means of making money, not of bringing in new life to the world.

This brings me onto the subject of ‘backyard breeders’ or ‘puppy farms’, who have a huge amount of dogs locked in cages for the sole purpose of breeding and making money. These animals are usually in a poor and derelict state, and are used purely to produce babies, and when they are no longer ‘profitable’ they are killed. They are not treated with any respect, any love or affection, and are usually in a cage on a dirt floor, with inadequate water and food. They are usually so ‘damaged’ that they pace their cages, or sit at the back and quiver, some of them don’t even react when someone walks into the shed, their souls so broken they just can’t be damned moving. Not having seen it myself, only having heard of it and read about it, I think it would give me nightmares for life - these beautiful creatures should be treated much like we would expect a pregnant woman to be treated; fed healthy and nutritious food, given a warm and comfortable place to sleep, and given attention and exercise every day to keep not only their physical state healthy, but also their mental.

It’s for these reasons that there has been a surge of rescue groups and a cry for animal rights to be recognised by everyone, and especially those that have the ability to govern and punish people who don’t act on an animal’s best interests. It’s not all bad, there are people out there willing to put their all into helping these animals, one such lady I find truly inspiring is Debra Tranter, the founder of Oscars Law. Oscar’s Law aims to abolish puppy factory farming and the sale of pets in pet shops, in the beginning of the campaign; the images shown were very confronting and horrendous that the message wasn’t reaching the everyday person. So Tranter, decided that in order to get people to sit up and take notice of the issue, it wasn’t about showing negative images and making the whole situation seem hopeless, it was about enabling consumers to make informed choices on their pet purchases. Knowing what they are getting and where their bundle of joy came from, not just an ad in the paper or online and paying a premium price.

A rally was held six weeks after Tranter launched the campaign, 5000 people were there in full force on the steps of Melbourne’s Parliament House; Tranter hoped for 50 people and was completely blown away that so many people were there. It showed that people really do care, and if there is more awareness, we have the ability to really make a difference to the outlook of the pet industry. For more information on Oscars Law, the full story and to join the cause please see www.oscarslaw.org.

V O L L E Y | 6

In order for the outlook to change however, we need people to understand the importance of knowing where their animal has come from, that they have come from parents who are loved and valued beyond their means of creating profit for their owners. People need to understand that choosing a pet needs to be considered fully, as a pet should be seen as a lifetime commitment, much like a child, that you can’t just dump them once they aren’t cute anymore. So many people give up their pets because they are moving interstate, they are moving to a house which doesn’t allow pets, the pet isn’t convenient to have anymore, and the list of excuses goes on. When you choose to purchase a pet, you are choosing a lifetime companion and your life will be so much better for it, but you need to realise that by choosing to own a pet, your responsibilities are to look after that dog as if it was a child, they become part of the family.

I grew up with dogs, two in fact, and we had to make the hard decision to let Max go when he was 14 - he stopped eating and passing urine; two signs the vet told us would be his way of asking us to let him go. That was two and half years ago, and I am still a wreck whenever I think about him; he was the most loyal little dog ever and I am so glad I had the opportunity I learnt to love and show compassion to another living animal, I believe it says a lot about a person who can be so affected by such events, and people need to start having more of an emotional connection to their pets.

For more information about any of the topics please see our website for the links.

A bunch of Stars are helping the Oscars Law campaign:

A bunch of Stars are helping the Oscars Law campaign:

pft

The design world is an ever changing one with new ideas and styles being developed all the time.

For designers to stay relevant in the fast paced and competitive industry it is important for them to keep up to date with current design trends.

Although it is very important for designers to bring their own style to their creations; when designing for a specific target audience they must be aware of what people are interested in as well as how their designs will be perceived.

Through thorough research of current trends and what styles people are enjoying, designers and marketers can use the information gathered to create outcomes that really target specific people; therefore resulting in greater interest for their design or product.

Staying

of the

DesignCurve.

AHEAD

V O L L E Y | 1 0

Things such as reading magazines, looking at blogs, watching television, listening to music, or just talking to people, are all ways that can allow for designers creativity to grow. By doing these things it not only enhances their projects, but will help to gain the target audiences attention.

There are a huge number of designers out there; this allows for a large variety of styles and ideas to be spread around the design world. The Internet helps for these ideas and inspirations to be easily accessible for those looking for changing trends.

It is great that people can see other designers creations from the other side of the world and allow those influences to affect their own designs.Broadening a designers skills in the techniques or tools they use, can also help to create a new and interesting range of outcomes.

With great developments being made in ways to communicate and interact with users, it has opened up new and exciting ways to create designs. Portable devices such as smart-phones allow for a huge range of new innovations in design and interaction with the user.

The range of technologies available to us these days is huge. These developments allow for new design ideas to be brought to life, which can interest a variety of audiences. For this reason it is important for designers to be aware of the resources available to them.

Research into design technologies, techniques and styles that consumers are interested in will allow for the best outcomes to be produced.

By Mitch Oates.

Putting {The BEST} PORTFOLIO Forward >>

So you’ve been studying for what seems like an eternity and now you’re done...now what? No longer is the crucial step getting the degree, the diploma, the skills...now you’ve gotta stand out from the crowd with the best and most innovative portfolio ever seen.

Here is a guide to creating the best portfolio and making it stand out for all the right reasons!

01.

03.

04.

02.

How many examples should a design portfolio include? It’s a tricky question, but you should aim to fill at least 20 pages of a physical folio, and at least 30 examples for an online space. You need to be able to show a healthy spread of work together with a range of applications, so even if you select several examples from a single project you should make sure you treat image individually.

Illustrators and designers aren’t just employed for their style but also for the clarity with which they interpret a creative brief. So if you include examples of your artwork without providing context, it’s impossible to judge. Make sure you use annotations and notes to talk about how and why the work was created. Make it clear what the brief asked for in each design portfolio example you include, and then demonstrate how you successfully accomplished it.

Your design portfolio doesn’t have to only include client based work. Self-initiated projects are certainly acceptable in full-time applications, and recommended for freelance work - especially for illustrators.

Only include design portfolio examples for a full-time position that are appropriate to the role. A creative director position, for instance, won’t entail much artworking - if any at all - so work that demonstrates tracking and kerning ability isn’t relevant.

< Include a breadth of work >

< Provide context to your work >

< non client work is definitely a plus >

< Include appropriate examples >

>> Physical portfolios . . .

by Sarah Harris

05.

06.

07.

08.

09.

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Resist the temptation to bulk out your design portfolio with old or irrelevant examples of your work by having a thorough and ruthless clear out. Don’t leave this until it’s unavoidable, design portfolios need constant attention - you never know when you might be called on to present to the creative directors of your dream design house...

Don’t think of your design portfolio simply as a collection of your art and design work. Recommendations and real-life case studies go a long way in showing how professionally capable you are. Ask a previous client or employer for a recommendation, and write up a short case study to accompany a project.

Take a step back and try to look at your design portfolio through another’s eyes. Experienced employers, project managers and agents know how to match up a CV to a design portfolio and gauge your character strengths and weaknesses. So think critically about what your design portfolio says about you. Is it too serious? Too flippant? Strike a balance that you believe shows off your qualities.

Are you only good at illustration or editorial layout? Of course you’re not: you’re also a solid communicator who understands budgets and deadlines, as well as the importance of meetings and updates. These are all professional skills. Make sure your design portfolio clearly showcases that you posses these, even if you just simply list them in your accompanying notes.

You need to grab the attention of your potential employers - you don’t want to pigeon hole yourself into a certain area.Think about what other creative talents you might have as well. For instance, if you’re a handy photographer or accomplished with coding, why not include examples of your shots or

web designs? They’re all more talents you have to offer to your repertoire, and the more diverse you can be; the more desirable you are going to be to any employer!

What do you do when you find a particularly interesting website, magazine spread or book chapter? You bookmark it, dog ear it or jot down the page number somewhere. Those viewing your design portfolio - by whatever medium - will do the same, so make it easy by including page numbers and clear project titles for each portfolio example.

< update it regularly >

< Include case studies >

< Take a step back >

< Demonstrate 360o experience >

< Sell yourself! >

< Index your design portfolio >

on to online portfolios

V O L L E Y | 1 2

>>>> online portfolios . . .Putting {The BEST} PORTFOLIO Forward >>

01.You could set up a hosted blog on Wordpress in mere minutes, you could create something a little more advanced using the drag-and-drop options of Squarespace, use a dedicated design portfolio platform like Behance, Carbonmade or Portfoliobox. In other words, there are no shortage of options, so you have no excuse for building yourself an online design portfolio!

You always have the option of designing your own in Dreamweaver, however with the ever growing need for a Content Management System (CMS) to be able to easily update your content, you might be better off using one of the above mentioned sites. They cater for those code savvy designers, as well as beginners and can help you look like a pro in next to no time.

< Choose your platform (host) >

These days if you’re looking for work as a designer, whether a full-time job or a freelance gig, you’re going to need an online portfolio as well as a physical one. It doesn’t matter how many glowing references you have or how impressive your work history, no one’s going to be interested unless they can see what you can do.

A design portfolio website is the easiest and quickest way to showcase your work; and with the rise in technology and advances in the use of smartphones and tablets, it’s expected that you have a digital platform in which to showcase your work.

An online design portfolio is your creative shop window. It’s always on - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year - and it’s always working to showcase who you are and what you can do. Here are some tips how...

02.Before you rush in to build your design portfolio site, think about why you’re doing this. Many designers think having an online design design portfolio is an end in itself - but if you don’t know what you’re trying to achieve with your design portfolio, you won’t know whether it’s succeeding.

For example, if you’re just after some constructive feedback, consider posting limited amounts of images or just one of the core work. If you want to seek employment you’re going to have to show your best work - and ensure you include some of your processes in there too.

< Consider your aim/s >

03.As with a physical design portfolio, don’t make the mistake of trying to show off too much of your work. Potential clients don’t need to see everything. Instead, be more selective. Focus on your best stuff and the work you’ve done for high-profile clients.

When showing off your work, consider the sort of briefs that you’d like to tackle in the future. Show the sort of work that you want to do more of and that illustrates the full set of your skills and abilities.

< Be selective >

04.Do we need to explain?! You could have the fanciest site in the world, but if it was last updated five years ago it looks a bit lazy.

< keep adding new work! >

Inset: Gareth Strange; Strange Love, Paul Currah

< Publish testimonials >

05. 07.

08.06.

There’s another aspect to the artwork you choose to put up - how well it works together. “Curate the work you put up carefully,” adds London-based illustrator Malika Favre. “Online folios need the same rhythm as printed ones: you need to tell a story, and order your projects so that they feel fluid and complement each other. If it means that an old project has to be removed to fit the new story, so be it.”

“One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to display printed material on screen,” points out New York-based designer Derek Chan. “While digital versions of your work will help, photography is definitely the best way to show these off. It’s all about the context, and showing your designs as they were intended to be seen”. Oh, and make sure you get quality photographs, if the work isn’t showcased at it’s best, it’s not worth showing at all!

“One of the biggest challenges is figuring out how to display printed material on screen,” points out New York-based designer Derek Chan. “While digital versions of your work will help, photography is definitely the best way to show these off. It’s all about the context, and showing your designs as they were intended to be seen”. Oh, and make sure you get quality photographs, if the work isn’t showcased at it’s best, it’s not worth showing at all!

The website you build can say a lot about you in the first few seconds if you design it properly. In other words, you show people what you can do before you even get around to telling them.

So if you’re a web designer, for example, have a beautiful, quick-to-load online design portfolio that showcases your coding and design talents. If you’re an illustrator, make your artwork part of the design. If you’re a graphic designer, impress the hell out of your visitors with great typography, a custom logo and easy-on-the-eye layouts.

These subtle cues can often make or break any connection with your web visitors. We recently found a marketing agency who built mobile-optimised websites, yet their own site wasn’t optimised for mobile...

< Curate work carefully > < Photograph printed work>

< Make it simple to navigate! >< Show ... don’t just tell >

09.If shopping on Amazon has taught us anything it’s that people love to know what other people think. Getting testimonials from satisfied clients is a great way to show some ‘proof’ that you can deliver on what your portfolio promises.

Inset: Serial Cut, Foxie Graphic, Pikaboo and Adham Dannaway

Head to www.volley.com for more tipsV O L L E Y | 1 4

Welcometo the design tennis ar

ena.. .

. . . Say What?!Hi! Welcome to our latest Design Tennis Showcase. Design Tennis? I hear you ask... so you must be new around here, here’s some info on design tennis..

This is the Third Season of our live design events called Design Tennis. Matches are played using video, animation, sound, photos, type and lots more, but the basic idea is the same no matter what tools are in

use. Two competitors swap a file back and forth, adding to and embellishing the work. Each artist gets a few days to complete a “volley” and then we post it to our website. A match lasts for fourteen volleys and when it’s complete, we get it mashed into a series of images like the ones you are about to see.

Hi! Welcome to our latest Design Tennis Showcase. Design Tennis? I hear you ask... so you must be new around here, here’s some info on design tennis..

This is the Third Season of our live design events called Design Tennis. Matches are played using video, animation, sound, photos, type and lots more, but the basic idea is the same no matter what tools are in

use. Two competitors swap a file back and forth, adding to and embellishing the work. Each artist gets a few days to complete a “volley” and then we post it to our website. A match lasts for fourteen volleys and when it’s complete, we get it mashed into a series of images like the ones you are about to see.

AND . . . . . . SERVE >>>

GABRIELLE FORMAN

My piece is in response to the recent horse meat scandal of January 2013. I wanted to portray a feeling of loss that this scandal has caused in the eyes of children. In the eyes of a child, the horse has always been depicted as a beautiful and dynamic/exciting animal, take the story ‘Black Beauty’, the toy ‘My Little Pony’ and the series ‘The Saddle Club’ for example, as well a fun animal who provides riding activities both in real life and on a merry-go-round. This scandal however, takes all of the fun out of the idea of the horse.

Suddenly, the images of slaughter and horse meat burgers come to mind, placing the horse in the same mental abattoir as the cow or sheep. What better way to depict this tragedy than by using a merry-go-round and a target – the target representative of the horse’s demise from this well known fair attraction as well as from the hearts and imaginations of children. I have blurred the background of my image to concentrate purely on the horses. The text ‘HORSE MEAT – is this the end of the merry-go-round?’ asks the question to reinforce the problem, and to get the viewer to acknowledge and think about what’s happened.

V O L L E Y | 1 6

This response is mainly centered around the colloquial saying; “Gee I am so hungry I could eat a horse, and then chase the rider” From this initial viewpoint, I was able to create an illustration that was fairly straight forward in meaning and a little playful at the same time. As the subject is quite gruesome and full on I have made a bit of light hearted-ness about it, which seems to be the way I am coping with such a horrid thought. I know the thought of eating horse may not be much of an issue for some people, for me though, it is. Perhaps it’s because I see a horse as being a more domesticated animal, much like a pet dog, cat, bird - and would we eat those? Society in general rejects this as a ‘social norm’.

Someone I spoke to about it today likened it to eating crocodile or kangaroo, however in my mind these animals are not even in the same realm as horses - they are wild, they are not kept as pets (well unless you are Steve Irwin’s kids I spose?) so I guess my real issue comes down to the fact that I don’t think eating your pets is allowed, or someone else’s pet. Although I know that people don’t generally KNOW they are eating it as it is being substituted as beef, somewhere along the line someone in a knackery thought it was ok....you be the judge.

Sarah HARRIS

The previous design, had an excellent drawing of a horse on it. The drawing showed a lot of expression in the face of the horse. For this reason I decided to use this part of the image in my own design. By using the reflection of the horse on the dinner plate I feel that it helps to drive home the sensitive nature of this issue and the impact that it has on some people. By placing the horse on the plate, in the centre of the image, and having it stare back at the viewer it allows the audience to empathise with the animal.

The simple layout works well and stands out, when placed against the red & white background which may be recognised as a commonly used style of table cloth. The heading “Horses for Courses?” is a play on words that helps to raise the question to the viewer, are they aware of exactly what is in the food they are eating?

MITCH OATES

V O L L E Y | 1 8

The red and white checkered pattern cleverly gave the impression of a 1950’s /60’s All American, family restaurant, table cloth. In my own design I decided to include the table cloth pattern because I liked how the style contrasted with the topic. I also wanted to keep the topic about animals we eat, but I designed the chickens to look appealing and “cute” so the audience could connect with them. There are hundreds of cases of animal cruelty in the meat production industry and chickens are probably one of the worst sufferer’s. They are put into tiny cages, so small they can’t move, their feathers are worn off and the skin rubbed raw around their necks from stretching through their cages to get food. Their legs are often dislocated from their bodies when they are picked up and thrown into trucks to be taken to the meat factories and many meat chickens die in these factories because they are given so many growth hormones that their legs can’t take the weight of their bodies. This image was designed to show what it is that we are eating. It’s not just a piece of meat in some packaging: It’s a real chicken that was born, had a cruel life, and has now died to soothe our appetites

ESTHER ROSS

GABRIELLE FORMAN

I have continued the issue of chickens and the inhumane ways they are housed for their eggs and their meat to come up with this design. After doing a bit of research and checking out some pretty horrific imagery, I found that the images that hit me the hardest were of the entire battery farm, the millions of little feathered bodies crammed into tiny cages. I used one of these images.

I began to wonder, if chickens were capable of thinking to this level – would they be thinking of their freedom? What it would be like to break free? Then I thought that in the scheme of these awful operations – they really have no choice, and perhaps the only freedom from their dismal and heart breaking life, is death itself.

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Heaven | Hell | Time I took these three words from the previous design, prompting me to think about the notion of heaven vs hell, and the idea that depending on time will depend on which (world) you feel that you are living in. The idea is that everything that lives, also dies and that it’s all just a matter of time. For some of us it is cut short through incurable diseases, freak accidents and horrific murders and crime. The idea that everyone has a destiny and that someone somewhere has a plan for us and a ‘time’ for when we have fulfilled our destiny.

Sarah HARRIS

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After seeing the previous design it caused me to think of ways in which time can have a huge effect on how we live our lives. Time & time management effects us all, whether it be through keeping schedules, meeting deadlines, family, work or sporting commitments. All these things can have an effect on the way we live & enjoy our lives.The constant rush to get things done, sometimes does not allow for people to sit back and enjoy what they are doing. Although some of the pressures that are put on us can have positive impacts in allowing certain goals to be achieved, the use of good time management creates the best outcomes for the projects & the individuals.In my design I used the hour & minute hands on a clock to separate the idea of the stresses Vs relief that time causes. The repetition of the words “Tick Tock” helps to highlight the pressure that people put on themselves to meet deadlines and complete tasks. The to-do list helps to represent the generic tasks that many people have to squeeze into their short amount of time during the day. The messy handwriting helps to reenforce the rushed nature of the things that we do.On the paper, there is a faint shadow of a clock. This helps to tie the piece together with the idea of time & time management. The clock hands tearing apart the paper help to demonstrate the effects it can have on people. In the background there is a blue sky and green grass, this is used to help represent the relief that can be achieved when we are not bound by things such as tight schedules and deadlines.

MITCH OATES

V O L L E Y | 24

I liked how the previous design used the idea of time: that we all have so much to do and so little time to do it in. The idea behind my creation is that of escaping the grind. That it is important to escape the corporate machine that so many of us get stuck in.

We all have so much stuff that we think we have to do to be successful in life, but this is often what traps us and makes us stressed and unhappy. I know I have had to learn to let go of things in my life and focus on what is really important. I am learning more and more how vital it is to escape the grind of day to day life.

ESTHER ROSS

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I really liked the last design, particularly the freedom and ‘escapism’ that was implied by the use of a little girl flying away up into the sky with a balloon. I used the little girl and the sense of escapism for my design, but changed the tone to ‘carnival’ by adding circus tents, a Ferris Wheel, a clown and fireworks. The girl is a silhouette so I added other silhouettes of parents and children enjoying the event. I named my design ‘side show’ and after researching circus events of the past, used a similar type to really get the feel of show time. I created tent curtains which gave the design a more ‘poster’ feel, inviting the viewer to consider buying tickets.I want the viewer to concentrate on the piece itself and girl, floating away, escaping (perhaps from her parents’ grasp). In 1982 my then 8 year old brother went missing at the Royal Adelaide Show. When we found him he didn’t know what all the fuss was about.The image of the little girl floating away with her balloon reminded me of my brother – he’d escaped!

GABRIELLE FORMAN

V O L L E Y | 2 8

I created a design response to the ‘Side Show’. I thought that the design worked well in portraying a carnival atmosphere and creating an interesting image for the viewer to interpret. The fireworks are used in my design to help portray the ‘spark’ moment that occurs when designers and other creative people come up with a great idea.

In my design I used the heading ‘Be Creative’ which encourages the viewers to recognise that anyone can be creative. We just need to find that spark/moment where our creativity can thrive and produce interesting designs, paintings, drawings, stories, music along with many many other things.

By having the heading begin as something straightforward and quite boring, then turn into something bright & interesting. It helps to show that even simple ideas can become something bigger that people will be able to appreciate.I added the pen scribble & coffee stains to help show that good designs take time and are developed through trial & error.

MITCH OATES

This Design Tennis Submission is about the new movement happening in Melbourne. In selected café’s you can buy a suspended coffee. What does this mean? It means that you pay for, and suspend, a coffee for someone who may not be able to afford it. At a later time someone who is disadvantaged – homeless, pensioner, unemployed – can come and collect this coffee. On a cold Melbourne winters morning, I can only imagine how special this would be.

ESTHER ROSS

V O L L E Y | 3 0

The overall design is supposed to be a tongue in cheek send up of the typical dentistry adverts, done with some clever ideas – such as using teeth instead of check boxes, and using the title slogan “Got Teeth?”. My main premise was that the advert for “Got Milk?” seemed to work so well, and the general public instantly recognize the slogan, and this means that mine should be fairly recognizable too. The second train of thought was that of course, you need milk to have good teeth, so this could almost be seen as the sequel to the Got Milk campaign!!

I didn’t want the image to have a deviation from the main attraction- being the man’s missing tooth- so I opted to do some photo-shopping and remove the jacket and extend the neck slightly, the jury is still out as to whether he looks like he has an unusually large neck, or if he is just sitting up really straight! I have played around with the composition but always returned to this layout.

Sarah HARRIS

GABRIELLE FORMAN

I was inspired by thelast design to use ‘teeth’ as a theme. Not so much about losing teeth and how distressing that can be, especially for adults, but how exciting it can be for children, losing teeth for the first time. I remember when I was very little how excited I was knowing that if I put my newly lost tooth under my pillow then the tooth fairy would reward me with at least 50c. I thought the tooth fairy must have been so skilled to be able to reach under my pillow without waking me up. For this piece I wanted to convey a sense of fantasy, of night time dreaming and magic.

V O L L E Y | 3 2

The last design made good use of different elements to help build the magical/fantasy feel towards the image. Right in the middle were a scatter of Stars, making me think of the saying “Reach For The Stars” so I decided to create a typographical motivational style image.To help build on the stars motif, I used the starry night time image of the previous design. I increased the size & brightness of the stars in the image to make them more noticeable & add extra interest to the overall design. Using a number of fonts to display the words, seemed to work effectively in creating interest and variety to the design. I decided to replace the letter ‘A’ with the top point of the Star at the bottom of the design and I feel that this works quite well and blends together easily with the sharp typeface used.The border works well as a clipping mask to separate the starry background from the cloudy foreground. By having the dark background, it makes the letters and images stand out nice and clearly.

MITCH OATES

V O L L E Y | 3 4

The world of technology is amazing. In this modern world, new innovations are always being invented that help us to live our lives.

It is interesting to think back and realise just how far we have come in recent years regarding the technology we use in our everyday lives.

When the first computers were made, they took up entire rooms and could only perform seemingly small tasks.

With developments in technology, it has allowed for more powerful and compact forms of the computer to be made. These improvements have had a significant impact on the user experience.

The mobile phone has also been a huge influence on the way technology affects peoples lives. Being able to carry a small hand held device around in your pocket which is capable of communicating with people on the other side of the world has made communication much much easier.

The development and use of these communication devices have helped to make it much more affordable to communicate with people far away.

With developments in these communication devices, it has made access to the World Wide Web easier. These days it is difficult to think of how we would cope without the Internet. The easy access to a gigantic range of information and entertainment has allowed for the world to spread ideas and knowledge with just the click of a button.

Many businesses have made good use of this technology. Online stores allow for shoppers to browse and purchase their items from the comfort of their own home and have the goods delivered straight to their door. Applications can be downloaded which allow users to play games, listen to music, read maps, check weather or sports scores, among many many other things.

The days of carrying around stacks of CD’s containing your favourite music are basically gone. Developments of more compact storage devices have allowed for thousands of songs to be saved and listened to on tiny hand held devices.

With all this excellent technology right at our fingertips, it is interesting to think about where technology will take us next.

With the rapid developments and huge number of inventions being produced around the world; ideas that we may think to be impossible may not be as far off as we think.

By Mitch Oates.

V O L L E Y | 3 6

Sustainable packaging:

We are all consumers, whether we like to admit it or not. We are on this earth to survive and to do

that we must sustain ourselves.

Some of us choose to be self sufficient, by growing our own produce and living in a way that gives back to the environment, but for the large majority of us we buy our food and household items at a supermarket where, as we are all aware, items are packaged with plastics, cardboard, foil, aluminium, paper and sometimes combinations of all of these. With so much packaging aimed to attract us to buy a particular product over another, and so many supermarkets to satisfy the population, why is it only recently that more thought is being given to where all of this waste is going?

To put it simply, the earth is only capable of consuming so much. If we don’t think intelligently about waste management and more eco-friendly options now, the state of the environment will deteriorate to an unmanageable point, therefore reducing the ability for the next generation to prosper, and generations after that.

With key environmental spokespeople, politicians and the media working hard to keep the subject of the health of the environment high on the agenda, large producers have no choice but to think of their impact and environmental footprint more than ever before. Some are changing the way their product’s packaging

by GABRIELLE FORMAN

V O L L E Y | 3 8

can be used, then re-used again and again, others are choosing packaging materials that when disposed of, degrade quicker and even replenish the soil. Sustainable packaging options are being thought about well before the product hits the factory floor, instead designers are being charged with not only developing attractive packaging, but how the product is packaged and which materials should or shouldn’t be used in the production of the packaging.

If an organisation is committed to their role in reducing their impact on the environment, sustainable packaging options will be considered at the product’s conception. With the average consumer acutely aware that their decision to purchase one particular product over an other could impact the environment, organisations are now competing in a whole new way. Jumping on the sustainable packaging band wagon however, are the green washers; organisations who know they need to appear to be doing the right thing but for reasons of cost or other, have chosen not to - but still claim to be on board. These organisations will change very little in their packaging options but will still attach a statement to their product that eludes to their greenness. Watch out for these guys - they may be ‘cost-saving’ and may have only changed one aspect of their design but chances are, their packaging will still be costly to the environment.

a way of the future or purely green-washing

%

Who ever said that graffiti wasn’t art? Or is it? If graffiti is art, then when is art vandalism?

These are the questions our authorities battle with every time they get out the turps and start scrubbing at the walls.

There is certainly no question that some ‘street art’ is created by some very talented artists – but if I was really good at baking should that mean I can bake anywhere and everywhere, leaving my calling card in every back alley or lane-way? Sure, lots of people love cake, but I would still need a permit to bake in a lane-way right? It’s public property.

But there seems to be this alternative rule for street art, because defining it from graffiti, to art, seems to be too difficult a debate. What one person appreciates may not be the same for another. One might see all defacing of property as graffiti no matter how skilful the work is – if there’s no reason for it, no permission granted, then it’s vandalism. On the other hand, what if no permission was granted but the work was making a statement, was beautiful, or iconic, does this mean it’s okay? Is the difference between the two, that graffiti artists only come out at night? They run from the police and have no permission being where they are?

V O L L E Y | 42

Or is it that their art is overshadowed by their vandal status, meaning that the debate over art and vandalism lies within the artist not the art? Is the graffiti artist a different kind of person – someone who will always live under the dim lit stigma of carefree, reckless behaviour?

Let’s take the street artist Banksy – in some ways recognised more for his notoriety than his talent. His work is everywhere, making statements all over the world’s walls, but no one seems to know him and no one seems to have seen him at work. Yet his art is somehow appreciated for it’s stencil-skill as well as

the fact that the artist gets away with it time and time again. Would the same ‘appreciation’ and leniency apply if a local artist with the same political and social values took to the streets in Melbourne?

So if the issue of ‘what is graffiti, is also art, is also vandalism’ interests you – then drop us a line, we’re interested in your thoughts – your contribution will be included in the next issue.

by GABRIELLE FORMAN

g a b r i e l l e f o r m a nAssistant Production ManagerGraphic DesignerPublic Relations

gabf@volleymag.com

gabf_volley

g a b r i e l l e f o r m a nAssistant Production ManagerGraphic DesignerPublic Relations

gabf@volleymag.com

gabf_volley

g a b r i e l l e f o r m a nAssistant Production ManagerGraphic DesignerPublic Relations

gabf@volleymag.com

gabf_volley

S a r a h H a r r i sEditor in Chief Graphic Designer & PhotographerProduction Manager

sarah@volleymag.com

sarah_volley

S a r a h H a r r i sEditor in Chief Graphic Designer & PhotographerProduction Manager

sarah@volleymag.com

sarah_volley

S a r a h H a r r i sEditor in Chief Graphic Designer & PhotographerProduction Manager

sarah@volleymag.com

sarah_volley

S a r a h H a r r i sEditor in Chief Graphic Designer & PhotographerProduction Manager

sarah@volleymag.com

sarah_volley

Want to be part of our awesome magazine? Have an issue you feel we should cover? Or just want to provide us some feedback or encouragement? We love to hear from you! We are also available for all your Graphic Design, Photographic & Illustrative needs! Just drop us a line!

www.volleymag.com

info@volleymag.com

m i t c h o at e sAssistant Production ManagerGraphic DesignerPublic Relations

mitch@volleymag.com

mitch_volley

m i t c h o at e sAssistant Production ManagerGraphic DesignerPublic Relations

mitch@volleymag.com

mitch_volley

m i t c h o at e sAssistant Production ManagerGraphic DesignerPublic Relations

mitch@volleymag.com

mitch_volley

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Our MAY edition that visited our geometric obsessions - we looked at all things patterned and printed. We take a look at an Aussie fashionista and her take on the geometric trend taking over the world!

Our APRIL edition was all about natural resources and the way we consume them - through all means. We talk to a natural make up artist- using clay based powders for her face mineral powder!

Our MAY edition that visited our geometric obsessions - we looked at all things patterned and printed. We take a look at an Aussie fashionista and her take on the geometric trend taking over the world!

Our APRIL edition was all about natural resources and the way we consume them - through all means. We talk to a natural make up artist- using clay based powders for her face mineral powder!

Our MAY edition that visited our geometric obsessions - we looked at all things patterned and printed. We take a look at an Aussie fashionista and her take on the geometric trend taking over the world!

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