Some Context Please

It’s the ending of a season, but also a great chance to get a little more understanding around what someone could expect moving into a new career in the industry. Matt Leach is talking to Andrew Jones, a freelance designer based in Launceston, specialising in exhibition, interior and branded space and 3D visualisations. Andrew’s had an amazing career for over 30 years, working across the whole east coast of Australia, from Brisbane to Melbourne, starting in Hobart. He’s particularly known for his joinery and fittings, and especially recognised for his exhibit design. Matt and I were interested to talk to Andrew and get his take on what he'd do if he were a graduating student these days, or toying with the idea of a career change. How would he find a job, what he would put in his portfolio, and what sort of advice he’d have for you when going out there to find your first work? You might be looking for that perfect entry-level role, either locally or interstate, or, on the other hand, thinking of starting up something on your own in a freelance business working with multiple studios or clients. Whatever it is…. Andrew has some great advice for you on how you might set yourself up and start looking.

It can be tricky to predict the future, but more and more, Interior Designers are being asked to forecast how technology could help their clients work, play and live better. How does the role of the interior designer change when there is constantly new and emerging tech, all promising to deliver the perfect experience. In episode 6 of Some Context Please, Matt Leach talks with Nikki Davey, an Interior Designer at Fender Katsalidis. Many of you would have heard from Nikki before. She's a great person to talk to because her practice covers all areas, from residential to commercial, private to corporate — she's able to provide an entry point into a more detailed discussion.

There is normally a correlation between the scale of a project and the number of stakeholders involved. Who are the stakeholders, what do they do and how do we work with them? This is episode 5, with Matt Leach and Nikki Davey, who discuss the range of stakeholders they've had to consider across all different types of projects. They shed light and give invaluable insight into how relationships have worked when stakeholders wanted input into the design.

In this discussion, Kirsty Máté talks with Andrew Francis about the design process and how he applies it in his work. Andrew is the Design Principal at Francis+Burne. He has over 25 years of experience working in interior design and is also the chair of the DIA (Design Institue of Australia) in Hobart. Go and check out the studio's website to see what sort of work they do.

This time around, Matt Leach and Nikki Davey talk further about the brief, reiterating why they are so important. They look at what happens when you don’t have a brief (nothing good) by dredging up some of Nikki's past experiences and using them as case studies.

This is Episode 02 of Some Context Please and Matt Leach talks to Nikki Davey, an interior designer that has a background in decoration and styling. This time around they talk about what a client brief needs to contain, how and why we rebrief clients, and what to do when you don't have enough information. There is a lot to cover in this one, so we'll further explore the brief in Episode 3 where they look at why you need a brief and what can go wrong if you don't have one.

In this first episode for Season 04, Matt Leach (one of our favourite interviewers) talks to Nikki Davey, an interior designer with a background in decoration and styling.   They discuss how to get your material board together and how boards are used within the industry. Nikki will be with Matt for a few of this season's episodes, we really think you will enjoy her insight and tips.

In our final episode for this season, Matt Leach continues his conversation with Alex Cearns OAM, an Australian photographer famous for her animal portraits. On Alex's website, Houndstooth Studio, it says: "Alex’s deep, long term commitment to philanthropy and her advocacy for animal rescue and wildlife conservation were distinguished with a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) in the Australia Day Honours List 2019 from the Council for the Order of Australia for her service to the community through charitable organisations." During the chat, Matt is really keen to hear about the many opportunities Alex has made for herself, through her relentless optimism and a real strength of character. They talk about how things have changed for her since being awarded the OAM in 2019, as well as the importance of reflection and how to constantly search for ways to improve on and build your working relationships. There is a tonne of great advice in this session; valuable advice you can't afford to miss.

One channel, two channels, all the channels? And then how much should you be posting? Every day, three times a day? Having a digital presence is one thing, growing one is a very different beast. In this 7th episode of Some Context Please, Matt Leach, from previous seasons, talks to Alex Cearns AOM, Founder and Director of Houndstooth Studio, an award-winning pet, animal, and wildlife photographer. They discuss how she built up a social media following and where she would suggest people go to start building their own digital presence. We also get a chance to talk a little about how she started out and what advice she'd give to photographers just beginning their career journey. We were incredibly lucky to get someone as well known as Alex to give us some time, plus she refused all payment, instead, asking us to donate to a local wildlife fund — so, if you like what you hear, reach out and say thank you through her social channels. It's always nice for professionals to know their words have landed well.

This is Some Context Please — Photography, Episode 06. This week, Adam continues his conversation with Devaka Seneviratne. We find out that Black & White photography has a special place in Dev's heart, as at the beginning of his career he was using film, when, at the time, B&W was a more niche and alternate medium. Dev provides some excellent tips for shooting B&W as well as in colour. Adam and Dev also tackle the topic of workflow — and where he introduces us to his way of conducting shoots. Now over to Adam.