Origami Graphics

24/12/2025

What would you add? 😌💅

2025 was, for me, like playing life on Expert Mode. Constant huge upheavals in my professional and personal life meant time off, project delays, and financial stress. Not fun.

Here’s what I would have done differently (and what I’ll be doing in 2026):

🩵 RATES UP FOR BETTER MARGINS: I’ve nearly doubled my revenue on last year, and my team of design assistants has been super helpful. But my own rates weren’t high enough for the level of business I was doing, and that meant I didn’t have enough money in my wallet at the end of the day. This year was EXPENSIVE.

🩵 HARDER DEADLINES FOR SELF AND CLIENTS: This goes hand-in-hand with higher rates, as I’m able to manage my workload and cash flow better if I can keep a predictable schedule by charging better and not taking so many jobs on.

🩵 SLIGHTLY LONGER PROJECT TIMEFRAMES: By accounting for the unexpected and allowing extra time, deadlines wouldn’t have been missed by me or clients in the first place.

🩵 DIVI: I taught myself how to use Divi this year and have already made FOUR client websites. Go read my blog to find out why I moved from Wix and Elementor to Squarespace and Divi.

Out:

❌ It can all be summarised by this:
taking on too much, tolerating bad behaviour, accepting exploitation in our industry, and giving others extra financial comfort and stability… at your own expense.

All this is in the rear view mirror now - let’s see how 2026 goes. 👀

12/12/2025

I'm charging higher and holding everyone to project deadlines much more firmly in 2026. Here's why:

2025 was incredibly challenging, and I learnt some critical business lessons to take into 2026. Want the goss about where I failed and how things need to change next year? Here it is.

05/03/2025

[LOOKING FOR CASUAL DESIGNERS]

Oh how long I've resisted making this post 🤣 I'm looking for a few freelance graphic designers who'd like to pick up some work for my business when I'm too busy.

You *don't* need to be Australian like me, but you *do* need to have a legally-registered business and be able to send me invoices for your work.

During my busy periods (lately all the time, but usually April-September), I might need you to complete 5-15 hours/week of tasks like...

✏ Typesetting and layout
💻 Flyer and brochure design
📊 Charts and infographics
👩‍🏫 Powerpoint presentations
⛹️‍♀️ Simple animations and motion graphics
🖱 Website wireframes and mockups
👍 Canva social media templates
🖌 Brand patterns

This work isn't compulsory - you can take it on if/when you're available and interested. You also don't need to have ALL the above skills - I'm looking for a few different designers who might have varied expertise.

If you'd like to be considered, please send me a dm or email me at [email protected], with your full name, ABN or equivalent, your pricing (at least $50AUD per hour pls), a little about you and your design interests, and 3 samples of your work.

If I like your stuff and think we'll get on well, I'll write to confirm and put you on the contact list!

Thanks team 🥹

13/05/2024

"Reconsider going to university – you’ll be taking on high levels of debt... when your portfolio and evidence of your practical skill is what will land you jobs. If it comes down to you and another candidate, and *they’re literally just better than you*, a prospective employer will not care that you have a degree and they don’t. They will choose the other candidate."

I answer a student's questions about being an illustrator. Do you agree with my assessments about higher education here? 👀

I was recently contacted by a high school student who interviewed me for an art and design assignment. While I’ve kept this person anonymous, these answers give massive insight into me as a professional and how I got to this stage in my career – so I’ve shared them to my blog. Check out a ... ...

11/05/2024

Bored this rainy Saturday afternoon? Of course you are. 🤣

Go grab a copy of Wylde Flowers - created by Studio Drydock + available on Nintendo Switch, Apple Arcade, and Steam.

I did Studio Drydock's branding and business collateral way back (like, WAY, WAY back) in 2020 just before COVID hit - and am stoked to see their beautiful game out in the wild. Rated "Overwhelmingly Positive"on Steam (that's the holy grail, IYKYK) and 84% on Metacritic too? Yeah. It's good.

I've got the Switch version and - gamers - I'm gonna say it plays like a perfect fusion of Stardew Valley and Pokémon Sword and Shield, but with a good dash of witchcraft. It's FULLY voice acted, BEAUTIFULLY-rendered, and you can JUMP FENCES instead of the usual sitch where you run into them and that 8-bit "nope" noise plays. Ideal! Get yourself a copy. And take a look at my cute animated boat logo on the opening screen while you're at it.

Completed by Origami Graphics (2020):
- Studio Drydock Logo + Paper Boat Icon
- Business Card, Letterhead, PowerPoint templates
- Social Media Templates
- Company Website Design & Mockup
- Corporate Style Guide and Brand Guidelines

Completed by Studio Drydock (2022):
- Wylde Flowers; Game, Website, Artwork

https://wyldeflowersgame.com/

01/03/2024

A statement on my discontinuation of Wix services for small business clients

Wix is a web company providing the ability to custom-make websites hosted on their platform. It’s a really user-friendly solution which I used to recommend for my clients who are not tech-confident, are on a limited budget, and want to be able to 100% manage their own websites. Their ease of use a...

12/10/2022

I was going to make this into a reel for the *engagement*, but I think videos rob us of our ability to examine art properly and zoom in at our own pace! So it's a static post with slides instead. Here are my funky psychedelic toadstools for my client Rainbows and Fairies, made in 2020 but still one of my favourite designs we've done together yet. What do you think? 👀🍄 Check out https://rainbowsandfairies.com.au/ to grab it on some funky clothes!

12/09/2022

Beaut new logo for Unchained Cycles - had a fab time working into this tattoo-style design with Victor over 5 weeks this July and August 🥳 Keep your eyes peeled for their opening in Canberra before long.

19/08/2022

c. April 2020 - a heap of work for Carers Australia, designing a WCAG-compliant info pack for carers of people with disabilities. I loved being able to use this vibrant feathered gradient to bring the cover to life - I think the colours are gorgeous!

17/08/2022

Yessss I have been missing, thank you for noticing! The big upload of 2 years' backlog of client work starts today, with this sweet logo for Ingelara Ridge - a farmstay out near Michelago, NSW which produces its own jams, pickles and honeys you can take home after a beautiful weekend staying in the Snowy Mountains region.

We developed the main brand mark from photography taken around the property, nodding to the hilly landscape and sweeping, dry highlands. After spending a good chunk of my childhood on my grandparents' farm nearby, I was pretty stoked to be able to get deep into the landscape and really explore trying to capture that feeling in an illustration.

And hey - I think sheep are pretty cute, so that helps!

Job Date: May 2020