Onetonne

30/03/2026

For those who don't know already, in 2026 we won't be graduating any graphic design students in the state. UTAS no longer has a graphic design course, Foundry is gone, and TasTAFE killed creative Industries late 2025. So there's no affordable Graphic Design training option in the state.

I spoke on this issue at The Diemen Awards on the weekend, but I'm hoping to put together an Industry-led working group to focus on the training issue.

If you're interested you can take a look at a video on the topic I've recorded (sorry it's not my normal energy levels, I've got a sniffle 😖) and there's also a form to fill out with your details if you're interested in staying across this issue, or even better, you're keen to help out in some way.

As of early 2026, there are no longer any local graphic design courses being offered in Lutruwita/Tasmania. Let's talk about the training shortfall, and what can be done.

13/02/2026

It has been lovely to be involved with the Diemen Awards this year and a pleasure to be asked to judge the print category.

30/12/2024

If you're headed to the Taste of Summer in Hobart, then you will have a prime opportunity to check out Killara Distillery's brand new Cherry Spritz & Bush & Spice ready to drink cans! The Bush & Spice is a tasty combo of the Killara Distillery Bush Liqueur and ginger beer. The Cherry Spritz is a delicious mix of Killara's cherry spirit and artisanal soda!

13/09/2024

Bit of creative industry inside baseball today. (Non-design folk, please have the rest of the day off, you've earned it.)

After years of organising professional development events, talking about design to whoever will listen, and giving pep-talks to designers who need a lift it feels like it's time to formalise that offer in Onetonne.

There's been quite a few requests for helping sort out studio issues, coaching team members, and generally helping give creative businesses a tune-up.

So there's new Studio Workflow page on the Onetonne website just for studio owners and production managers - if you feel like there's issues in how your studio works, then let's have a chat.

P.S There will also be an offer for individual freelance designers coming soon.

23/08/2024

A deceptively simple, clear approach to renaming and branding TasWaste South.

Formerly the Southern Tasmanian Regional Waste Authority, we worked with TasWaste South to develop a shorter, sharper name that held a similar sense of authority – but was less of a mouthful! (It’s also a bit easier to remember).

TasWaste South is a Joint Authority established by the 12 Councils of Southern Tasmania. TasWaste South’s primary role will be collaborate, coordinate and inform with a view to driving better waste outcomes and efficiencies for southern councils and communities.

The design response here is a light, elegant touch with a mass market sensibility. TasWaste South has essentially two sets of stakeholders. They have the 12 member councils and the Tasmanian State Government, as well as the community living in South Eastern Tasmania. What seems like a simple brief becomes complex when you have to balance those kinds of stakeholder concerns. Another factor in a brand design like this is simply making sure it feels “right” - this is a place of careful design as you cannot go too far stylistically but the new organisation must also feel “real” and fully formed from the outset.

16/08/2024

A perfectly scarlet pairing, born in the Tasman Sea, created by the innovative Iron House team.

Iron House partnered again with the Single Malt Whisky Club to create this decadent paired release of their Port Side Barrel Infused Red Ale and their Portside Ocean Aged Single Malt Whisky.

This exclusive Single Malt Whisky Club member’s only release has been inspired by Ironhouse’s second ocean-aged single malt whisky. First laid down for four years at their oceanside distillery, this special spirit was then moved to the Tasmanian abalone boat ‘Maverick’ to start a final twelve months maturation at sea.

Constant motion on board (traveling over 2,500 nautical miles) has resulted in exceptional interaction with the port finishing barrels. Resting on the port side of the deck, they were also exposed to mother nature, which has created amplified sweetness and a subtle maritime note.

This maritime peregrination helped the spirit to interact with the oak bringing out deep, rich red colour and complex, delicious flavours.

Aged in these same port cask whisky barrels, the Red Ella Red Ale is as wild as the weather it faced. Infused with Tasman Whisky’s bold spirit, this malt-driven Red Ale was created to be matched with the Iron House Portside Single Malt Whisky release.

The design leans heavily into the rich colour of the Port Side Single Malt, bringing together the longtime Iron House fan-favourite Red Ella into the design to create a matched set for a very special experience for SMWC members to savour.

09/08/2024

Dark and sumptuous product labelling for Killara Distillery and a very special collaboration between Tasmanian icons Iron House & Clover Hill.

Killara Distillery has created something very special in their Black Velvet special release collaboration with Clover Hill and Iron House.

Our story begins at Clover Hill in idyllic North-East Tasmania. We took in an oak barrel of Clover Hill’s Sparkling exhibiting classic Pipers River terroir.

Once disgorged, the cask was immediately refilled with mature Single Malt Whisky from Killara Distillery in Richmond Tasmania for 4 weeks. The very same barrel, now deeply imbued with both Sparkling Wine and Whisky flavour notes was taken to Iron House Brewery overlooking the Tasman Sea. The cask was again filled, this time with a sweet Black Milk Stout. On the palate you will find a masterfully balanced cocoa bitterness and deep caramel cream flavour, underpinned by hints of peat and smoke.

Finally, our barrel once more made its way back down to Killara Distillery, to be filled with limited release Whisky for a delightfully soft and dark Black Velvet finish. A perfect pairing (if you’re quick enough to get both of these special releases to savour).

There’s also lovely design touch here for the sharp eyed - the Black Velvet background detail text reads “Velvet” one way, and when flipped it reads “Black” (it’s not a true ambigram - but it’s in the spirit for persnickety). This way, as you invert the can or bottle you read both halves of what makes the product so special, the Black Velvet technique.

07/08/2024

Here's some bespoke and fun merchandise for Australia’s leading specialist Mac support team.

Origin84 provides technical support for some of Australia’s most well known creative studios. As anyone who has used Mac gear for long enough knows, it’s the absolute worst when your IT support only knows Windows.

Bespoke and smart support for creatives also demands bespoke and stylish merchandise. I mean, you want creatives to wear the merch right? This makes a tricky brief (and a bit of an intimidating one if you think about it too long).

The illustrations are based on the rubber hose animation style. A carefully constructed representation of a classic machine familiar to long term creatives sets the retro tone (and a little in-joke for the folks who know).

02/08/2024

Workskills Tasmania offers several groundbreaking programs including the Troublesmiths. Transition to Work is their program dedicated to helping young people aged 18-24 find work or connect with training on a pathway to employment.

Speaking to young people is complex - this particular demographic encapsulates huge lifestyle and cognitive changes. It was a delight to work with Workskills again to create target program and campaign support materials. The key idea here is to focus on the “Not Sure” feeling, helping potential clients self identify and, in a nutshell, explain who this service is for.

The bespoke illustrations further supported the messaging with a focus on ennui, feeling a bit lost and being unsure. Instead of painting an immediately positive outcome, it felt important to acknowledge the challenges our young people face in this tricky life transition period. The mood swings upwards as the participants are onboarded but during stakeholder consultation it proved that feeling of being “Not Sure” shouldn’t be glossed over. Far better to acknowledge the elephant in the in the room than ignore it!

21/06/2024

Reinventing and repositioning mead for modern tastes. No longer cloyingly sweet, now perfectly balanced with dry-hopped or refreshingly sharp sparkling sour varieties.

Bee-licious!

White Morph Mead is a family owned meadery from Southern Tasmania. Their brand centres around the unique, small and fiercely unique White Morph (also known as the Grey Goshawk). The brand reflects their confident and unique style of mead to the last drop.

Secret inside baseball: The tricky thing to balance here in craft alcohol packaging design is how a product fits in at retail point of sale alongside other product in the same category. Most meads feature bees and honeycomb motifs and the business owners were absolutely sure they didn’t want to repeat what was already out there.

The product is mead based for sure, but it had to be visually coded to look cleaner and more modern so that, in a snap judgement, a customer could understand this was a different kind of mead.

20/11/2023

EDIT: This is now pending. Thanks everyone!

Letterpress folks / designers who want to get their hands dirty, an opportunity has arrived!

If anyone is interested in a Heidelberg 10x15 Platen Letterpress (1100kg 1320mm wide x 1700mm deep) and Adast Maxima Guillotine (1500kg - 1660mm wide x 1700mm deep) both converted to single phase - photo is from prior to conversion.

I’ve had to move to a much smaller shed and don’t have room for my full letterpress collection any more. They are in Seven Mile Beach near Hobart. I’d prefer they get used than go to storage for the foreseeable future.

It would be FREE but you’d have to commit as I am selling the property they are currently located at, and you’d have to pay your removal/transport costs.

Deadline is they have to be collected by Dec 10 if you are keen.