Leading Hand

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Leading Hand

Leading Hand is a naturally curious and abundantly creative design and digital agency in Surry Hills, Sydney.

At Leading Hand, we love developing and communicating outstanding visual stories, on and offline. We take a strategic approach to every project in order to achieve optimal results. We offer a range of design and digital services including: graphic design, branding and visual identity, art direction and photography, environmental graphic design, digital and web, videos and animation, illustration,

copywriting and print management. Our strategic creative solutions are innovative, practical, results driven and great value. We have an open and collaborative working style and from this we nurture long-standing relationships with our clients. Our strategic, creative and technical solutions are innovative, practical, business results-driven and great value. Our open and collaborative working style supports our ability to nurture longstanding relationships. We have a strong reputation for creativity, reliability, personal service, accuracy in pricing, high standards and commitment to each of our clients. Some of our wonderful clients at Leading Hand include: ABC Radio, Austrade, Australia Council for the Arts, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Federation of AIDS Organisations, Australian Publishers Association, Australian Society of Authors, Daniel Boddam Architects, Francis-Jones Morehen Thorp, Legal Aid NSW, Lendlease, Musica Viva Australia, NBC Universal, NIDA, NSW National Parks & Wildlife, Minka Consulting, Riverside Theatres Parramatta, Social Ventures Australia, St Vincent’s Curran Foundation, St Vincent’s Centre for Applied Medical Research, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Writers’ Festival, Tanner Kibble Denton Architects, Working Management.

07/08/2026

Meet Mimi! Our newest team member who joined us this week and passed her probationary period with flying colours! And her dad, aka Leading Hand Head of Design, Luke Cleland, couldn’t be prouder.

Needless to say that the whole studio is head over paws and looking forward to lots of pats, cuddles and Zooms going forward.

🐶🐾👊🏻💻🤓🤎🖤

01/08/2026

We pounded it this quarter! 👊🏻

Becoming B Corp certified was never intended to be a badge we placed on our website and forgot about. It formalised commitments that have shaped Leading Hand for many years and gave us a clearer framework for tracking our social and environmental impact. 🤓

Our quarterly Impact Report looks at where our time goes, the organisations our work supports and how we are progressing against the commitments we have made. 🤝

During the quarter, we:
• Donated 5.4% of our studio hours as pro bono time, ahead of our 5% commitment
• Provided $24,000 in discounts to purpose-driven and for-good organisations, above our quarterly average for 2024–25
• Earned 90% of our income from for-purpose organisations, consistent with our 2024–25 average
• Earned 36% of our income from organisations supporting underserved groups, an increase of nine percentage points

These figures reflect the kind of work we want to do and the organisations we want to work with. They also provide a practical way of checking whether our business decisions remain aligned with our stated purpose. ✅

To find out more

29/07/2026

This week we attended the Australian Elder Abuse Conference at the Royal Pines Resort on the Gold Coast, bringing together the sector’s leading advocates, researchers, legal professionals, government representatives, aged care providers and people with lived and living experience to discuss one of Australia’s most complex social issues.

Under the theme Stand Up. Speak Out, the program tackled some difficult conversations. From older people’s right to decrepitude to the challenges of defining cultural abuse, it was a deep dive into a field we thought we knew well. Needless to say we came away with completely unexpected new perspectives that will help inform the ongoing development of compass.info

It was also a privilege to see the identity we developed for the conference come to life across the venue – from the main stage and wayfinding to delegate materials, signage and the many spaces where these conversations took place. A special mention to Nectar Creative Communications and Events for their thoughtful application of the brand throughout the event.

Congratulations to Elder Abuse Action Australia, Aged and Disability Advocacy Australia, Caxton Community Legal Centre and everyone involved in delivering such an important national conference.

Because one in six is one too many.

Caxton Community Legal Centre Elder Abuse Action Australia Nectar Creative Communications RACV Royal Pines Resort Philippa McDonald

27/07/2026

Sydney Writers’ Festival has recorded the highest attendance and box office results in its 29-year history, breaking records for the second year running. It was also the 11th Festival season Leading Hand has worked on.

Across eight days, more than 100,000 people attended over 200 events featuring more than 250 writers and thinkers from around the world. More than 55% of events sold out.

Sydney Writers’ Festival CEO Brook Webb said the results were about more than attendance. Younger people made up a larger proportion of the 2026 audience, with strong participation from culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

“In a time often defined by speed, division and digital saturation, audiences are still seeking out spaces for complexity, nuance, thoughtful conversation and shared cultural experience,” Brook said.

Over the last decade, we have developed a close and productive relationship with the Sydney Writers’ Festival team. They are collaborative, appreciative and a pleasure to work with, and we’re pleased to have contributed to another successful year.

Well done to Luke and Imogen from the Leading Hand team for getting the huge volume of 2026 campaign materials to SWF on time, on brand and always with a smile. And congratulations to Brook, Sarah, Julia and the Festival team for an amazing result. We’re proud to have played a part and look forward to working together again.

07/07/2026

We are delighted and excited to announce that we have started working with the lipstick queen herself, Poppy King! 👊🏻💄

At the 1996 Mardi Gras Parade, when our Creative Director was the Marketing & Sponsorship Manager and Poppy was a Mardi Gras sponsor, they spent that fateful night together both a bit pouty about the destiny of another famous PK 🗳️😭

So fast-forward 30 years and Jamie decides to slide into Poppy’s DMs after reading an article about her brand’s relaunch under the new name, Poppy King. 🚀👑

The stars were aligned and Poppy answers saying that she vividly remembered that night and has been looking for a design partner to help complete her team, which she wants to be built from established and trusted contacts. How’s the serendipity? ✨👯

Our first project together is a campaign for her newest shade, Divine Intervention. Based on an original artwork from tattoo artist Craig Rogers, the kooky cyber translation of Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man perfectly sums up the intention for Poppy’s creation for all skin tones, ages, gender identities and personalities. 💋🤗

In the Sunday Life article, Poppy says that this time her company “will be anchored in small business. Small. Intentional. Sustainable.” – needless to say this was music to our ears and sits perfectly with who we are at Leading Hand and who we would like to work with. ❤️👍🏻

We look forward to helping this Australian icon bring her unique brand of beauty all of the success and acclaim it deserves. Seems like it was meant to be. 🪐🤝

06/07/2026

This year’s NAIDOC Week marks an important milestone – 50 Years of Deadly – celebrating five decades of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander strength, culture, creativity and achievement.

For more than 20 years, we’ve been fortunate to work on campaigns created for and with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Along the way we’ve had the privilege of incorporating the work of many talented First Nations artists into projects spanning health, education, government and community engagement.

As designers, we’re often asked to integrate Aboriginal artwork into campaigns. We believe it’s important that the work remains attributed to the artists who created it, and that Aboriginal cultural expression is represented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists.

This week we’d like to acknowledge just some of those artists:
• Dylan Goolagong – a Wiradjuri man (featured artwork)
• Charmaine Mumbulla – a Kaurna and Narungga woman – Anniversary campaign (IPAA NSW)
• National Indigenous Australians Agency – branded elements for Yarn at the Farm (The Hills Shire Council)
• Arone Raymond Meeks – a Kuku Midigi man – Us Mob and HIV (Health Equity Matters)
• Shelby-Rae Lyons – a Wiradjuri woman – 2026 Legal Topics for Seniors Diary (Legal Aid NSW)
• Lani Balzan – a Wiradjuri woman – Dalarinji placemaking (St Vincent’s Hospital)
• Dixon Patten – a Gunnai, Yorta Yorta, Gunditjmara and Dhudhuroa man – Better to Know (Health Equity Matters)

A special thank you to Dylan Goolagong, a Wiradjuri artist and former student of our Creative Director at Enmore TAFE, who generously donated the artwork featured in this post. Dylan described it as a thank you for being “a vocal supporter of the Indigenous community” – something we’re genuinely honoured by.

National NAIDOC Week Aboriginal Art By Lani Bayila Creative Marara designs BOOMALLI ABORIGINAL ART Indigenous_gov Dylan Goolagong

19/06/2026

We’re extremely proud to announce that Leading Hand has been appointed as the design partner for the NSW Schools Spectacular following a highly competitive tender process.

Produced by The Arts Unit, part of the NSW Department of Education, the Schools Spectacular reflects a deep commitment to public education, creativity and providing opportunities for young people to shine. Those values strongly align with our own, making this a partnership we’re especially excited about.

For more than four decades, the Schools Spectacular has celebrated the extraordinary talent, creativity and dedication of students from NSW public schools. Since 1984, it has grown into one of Australia’s most iconic performing arts events, bringing together thousands of young performers, musicians, dancers and crew members in a truly world-class production.

We’ve thoroughly enjoyed working with the “Spec” team so far and are excited to continue building that relationship. We’ve recently signed off on the first key artworks for this year’s event and are now deep into the delivery of the hundreds of design assets that help bring an event of this scale to life ahead of the performances in late November.

As a studio that has long partnered with arts, cultural and purpose-driven organisations, we’re proud to contribute to an event that celebrates creativity, community and the remarkable achievements of young people across New South Wales.

We’re grateful for the trust placed in our team and look forward to helping make the 2026 Schools Spectacular another unforgettable success.

The Arts Unit

15/06/2026

Today is World Elder Abuse Awareness Day.

It’s a space in which we have worked extensively over the years, particularly with our input to the Compass website along with other organisations in this area , including Elder Abuse Action Australia, Compass, the Older Persons Advocacy Network (OPAN), and Legal Aid NSW and Seniors Rights Service.
Through advocacy, education, legal assistance, community engagement and support services, these organisations help older Australians access information, exercise their rights, and live with dignity and safety.

Today, we acknowledge the people and organisations dedicated to protecting the rights of older Australians and helping build a community where everyone can age with dignity, respect and security.

Around 1 in 6 older Australians experience some form of abuse, often at the hands of someone they know and trust. And 1 in 6 is one too many.

seniorsrights advocacy socialimpact communitysector

10/06/2026

We’re thrilled to announce that Leading Hand Design has secured the website support and maintenance contract with AgriFutures Australia – a statutory Research and Development Corporation investing in innovation, research and leadership across Australia’s rural industries.

Winning this tender against strong competition is a significant milestone for our team and reflects the trust organisations place in our ability to provide not only reliable technical support, but also strategic digital stewardship over the long term.

At Leading Hand, our purpose is to help values-focused organisations create lasting change through effective digital strategy, communications and technology. AgriFutures Australia plays a critical role in supporting innovation across Australia’s rural industries, and we’re proud to contribute to that mission by ensuring their digital platforms remain secure, accessible, effective and ready to support future growth.

This partnership further strengthens our capabilities in backend website support, maintenance, governance, digital strategy and ongoing platform management. While many know us for delivering creative communications and digital experiences, engagements like this demonstrate the depth of expertise we bring to complex digital ecosystems.

Our work with the and complements this exciting new engagement, reflecting our experience supporting organisations that champion Australian innovation, research, knowledge-sharing and international engagement. Across these relationships, we’re helping purpose-driven organisations communicate complex ideas and maximise their impact.

We’re looking forward to working closely with the team over the coming years and helping ensure their digital presence continues to support Australian research, left.jpginnovation and development in the national agricultural industry.

09/06/2026

Things are tough at the moment. That’s no secret. What’s also no secret is our pricing.

When we quote a job, we invoice according to that quote and any approved variations. We don’t deal in surprises.

At Leading Hand, we understand that sometimes the first step can be awkward: how much will it cost? To help get the ball rolling, we’ve set up a quote request page on our website.

Tell us what sort of job you need done and what kind of budget you’re working with, and we can start a conversation. If you have a brief, brand guidelines, or other supporting materials, that’s great. If you don’t, you can still submit a quote request and we’ll work with you to find the best way forward within your budget.

Whether you’re a small operation looking for something simple and cost-effective, or a larger organisation requiring a more structured and strategic process, we’re the kind of agency that can help with everything from small-scale jobs to major projects.

If you’d like to get in touch about your project, head to our website or click the link in our bio. Tell us what you’re after, and we’ll help lead the way.

Address

Telephone

+61293582028

Website

https://www.leadinghand.com.au/

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