Posted by Guy Downes on October 27, 2009 under Graphic Recording | 
Airds OutLOUD!: Hip Hop workshop
Airds OutLOUD! was a large scale Housing NSW community renewal event held in Airds, near Campbelltown in July 2009. Straight Talk, a leading specialist consultancy in community engagement (and great team to work with), hired me to graphic record several sessions.
During the event, there were several ‘youth activity hubs’, offering a range of opportunities for kids and young people to get involved, such as Parcour (a physical activity where kids leap on walls and roofs) and Hip Hop. As the young people took part they had conversations with the activity and leaders about what it is like to live in Airds.
Using my graphic recording skills, my brief was to capture the ideas and feelings graphically and visually. It was fast and furious work as things moved quickly. I produced a colourful, engaging record of what young people were thinking. Later, my posters were used for more formal planning exercises where it can be hard to capture and hear the voice of young people.
Airds OutLOUD!: recording the Parcour session
Airds OutLOUD!: completed Parcour poster
Airds OutLOUD!: Hip Hop Graphic Recording detail
Posted by Guy Downes on under Graphic Recording |
BBCi Live Chat Studio launch: main wall design
I worked on the launch of the BBCi Live Chat Studio (The Strand, London) in 2002 and was given the open brief to decorate the inside creative space (which was viewable by passers-by from the street) in a way that would attract attention and illustrate the way the BBC is using technology to inspire a two way connection with its audiences. The wall was approximately 10m long and 3 metres high — I completed the project to a tight deadline (I only had access to the room for 6 hours so really had to plan my design to the Nth degree before cracking open my paint pens and getting busy).
BBCi Live Chat Studio: wall design
BBCi Live Chat Studio: my mess and old coffee cups in view
My challenge was to grasp and communicate some pretty complex ideas across a large space (e.g. interactivity, global communications, varied audiences etc) and in a simple, eye-catching manner. It’s definitely one of the best jobs I have done (and without knowing probably the start of my foray into large scale graphic recording 7 years later). Standing back to look at it after 6 hours of intense work, I got one massive buzz. Sadly, it was wiped off a few days after launch — but that’s life.
BBCi Live Chat Studio: impending deadline but still smiling
Posted by Guy Downes on October 25, 2009 under Black & White |
East Clandon Church, Surrey, England
The beauty and history of English churches is fascinating. This black and white pencil illustration was a private commission for a collector – it is one of my favourites as the cut away pencil shading takes the viewer’s eye down the lane way towards the church. Black and white pencil illustrations to emphasise light and shade are so simple and the earliest technique I learnt — but it’s one I can’t shake and one I can’t get out of my system. Nor do I ever want to.
Posted by Guy Downes on under Illustration |
Ssssh...the secret garden
For decades now, I have been interested in the concept of a ‘secret garden’. I think it stems from growing up as a kid in the country and exploring the surrounding gardens, fields and countryside. This illustration depicts a hidden secret garden that you (the viewer) is being ushered into quietly by a mysterious caped lady. I pitched the style of this illustration for a children’s story book and included the detail that kids love: darkness, an evil spider and shadowy undergrowth on the left transitioning into warm, beautiful flowerbeds full with a friendly, fluttering butterfly on the right.
Posted by Guy Downes on under Cartoons |
Chasing the rabbit
(Life considered): Just before the GFC kicked-in and ‘sub-prime’ became the new buzz-word, I did some thinking about what it means to be employed. We all work incredibly hard to do a great job (and 9/10 times we do). Regardless of this strive for perfection, delivering client satisfaction and doing a great job, your job is never really secure. Sure, you can chase it (and that’s a good thing to help stay in a job) but rarely will you ever catch ‘security’. It reminded me of watching the greyhound racing on a Friday night.
Posted by Guy Downes on under Illustration |
Ogilvy is heading north
The Ogilvy PR family of specialist communication businesses moved ‘north’ with the majority of other Ogilvy and STW companies in July 2008. My illustrations played an important role in one key element of this move for Ogilvy PR - the internal communications. It was very important to make the move from Sussex Street in the hustle and bustle of the Sydney CBD to St Leonards as seamless as possible. Ogilvy PR put a lot of time, thought and man hours into getting this right. One ingredient was ‘Welcome Guide’ that every employee received on their first day in the new building. The guide, filled with my illustrations and characters in each section, included a range of useful information to make the transition smoother.
Welcome!
Shifting boxes
Partnerships with our worlds
Posted by Guy Downes on under Cartoons |
Do you have influence?
(Life considered): I drew this cartoon after a training session I went to on ‘Building Influence’ a couple of years ago. It struck me, similar to the Piped Piper, that you can follow people and try and build influence with them but if they’re taking you in the wrong direction (and away from your true purpose) it’s worthless. Feel free to look at this cartoon (and any of my cartoons for that matter) from your own perspective – hopefully they will spark thoughts and ideas in your own mind that I have not even considered.
Posted by Guy Downes on under Illustration |
The Adventures of Mark & Greg: Australian eDM
Following on from the success of ‘The Adventures of Mark & Greg’ technology leadership book, BMC Software decided to use the characters for an email direct marketing (eDM) campaign across the Asia Pacific region. Using a tightly worded script, I created eight illustrations to match the copy and worked closely with BMC and the design team to bring these illustrations to life in digital format for email distribution. The eDMs were sent out in Australian, Chinese Korean and Japanese versions.
Chinese eDM version
Posted by Guy Downes on under Illustration |
Very Important Consumer: choice overload
I was commissioned by John Studdert, managing director, Ogilvy PR Worldwide Australia to create three illustrations to accompany his key note presentation at a 2008 Ogilvy PR regional conference. The objective was to depict three scenarios where a consumer is faced with a flood of information and choices, whether that be which products and services to choose, which supplier to select and how employees have a wealth of options when choosing their career path. The illustrations I created were crisp, clean B&W ink line drawings showing a main character (wearing an eye-catching red jersey) faced with an ocean of choices.
Very Important Client: choosing a supplier
Very Important Consultant: choosing the right career
Posted by Guy Downes on under Illustration |
The Adventures of Mark & Greg
Technology jargon regularly helps people fall asleep. BMC Software recognised that IT language can sometimes have the opposite desired effect when describing campaigns, products or services.
So, to remedy this BMC Software crafted two central characters with everyday problems to spearhead a campaign on ‘business service management’. A storybook called ‘The Adventures of Mark & Greg’ was born (the idea of which was created and nurtured by Pip Livingstone and her team from BMC and written brilliantly by Richard Carter from Talkies in NZ). My job (a dream job) was to illustrate it — letting illustrations accompany the copy and helping readers visualise complex concepts in everyday scenarios.
The book is based on the lives of two fictitious CIOs: Greg, who runs the IT in an error-prone technology organisation; and Mark, who runs a slick technology operation and tries to help Greg by sharing advice. The book underscored the very problems faced by CIOs every day and painted a vivid and real picture of BSM’s value.
In terms of ROI, the book was welcomed by technology media and the campaign has been promoted internally at BMC as a best practice case study. In addition, the book was adopted in BMC’s global new-hire programme. Every new BMC employee is given their own copy. BMC also created a ‘Mark and Greg’ video based on the book, used to support marketing activities.
In terms of industry recognition, the wider campaign picked up three awards at the PR Week Asia 2007 awards:
Best Technology PR Campaign of the Year
Best Regional (Asia Pacific) Campaign of the Year
Best Business to Business Campaign of the Year
Meet our CIOs: Mark and Greg
Business class cabin to Singapore
