Envisage has designed themes and event graphics for over 56 corporate functions since 1993.

Many of the events we design for are attended by high profile delegates and distinguished dignitaries.

The Fairfax Media New Zealand Business Hall of Fame recognises and celebrates individuals who, through enterprise, have made a significant contribution to the economic and social development of New Zealand.

Our design work for the Hall of Fame stretches back to 1994. This year, we designed and produced the Citations that were awarded on Wednesday the 27th of July at a Gala Dinner held at the Pullman Hotel, Auckland.

We warmly commend this years’ Laureates; David and Anne Norman, Brian Perry, Sir Percy Sargood, John Todd, Thomas Cawthron and Leslie Hutchens.

The Fairfax Media New Zealand Business Hall of Fame is a significant legacy held in association with the Chambers of Commerce and Young Enterprise Trust.

Lees Group Founder and Chairman Ted Lees pictured receiving his Citation Award from New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key in 2009.

Envisage are fast-gaining a reputation for designing websites that are creative and stand head and shoulders above the rest. Remarkably, our entry-level pricing results in sites that are created in mere days and look highly professional.

Our new site for Temperance House is no exeption. ‘Astonishing’ is the word our client used to describe what we have created. Their new site includes, picture galleries, an availability calendar and booking form. Plus the client has a tailored screencast video guide to fully edit the conent themselves.

The Temperance House logo and new website were created under our unique www.theBrandBox.biz branding service.

See http://www.temperance-house.co.uk

This month, Envisage Design director Simon Owen celebrates 20 years as a freelance graphic designer. He shares his thoughs on professional freelancing from Soho Ponsonby to Auckland CBD. Continuing to service clients throughout Australasia, his busy studio is now located in beautiful Nelson NZ.

Being your own boss

Life as a fulltime freelance graphic designer is pretty sweet. Being your own boss is the absolute ultimate, although not something that should be taken for granted. You need to be totally focussed on meeting deadlines and very good at time management. It’s not all design glamour, remember who has to also put out the rubbish!

Why a freelancer?

People often choose a freelancer because they want to deal directly with a creative person. Larger design studios tend to have layers of command. This can lead to wasted time, money and effort. A good freelance designer is a natural creative who has an instinctive knack with colour, shape and composition. As a creative person who uses technology, try not to ‘talk tech’ with your clients. Keep the language on their terms and listen carefully to the given brief. Your delivery of concept should hit the nail on the head and aim for a clean and timely conclusion. Being a freelancer means total and utter control of your own time. Keep track of it and charge accordingly.

Your own creative space

Your studio needs to be your sanctuary. Place framed images on the walls that inspire you, keep your desktop clear (as with your screen!) and have the essentials at your fingertips. Make sure you have a comfortable area away from your Mac. This is important for reading, sketching and general time-out space. Clean and tidy is good, as your client may well want to sit on your shoulder for an afternoon while you put some finishing touches to a project. Let’s not forget who you are working for, as a professional office promotes professional practice. This is where the work gets done!

Be confident

As a creative professional, you need to have absolute faith in your work. This is often a bug-bear with self-employed designers. If you are unsure of your ability, the client will most certainly pick up on it. Present your work with pride and be prepared to explain your creative decisions, hopefully with market-driven incentives!

Keep your eyes open

Reference often. Find out why other designs are successful and put your creation in a similar context. Do not underestimate market trends as they are what client often seek. Understand that trends come and go, so don’t be araid to chop and change your creative style over time. Don’t box yourself into a particular look.

Follow your nose

Surround yourself with what you love. Do what you enjoy and your work will shine. Love music with a passion? Design for it. Dig pop culture? Create some yourself. Clients will be excited by your passions as these are your creative strengths. Develop your own website or blog, and give it a strong sense of personal style. If you can’t design something from scratch use a WordPress hosted blog. It’s free.

Self achievement

As a freelancer I am proud to support a family though my own creative endevours. They in turn give me confidence in what I do well every day. At times it has not been easy juggling self employment with busy family life, but modern business practise is more forgiving than it used to be.

Broaden your skill and network wildly

Develop your own ideas and look for additional sources of income. I have multiple income sources built over years of work including property, shares, and a few online shops. Grow through your client’s success (due to your outstanding design assistance) and a keep up with old networks. Twitter is great for this. Freelance Switch has a very good forum to share ideas in.

Creativity be praised

The last 20 years have been quite a ride. Beauty leads to inspiration, which surrounds us every day, you just need to look for it in the right places. Nature (thanks Nelson, NZ) and professional endevour abound.

To celebrate 20 years freelancing I will be posting some classic past designs to this blog for the remainder of 2011. There will be some real snappy gems in there!

Simon Owen, freelance designer

Pictured left: Oi You’s affable George Shaw and Envisage Design’s Simon Owen with his winning art panel by Anna Johnstone.

Oi You! is an interactive arts event where artists from local colleges and the wider community are invited to design their own urban art panel, the best of which werecreated and exhibited in a playfully distorted streetscape at Founders Park. This also included imagery of classic urban art, video footage of urban art in action, and a Scrawl Wall for visitors to have a go themselves.

Urban art’s popularity has exploded over the past few years; 2008 saw six fifteen metre high works placed on the riverside facade of London’s Tate Modern, last year saw over 300,000 visitors queue for a minimum of two and a half hours to see Banksy’s landmark show at the Bristol Museum. Here in Nelson, urban art features heavily in our college art and design rooms but before now, has not had a public platform.

Oi You! concluded with an auction of the works exhibited on site at Founders Heritage Park on Saturday 23 October.  The Cut Collective nominated their first and second in each category and these were announced by Te Radar directly after the auction:

1. Open Section Winner – Anna Johnstone
2. Open Section Runner Up – Ghstie
3. Youth Section Winner – Jesse Allardice
4. Open Section Runner Up – Hayden Gundry

Calling all tourism wholesalers! If you require a trusted design expert to rattle you up a professional looking website look no further. At Envisage we like to practice what we preach – quite literally. As a case in point, check our newly designed site www.tintagel.co.nz

Tintagel, located at 15 Richmond Ave Nelson, is the name of the historic residence where our graphic design studio is based. There is a Deluxe Guesthouse located in a private garden at the rear of the property.

The Tintagel website was built in just 2 days. Thanks to a premium WordPress theme, the website looks great and is easily editable. It works for us, and we’d like the opportunity to make something similar work for you too!

Envisage Design has relocated into an historic studio residence in central Nelson. ‘Tintagel’ is 100 years old and located near the Nelson Cathedral, only a minutes walk from the CBD.

Our studio is set within park-like grounds and includes a deluxe guesthouse for discerning travellers. See www.tintagel.co.nz for more information or to make a booking.

We’re excited to be servicing our clients from such an inspiring adddress. Pop into the studio next time you are in Nelson!