How to evaluate creative work
How to evaluate creative work: a guide for non-designers on how to give useful, constructive feedback The designer presents their work. You study it carefully. Something isn't quite landing — but you're struggling to put your finger on what. You say "it's not quite...
Design journeys
by Kym Ramadge, May 2026.One of the most rewarding aspects of a visual communication career – apart from the diverse and dynamic people I have had the privilege of working with – is the breadth of projects across a plethora of industries I’ve been involved with. There...
The impact of technology on creativity: exploring new frontiers
Creativity and technology are intimately linked throughout time. Humans have always used the available technology to express their creativity, be it a cave painting or an intricately crafted Roman mosaic. Human history is divided into ages that vary depending on...
Fix Taylors Road
Like many places in contemporary Australia, Melbourne traffic is a commute headache. One particular hot spot is Taylors Road in Brimbank. The Brimbank City Council is campaigning to have the Taylors Road declared a major arterial road by the State Government. This...
Mono Awards 2024
by Kym Ramadge, October 2024 I am both honoured and humbled one of my black and white landscape images received a Top 30 Award in the 2024 Mono Awards, in the Places category. The image is named Inside the Vortex and is an infrared, long exposure of the abandoned lime...
Graphic design before desktop publishing
by Kym Ramadge, February 2024 Our industry has a diverse, multi-stranded history full of fascinating and now, lost crafts and trades. Graduating on the cusp of desktop publishing ascension in the early 1990s, I was fortunate to witness the phenomenal change in...
The Importance of Art Education: Nurturing Creativity for life
"The benefits of the visual arts are lifelong. Visual art does not have boundaries. It enables people to play with materials, to express their thinking, to problem solve and make sense of emotions," says Dr Lindsay, Lecturer in Early Childhood Education at the...
Behind the scenes on a very beachy Christmas
Christmas gives us an opportunity to create something unique – something to celebrate the season and the year that has been, and the year to come. Each year we try to create something engaging, fun and different. Some years these ideas flow easily, others take a...
Why precise measurements are critical for graphic designers
Let’s talk about measurements. In engineering, manufacturing and scientific applications, measurements deal in thousandths of a millimetre, or smaller. Mechanical engineers use digital Vernier calipers, outside micrometers, pitch gauges and feeler gauges for precise...
A day in the life of a design studio
A design studio is a fast and flexible working environment. Projects vary in size and scope, with often concurrent timelines. The team dynamic is important to keep things running smoothly to ensure we complete projects with upmost quality, on time. As a small studio,...
The Power of Visual Storytelling
Visual storytelling starts for most people with picture books when they’re children. Images form an integral part of the story message. The images and text combine, creating evocative messaging to resonate both intellectually and emotionally. Visual storytelling is...
Design museums and galleries – Part 1
by Kym Ramadge, June 2023 This is Part One of a subjective list of European museums and galleries I have sought and enjoyed for their art, architecture, curation, interpretative signage and ambience. Some focus on design history, some on the cutting edge. Some combine...
Evolving as a designer
This overview is aimed at recent graduates; however, we’ve included general advice based on our experience, suitable for all designers. As you embark on your professional journey, it's important to recognize that the world of visual communication is a dynamic and...
AI beta testing in creative industries
KRD Creative Studio has recently been given access to Adobe Firefly, the Artificial Intelligence offering from Adobe. This is currently in Beta mode, where we can experiment with how AI can integrate within the current workflow and range of Adobe software in...
Craft, Creative, Commercial
Creativity takes many forms. Any human endeavour to produce something that didn’t previously exist, is a form of creativity. You may think that creativity in two dimensions is limited to original arts like drawing or painting, however, design that serves a commercial...
Why is proofreading essential?
What is proofreading? Proofreading is the final stage in the preparation of a document that is to be used by other people. It involves checking for clarity of expression, spelling, punctuation, grammar and consistency in formatting. English-speaking documents are...
What makes designer’s tick?
Graphic design is a profession with eclectic influences. There are strands from fine art, from pop culture, from all forms of media, throw in history, aligned occupations, a dash of experimentation and wide-ranging interests from outside commercial work. Constant...
Planning a website build
Developing a new business website is exciting. It’s the digital home for your business. Just like a real shopfront, you need to be sure that the foundations are secure. Developing a website can be a little bit of a chicken and egg situation. It is literally not there...
Our practical tips for illustrators
Here are our tips for all illustrators, both traditional and digital. If you are starting out, these should help you on the way. If you are experienced, you might pick up a new idea or two. Tips for all artists: Number one is to thumbnail your concepts. Keep these...
Working with graphic designers
Perhaps you’ve never worked directly with a design team? Or you might be a recent marketing graduate wondering how to engage graphic designers, so you speak a common language? Tips for getting the best from your design team You may have experience working with...