Erika Rajic

Communication Design (Honours)

I'm Erika Rajic, a Communication Design Honours Graduate with a minor in Digital Advertising Technology. Throughout my studies, I have developed a particular interest in packaging, branding, typography and publication design. I completed my 12-month industry placement at Davidson Branding, where I developed a wide range of technical and research skills as well as a deeper interest in packaging design.

I'm a serial hobbyist with a life mission to dabble in every form of craft. My tactile way of thinking means I find myself surrounded by iterative mockups that help me create designs that people can experience rather than simply look at. My goal is always to create authentic designs that people connect with. I do this by tapping into my knowledge of craft and construction. I love to make things with my hands, often adding hand-drawn elements to any brands I create and jumping at the chance to bind a book. I never shy away from learning a new skill and enjoy experimenting with different design techniques, both physical and digital. I pride myself on my dedication to the work I create and always want to make my next project better than the last.

The Picture of Dorian Gray - ISTD 2023

This brief called for a radical redesign of the opening and closing chapters of a book. My redesign of The Picture of Dorian Gray uses the main theme of public facades to show how Gray's public image broke down throughout the course of the novel. The ISTD is a typographic piece that documents Gray's demise through initial classic typefaces and a harsh sans serif that appears as his true self is revealed. The brief called for the consideration of artefact materiality, which I addressed by creating a hard acrylic case, textured covers as well as adding a hand cut decorative page, transparent paper and chrome vinyl.

Gutsy Probiotics - Industry Brief

The 2023 industry brief called for a wellness and beverage brand targeted at Gen Zs and young millennials. Gusty is a bold and exciting brand that encourages consumers to take control of their life and health. The variants are goal-driven and the bright colours mimic the sense of energy that comes with good health. Gutsy focuses on the end result of health and is marketed as a brand that can easily slot into young peoples' lifestyles.

Live the Dream - Respectful Tourism Campaign

Live the dream is a research led campaign. Analysis into behavioural change campaigns was conducted to create an effective messaging style. This campaign encourages respectful tourism, calling tourists to be aware of their impact on locals' quality of life when abroad. This campaign stems from 4 poster pairs, with roll out spanning billboards, elevators, a mobile web page and in flight-questionnaires.

Soupa - Packaging Design

This brief called for a range of soup pouches to be designed for adults and young families. Soupa is a colourful and convenient brand, injecting fun into the soup category. To satisfy this brief, I created a brand with 5 variants including food styling and photography as well as advertising collateral.

The History of the Space Race - Exhibition Design

This exhibition uses graphic cues from Russian poster design and typographic inspiration from American news media to create a visual language that represents the two major players in the space race. I designed a range of exhibition panels, both static and interactive and applied them to a 3D render. This project required the sourcing of content, design of panels and floor plan as well as advertising collateral.

Acknowledgement of Country

The School of Design and Architecture respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and knowledge-keepers of the lands, waters and sky that surround us, where we work, learn, create, communicate and make place. We recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded and this always was and will always be Wurundjeri Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to make a better world through design.

We extend our acknowledgement to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, real-life clients, and knowledge keepers, who have contributed to our own education diversity and growth. We will continue to ensure that staff and students respectfully honour ancestral connection to Country and Place in everything that they do.

We are dedicated to the notion of design to make a better world and we acknowledge that making tools, shaping place, sharing stories, making meaning, wayfinding and collaborating have long been and continue to be both central and integral to First Peoples' cultures. We recognize that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultural contributions have continued relevance to design practice and commit to: reconciling ancestries of design and contemporary practice as well as pursuing culturally and professionally appropriate ways to engage with a diverse population of colleagues, industries and clients. In a time of treaty-making and voice we understand that there are overlaps between caring for Country and the sustainable production of goods, services, experiences, products and buildings.

Guided by the principles of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity we undertake to indigenising and decolonising design practice by dismantling colonial structures and challenging biases that have marginalised Indigenous voices and design.

As students of SoDA you will be given opportunities to both engage with and educate yourself in Indigenous creative practices and cultural protocols through a lens of inclusivity, diversity, respect, mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue in all aspects of design practice. Indigenous people have been telling stories, making tools, and connecting to Country through visual media, placemaking and place marking for more than 60,000 years and these practices are part of an ongoing, evolving and live tradition.