Phoebe Thondan

Communication Design (Honours)

Hey, I'm Phoebe. As a recent Communication Design Honours student, I have explored as many design disciplines as I was able to. I sought out a variety of other experiences during university that have shaped me as a designer, including a year placement at Cordial Creative, freelancing, two short-term design internships, and roles as Assistant Marketing manager and Secretary for the Swinburne Design Collective committee. I adore integrating vibrant colors into my life, through illustration, design and my fashion. As an extrovert, I love getting to know people and you'll often catch me exploring Melbourne, to check out some art, do a cheeky bit of shopping and to discover the best eateries in our city.

To me, design is two key things: Design should solve a problem, and should be as intelligent as it is beautiful. Whether it's a logo with a hidden message or packaging that unfolds to showcase surprise elements, good design doesn't just meet expectations; it leaves a lasting impression. I always design with strategy in-mind. My favourite part of design is often diving into research. Audience should be at the core of every design, and so I am passionate about incorporating my findings to make a more successful piece, even if that means looking beyond the brief to find and address the audience’s true need.

And my curiosity isn’t ending with uni! I am still wildly passionate about creating and experiencing new things, and am looking forward to whatever is ahead for me. And to anyone interested, I am always ready to chat about all things design!

The Turn of the Screw / ISTD

Exploring the protagonist's unravelling psyche in a horror novella, this project, nominated for ISTD 2023, delves into the depths of psychological terror. As dark hauntings torment her, a meticulously structured design starts to shatter, mirroring the governess' crumbling perfect world.

Kips, For a Good Night's Sleep

Branding and packaging project for a health and wellness beverage. Tailored for Gen Z and Millennial audiences, Kips incorporates components of melatonin to provide genuine rest. Kips aims to deliver a premium brand experience through its packaging, social media presence, and website. Using night sky imagery to create a tranquil ambiance, the brand's unified voice and visual story were seamlessly extended across multiple channels for the brand's launch

Rubber To Rubble

Based on Mark Binelli's 'The Last Days of Detroit: Motor Cars, Motown, and the Collapse of an Industrial Giant,' this monothematic publication navigates the highs and lows of a city that was once a powerhouse and a pioneer in motor vehicle production. Through bold mid-century typography and photography of the forlorn city, the book illustrates the city's fall from grace to a community of poverty and disrepair.

Soupa / Packaging and Brand Design

I created a line of soup packages for the brand Soupa, Designed to make packet soup appeal to a young audience, I emphasised fresh ingredients and the advantage of convenient, healthy meals for an on-the-go generation

Social Media's Overconsumption Problem

A visual essay exploring the repercussions of excessive social media usage, highlighting its influence on our purchasing behaviors. Throughout this project, I used Instagram to lift a lid on the connection between online content consumption and heightened consumerism

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.