James Morris

James Morris is a communication design and marketing student at Swinburne University of Technology. James specialises in graphic design, brand identity, and digital illustration; with his passion extending to other disciplines such as publication design and marketing. His love for creativity has extended from his interest in drawing, which has evolved into the work he creates within design. James believes that design can be fun, while still being able to communicate any theme or vision to an audience.

Sunny Side Cafe: Brand Identity

Sunny Side, is a modern Filipino brunch café in Carlton, emphasising Filipino culture and values. The project includes brand identity, menus, coffee cups, a prototype website, and an animated mural inspired by the Philippine landscape. The café aims to represent its Filipino heritage, a cuisine uncommon in Melbourne’s food landscape.

Letterhead: Brand Identity

Modern brand identity and collateral for Letterhead, a high-quality stationery brand known for its focus on organisation, modernity, and cleanliness. The design aims to refresh the brand's presence and align it with the current retail environment.

Clean lines, contemporary typography, and a minimalist yet vibrant design communicate the brand’s core values while maintaining a high-quality look. The collateral design includes gift cards, employee lanyards, billboards, boxes, and shopping bags, ensuring a cohesive and professional appearance across all touchpoints. This new identity elevates the brand's image and resonates with today’s consumers.

Delights: Brand Identity

Brand identity for "Delights," a dog treat brand dedicated to eco-friendly, locally made, and healthy treats.

The playful identity centres around a playful logo and mascot, designed to capture attention with bold colours and friendly, approachable visuals. Every element is crafted to make "Delights" stand out on the shelf while reflecting the brand's commitment to sustainability and pet health. The goal was to build a fun, welcoming aesthetic that resonates with both pet owners and their furry friends, ensuring it feels warm and relatable in any retail setting.

State Library of Victoria Annual Report: Community Spirit

The 2022-23 annual report for the State Library of Victoria, centred around the theme of community spirit.

The design features a vibrant and colourful identity that symbolises unity, modernity, and the collective dedication of the Melbourne community.

While maintaining an informative structure, the report’s visual language is lively and engaging, reflecting the library’s role as a hub of knowledge and connection. The overall design brings together clean, modern elements with a focus on inclusivity and shared purpose, representing the enduring commitment of the people of Melbourne to their iconic library.

Winnie the Pooh: Classic Reboot

Classic reboot of A.A. Milne’s original “Winnie the Pooh”, creating a fresh visual experience for the timeless tale.

The design features playful, whimsical imagery that brings the characters and adventures to life, capturing the essence of The Hundred Acre Wood’s curiosity and charm. In addition to the illustrations, custom bookmarks and cards inspired by memorable moments in the story are present, offering readers a more interactive experience. This new visual take on Winnie the Pooh celebrates the joyful and adventurous spirit of the original, making it an enchanting experience for both new and longtime fans.

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.