Journal

Our thinking, doing and learning. Discover the ideas and experiences shaping our work.

The return of the design community

Insights and knowledge

Addressing your content (now in the age of AI)

Tenant using her phone, reflecting the project’s focus on empowering NSW social housing residents to manage repairs independently.

More certainty, more clarity, and more say.

Screenshot of the SANE Forums homepage showing forum statistics, veteran resources, and recent discussions.

Forum follows function

ISO far, ISO good

Woman reviewing an urgent care digital form on her phone, shown alongside screenshots of the form interface.

Designing trust and clarity into urgent care pathways

Carer supporting an older man outdoors, reflecting the importance of relationships in human-centred care.

The relationship is the service

Presenters on stage at DrupalSouth 2023 showing a slide about multi-agency collaboration.

1+1=3: Collaboration adds up to better results

Three interlocking yellow rings symbolising collaboration between UI designers, developers, and content specialists.

Three is the magic number

Yellow circular loop resembling a snake eating its tail, symbolising humility and self-reflection in the design process.

Humility is key to success in design (in my humble opinion)

Don’t miss the chance to add true flair to form

A tenant reporting a plumbing issue, illustrating the scale of urgent repair needs the Homes NSW project aimed to address.

Repairing the repair process for social housing tenants

Ministers and officials launching the first Medicare Mental Health Centre in Logan at a public event.

Recognisable. Accessible. For all.

Laptop displaying the redesigned Biodiversity Offset Scheme website homepage with clearer navigation and landholder resources.

Transforming engagement to empower conservation

Yellow event slide with the text ‘Benefits + Knowledge = Change!’ displayed at the Sydney Adaptation Forum.

Catalytic adaptation on the horizon

Two tablets displaying the redesigned NSW Climate and Energy Action website, showing clearer pathways for households and businesses to act on climate.

Climate change doesn’t care what you think

Speaker presenting on stage at EduTech 2024, where insights on navigating change in education were shared.

Reimagining education: Insights from EduTech 2024

Graphic of a not-equal symbol representing gender inequality and the theme of closing the gender pay gap.

Closing the gender pay gap

Folk’s Botanic Gardens, Healthdirect and TGA projects shown as winners in the Australian Good Design Awards.

GOOOOD day at the office

R WE OK? graphic used for the Lived Experience of Suicide Service Guidelines project.

Learning from life - saving community voices

Black Dog Institute campaign tile saying ‘I’m good, thanks’ with a translation highlighting hidden emotional distress.

When saying little says a lot

Graphic showing a 97% thumbs-up rating for SANE’s guided digital mental health service.

Breaking barriers

Attendees gathering beside an AdaptNSW installation showcasing climate-change messaging at Purpose Conference 2023.

Purpose, on purpose

Redesigned Beachwatch interface shown on three mobile screens with a Good Design award badge.

Seaing clearly: Transforming Beachwatch to keep our swim sites safe

A humanoid robot sits at a desk interacting with two professionals, illustrating the Gartner IT Symposium theme of redefining human–technology relationships.

Redefining our relationship with tech: Insights from Gartner IT symposium 2023

Stylised “UXA” graphic representing the UX Australia conference identity, used as the hero visual for the announcement of Folk’s sponsorship.

The pull of pushing boundaries

A hand fanning out several cards from the new Beyond Sticky Notes Model of Care for Co-design Expansion Pack, showing illustrated prompts designed to support inclusive, values-led co-design.

Cards for humanity

Hands holding a tablet displaying the Lifeline Support Toolkit interface, showing how users can access guided mental health support tools.

A lifeline, before you need it most

Louise Helliwell and Michael Broadhead standing together in the Folk studio to mark Louise joining as Partner and co-owner.

An eye to a better future

From audit to action

Australian Social Progress Index

Graphic of a red, yellow, and orange heart-shaped motif with the words “We support the Uluru Statement,” symbolising support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart.

We support the Uluru Statement

Graphic showing the word “Poverty” with a yellow underline, visually highlighting the article’s focus on understanding and addressing poverty.

Disrupting Disadvantage

Graphic of a curved arrow rising upward on a yellow background, symbolising growth and continuous learning at Folk.

We’re happiest when we’re learning

McGrathNicol billboard featuring a graduate portrait and the headline ‘Big for Development,’ promoting career growth opportunities across advisory and restructuring services.

McGrathNicol are big for…

Pair of soft pink house slippers representing the shift toward comfort and hybrid work culture.

Work: in progress

Exhibition display of queer graphic design posters at the ‘Designed with Pride’ showcase.

Designed with Pride

Architectural rendering of the new Geelong Head to Health centre, showing a modern brick façade with signage and landscaping.

Insights and knowledge

Geelong Head to Health opens

Sydney WorldPride 2023. Standing with our First Nations and LGBTIQ+ communities

A laptop displaying the redesigned NSW Koala Country homepage, featuring a full-screen koala image and updated navigation for accessing conservation resources.

Koala centred design

Inclusion at Work Week

Yellow sun icon with clock hands inside, used as a visual motif for the AdaptNSW Forum.

Early adapters: Insights and perspectives from the AdaptNSW 2022 Forum

Redfern Legal Centre’s updated black-and-orange identity displayed on entrance signage.

Opening (digital) doors for people experiencing disadvantage: Redfern Legal Centre

Digital billboard in a shopping centre displaying SANE’s ‘We Get’ mental health campaign.

We get… noticed

Two Australian Good Design Award logos recognising Folk’s wins for better mental health service access.

Good Design (Awards) better access to mental health services

Perpetrator usernames and locations pinned to a cork-board full of global suspects.

Stop the Stigma

The image reinforces the theme and timing of the event being announced. It contributes meaning rather than serving as decoration.

UX Australia 2022. It's on

Google's Universal Analytics is retiring. What now?

A glowing, branching light sculpture installed indoors, showing organic neon-like tendrils that illustrate the project’s exploration of natural patterns.

From Covid, to Vivid

Family fishing using a cast net on Mer (Murray Island) in the Torres Strait.

Yumi Sabe: Indigenous Knowledge Exchange

Text graphic showing the equation ‘Context + Intent = Content,’ illustrating Folk’s core idea that purposeful, contextual thinking drives effective content.

Insights and knowledge

Blockbuster Video storefront with large ‘Store Closing’ signs in the windows.

See Change? Finding the will and the way to defeat ain’t broke

American rapper Robert Matthew Van Winkle, professionally known as Vanilla Ice.

Wise wise words

Valiantys: Atlassian Consultancy

A BETA way to support inbound travellers

Man holding out his arm to show a tattoo of a squiggly line, representing the non-linear design process.

From off course, to of course!

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Unconscious by us

Title graphic reading ‘Looking at our blind spots’ with blurred text effect and highlighted subtitle ‘International Society for Design and Development in Education’.

Learning about the teachers

Folk's Strategy Director talks at Design Research 2021 Conference

Title graphic reading ‘Designing curiosity – World IA Day 2021’ on a yellow background.

Happy World IA Day

2020 Transform Awards ANZ Winner badge.

Winner. Winner.

Musicians performing on stage at the Annandale Hotel under bright coloured stage lights.

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Outdoor poster for ASX DataSphere reading “We’ve done the rocket science for you” on a city street.

From Good to Greta

Laptop displaying the Medical Costs Finder homepage with a search summary for a breast biopsy.

UX Australia 2020

Person using the Spire intranet on a laptop, viewing leave, learning and accreditation details.

Mobile screens showing steps and results of the NSW solar battery calculator tool.

Solar battery calculator

Empowering people

What on earth day?

McGrathNicol graduate campaign poster displayed in a train station, reading ‘Your Success Is Ours’ in bold yellow branding.

Campaign success

Enjoy 2020 - An idea hidden in plain sight

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Poster’d by Folk 2019

Graphic of a yellow apron with the text ‘It’s On! Cooking for a Cause with OzHarvest.’

Cooking for a Cause with OzHarvest

Yellow graphic with the word ‘TRUST?’ in white uppercase letters with the US coloured in black, used to introduce an article discussing trust in brands.

Laptop showing the National Mental Health Commission website homepage, featuring report links and mental health reform information.

Mentally Healthy and User Friendly

Curly comes home

A facilitator from the Oranges Toolkit delivers a workplace resilience workshop to a group of employees seated around tables.

Resilience and brilliance

Yellow poster reading ‘Hey, UXa… Enjoy your conference’ used for Folk’s presence at UX Australia 2019.

Playground swings including a standard seat and a bright yellow wheelchair-accessible swing, illustrating inclusive design for extreme users.

Designing for extreme users to fuel better solutions for everyone

San Francisco Design Week auction listing showing Folk’s ‘Community’ poster sold for $770 after 21 bids.

Weave proved popular

Folk stars in Channel (K)9’s pet project

San Francisco Design Week 2019

Poster’d: 2018

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Say it with… strategy

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Nudging for good

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Central Coast Council new website

Carer Connect UX, UI and identity design

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Oz Harvest Fight Food Waste

Week Plan identity

Embrace Learning UX research and design

AGDA Pecha Kucha

Solar Powered Folk

You can’t A/B-test your way to greatness

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