With more than 25 years in creative design industries grounded in a distinctly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander design perspective, our approach has consistently returned to three core principles.
Same animal, different breed.
At first glance they may seem simple, but for us they are fundamental to how we think, create, and operate as an Indigenous creative agency.
Design vs Art
Distinguishing between art and design, and between an artist and a designer is often summed up by saying they’re the same animal, just a different breed.
In many Western contexts, that line can blur. In a First Nations context, it remains clear in our eyes.
Art is the role of the artist and is grounded in the expression of Culture and Country. It carries story, identity, and connection. Artists create visual songlines that reflect people, place, and lived experience. This is cultural work, embedded with meaning and responsibility.
Design, by contrast, serves a different purpose. Within an agency setting, design is about communication. It creates visual solutions that support and strengthen a product, service, or organisation. It is driven by function, audience, and intent to translating ideas into outcomes.
It’s important to recognise that culture songlines are ours and should not be used or adapted to represent an organisation or business unless cultural authory has been given to do so.
True Representation
True representation is straightforward in principle, and critical in practice.
For us, authentically representing both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures is essential. Where appropriate, both cultures are acknowledged and reflected through design elements, collaboration, and the thoughtful use of colour and symbolism.
This means prioritising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander designers and artists in our work, in particular work that has national reach. Representation goes beyond aesthetics; it’s about voice, authorship, and respect.
When creating design work with a national focus, it’s important to include representation from both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures to ensure a complete and respectful reflection of Australia’s First Nations cultures.
As shared with me by a Torres Strait Islander Elder many years ago, an inverted Dhari represents misfortune, something we should never embed in design.
Appropriation
Across the evolution of our studios, from ingeous Studios to Indigenous Design Labs, and now as part of new breed agency, Red Ochre Republic we have maintained a clear position.
We do not work with artwork that has been appropriated or used without proper cultural authority.
Respect for culture is non-negotiable.
Symbols and motifs hold deep cultural significance for both Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures. Misuse or misrepresentation is not just inappropriate, it can be harmful.
The use of the Dhari , for example, is significant. While it can represent the Torres Strait, its inclusion in design carries cultural responsibility. Where possible, Torres Strait Islander design elements should be created by Torres Strait Islander designers. And when the Dhari is used, it should always remain upright.
As creatives, we each have a responsibility to make informed and respectful choices. In our practice, we avoid using culturally specific symbols, unless there is clear cultural authority.
When clients present work featuring these motifs, we ask important questions: Who created this? Do they have cultural ties to the communities these symbols belong to?
We don’t see ourselves as gatekeepers or judges. Creative practice is a journey which is shaped by lived experience. The impacts of colonisation has shaped and influenced cultural identity and creative expression, importantly we are taking it back on our terms as First Nations creatives.
In my own journey, I was fortunate to learn early from an unsung hero of Indigenous design, Lamickey Pitt during my time as a trainee at Aboriginal Hostels Limited. He instilled in me a clear understanding of the responsibilities and boundaries of cultural representation, long before these conversations became more widely recognised.
Those who know me know I hold a clear distinction between art and design. I’ll question how my own work is labelled, but I won’t question how others choose to express theirs, that’s theirs to define.
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