We developed a distinctive Indigenous logo and brand identity for a significant family Memorial Research Fund.
In collaboration with the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia and the Rechnitz Family Memorial Fund, we created a brand that reflects the legacy of Wilhelm Rechnitz.
The Wilhelm, Martha, and Otto Rechnitz Memorial Fund (the Rechnitz Fund) was established in 2022 to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander scholars in the social sciences and to foster knowledge and understanding of Indigenous Australian societies, languages, and cultures.
Wilhelm Rechnitz lived and worked in the Torres Strait Islands at various times between 1948 and 1972. A convert from Judaism to Christianity, he was ordained as a priest in the Church of England and dedicated himself to translating church services and scriptures into Indigenous languages. With a background in Greek and Latin classics and librarianship, he developed a deep interest in the languages, cultures, and traditions of the Torres Strait Islander peoples. He authored numerous articles on Indigenous languages and used a Kodak box camera to compile a substantial photographic archive of Islander culture. His extensive collection is now housed in the State Library of Queensland. Wilhelm retired to Brisbane in 1972 and passed away in 1979.
As an Indigenous design and creative agency, we are committed to ensuring that every design we create is deeply authentic and meaningful.
For this project, we collaborated with aspiring Torres Strait Islander designer Lalawa Donigi-Bedford, a participant of Indigenous Design Labs. Lalawa’s initial concepts and insights inspired the design elements, forming the foundation for our conceptualisation of the final logo and its significance.
