The Sydney-based small business and object recognition technology developer was awarded the business package prize from a competitive field of seven finalists representing a cross-section of creative industries from design, film, new media and technology.

Host of the event, QUT’s Creative Enterprise Australia Chief Executive Officer, Anna Rooke said WizzyBoard was selected as the winner after all finalists spent a gruelling day pitching their business concepts to an expert business panel.

“All finalists delivered dynamic and passionate presentations about their innovative concepts,” Ms Rooke said. “The panel ultimately can choose only one winner and identified WizzyBoard for its innovation and future commercial potential,” Ms Rooke said.

WizzyBoard is a disruptive object recognition technology which provides a conduit between the physical world and the digital world. WizzyBoard’s technology creates a new and exciting method of gaming and edutainment where objects or toys can be easily and inexpensively converted for recognition on iPads or Android devices.

Ms Rooke said the business package prize will provide highly valued support to develop WizzyBoard’s business.

“Securing investment is a major challenge for emerging creatives with only limited support and business development previously offered in this area,” Ms Rooke said.

“As the winner of the Creative3 Investment Marketplace, WizzyBoard will benefit from a package of investment, key services and support to fast-track their business growth,” she said. “The support from our partners has been fantastic in backing this amazing prize.”

“This is only our second year of running the Investment Marketplace and we have been delighted to attract over 40 high quality applicants and to offer them the chance to support their creative visions,” Ms Rooke said.

The Creative3 Investment Marketplace was exclusive to Australian creative entrepreneurs and start-ups and comprised an expert judging panel including Michael Smellie, Chairman QUT Creative Enterprise Australia; Brian Richards, BDO; Caroline Hamilton, Icebreaker Management Services; and Margaret Manning, The Reading Room.

WizzyBoard (Sydney)
WizzyBoard™ is a disruptive object recognition technology which provides a conduit between the physical world and the digital world. With its proprietary technology, WizzyBoard™ is building a completely new and exciting method of gaming and edutainment whereby toys and merchandising are fully integrated with online games for tablets and iPads. WizzyBoard™ has a proprietary and patentable technology where objects or toys can be easily and inexpensively converted for recognition, and localization on capacitive touchscreen such as iPads or Android devices.
(view demonstration)
website: www.wizzyboard.com

HS: How did you get started in the interactive space?
SG: When I was 25, Andrew Apostola, a friend of mine from working in community media enterprises, and I decided to leave our jobs (he was working on an initiative we’d set up in Tasmania to establish community radio in schools, I was a Business Development Manager of a large multicultural organisation in Geelong) to give the digital world a go. We were excited about the video iPod release in late 2005 and we came up with the idea for the Portable Film Festival. We set up the studio business pretty quickly after as people wanted us to work on their projects.

HS: Advice for early/emerging career creatives and established businesses?
SG: The balance between focus and being nimble to change as your circumstances do. Don’t do either, you’ll go out of business, do one and you’ll eek out an existence, do both and you’ll do well.

HS: What drives you to be involved with industry – such as AIMIA? Plans for 2012?
SG: I’m a firm believer that it only takes a few passionate individuals to drive change. Digital is an exciting space. Our industry has become mainstream and our plans for AIMIA in 2012 is to continue to remain relevant to our current and future members through recognizing their work and developing initatives that help them grow their business. Watch this space for announcements.

HS: Your top 5 individuals/projects that inspire you/your work
SG: Individual wise it would be family (my wife and I had a little girl, Bella, 7 months ago) and Andrew Apostola, my business partner for nearly six years.

Projects would be Portable.TV, our site that covers the best in online video across film, fashion, culture, music and tech. Portable Shops, our e-commerce solution for fashion designers and the work of Portable Studios, where I spend most of time day to day working with exceptionally talented people to deliver projects across mobile, web and video.

HS: “The Hitlist” – the one main thing that drives you every day (could be a quote, picture, memory)
SG: My grandfather. He had to take over the family business in Poland at 18 when his father died, it was a large fur trading business employing over 100 people. He built this up to see it lost (with most of his family) to the Nazis. He came out to Australia in the late 40s with nothing, started again and paved the way for me to have a comfortable life in Australia. He passed away in 1985, but he inspires me every day.

HS: How did you get started professionally?
MM: Following my degree and a couple of years hitchhiking through Europe to Asia i joined Price Waterhouse (as it was then known) as a trainee accountant and qualified as a Chartered Accountant three years later.

HS: For agencies and freelancers reading this, what tips for working with clients? What about early/emerging career creatives?
MM: You have to be hard with clients as the client is not always right. If a client is convinced that pink text on a red background is absolutely right for them it is your job as a digital professional to point out the errors in their thinking. Walking the fine line between being authoritative and knowledgable and coming across as arrogant and unsympathetic is one of the more difficult parts of dealing with clients.

With regard emerging career creatives, the CEO of our largest Reading Room business – David Burgess in London – joined us as a designer fresh from University. We receive literally hundreds of CVs for potential design recruits and interns and it is very difficult to be heard above the noise. David did this by designing up a beautiful CV on a piece of parchment rolled up in a tube and delivering it personally to our reception desk. We will always talk to people who make this level of effort to work in our business.

HS: Best Reading Room moment!
MM: There are plenty from our company Christmas outings to Paris, Barcelona and Amsterdam but it’s probably as well to stick away from these! Client wise it seemed a long way from a two man band in a back bedroom in Camden when I was introduced to Prince Charles at a drinks reception at St James’ Palace where he congratulated us on producing him a great website.

5. Top 5 inspiration sites
twitter.com
spotify.com
apple.com
guardian.co.uk
sharemyplaylists.com

Host of Creative3, QUT Creative Enterprise Australia released the final line-up of speakers with CEO Anna Rooke saying the event will celebrate the creativity, investment and enterprise of the people shaping our world.

“Creative3 is a rare opportunity for many Australian creative businesses to hear first-hand and learn from some of the world’s most inspiring and influential creatives, Ms Rooke said. “The Forum will explore the real issues faced by creative businesses and the latest trends and technologies to advance and sustain growth.

She said this year’s event has attracted an impressive line-up of creative leaders from around the globe including recently signed up speakers local talent Vince Frost , Chairman and Creative Director of design studio, Frost*, as well as Emmy-award winning film-maker, Mario Andreacchio.

Arguably Australia’s most recognised designer and one of the most globally celebrated and awarded designers, Vince has remained active in the global design community from him Surry Hills (NSW) studio.

Ms Rooke said Frost* is a strong example of a ‘zero geography’ model; a creative business based in Australia yet successfully competing globally.

“Frost* continues to service global clients and win international accolades, working on a diverse range of projects, from environmental graphics and exhibitions to magazine and book design, corporate identity, brand strategy, advertising and interactive design,” she said.

Voted one of the top 100 influential people in Sydney by Sydney Morning Herald’s magazine, Vince will share his design and business expertise at Creative3 in a session titled Designing Your Life from 3.30pm – 5pm on Thursday 27 October at the State Library of Queensland. He will also join panel discussions during the afternoon: In search of sustainability with Kevin Finn (Finn Design) Stefan Sagmeister (Sagmeister Inc.) and Alexander Lorterszain (Derlot) and a panel discussion Future Proofing your Business- Invest in yourself.
…/2
Joining the line-up of speakers is film-maker Mario Andreacchio. Andreacchio’s film Captain Johnno won an International Emmy Award. The film began for him a career specialising in the ‘family movie’ having earlier made Fair Game, an action thriller that Quentin Tarantino acknowledges was a major influence on Death Proof.

Mario’s feature film, Napoleon is also one of Australia’s most successful movies of the past 15 years, and due to be brought back by popular demand in 2012.

The Creative3 Program features speakers: design luminary Stefan Sagmeister, one of the world’s leading design companies; Andrew Mason, producer of The Matrix, and its sequels, Matrix Reloaded and Matrix Revolutions; Caroline Hamilton, founder of UK venture –capital company, Icebreaker which drew headlines worldwide this year for its groundbreaking multi- million dollar investment in one of Europe’s leading independent music companies; Craig Davis, chief creative officer of Mojo Australia and founder of Brand Karma, the world’s first brand-centric social media platform and new media vanguards Pip Jamieson (The Loop) , Shainiel Deo (Halfbrick Studios) , Simon Goodrich (Portable), Mitch Olson (SmallWorlds) and Tracey Robertson (Hoodlum).

The forum will bring together leading creative entrepreneurs to Australia’s emerging talent and offer a practical hands-on program with more interactive panels and masterclasses to provide even
greater opportunity to mix and learn from the world’s best.

The sublime sounds of singer-songwriter emma louise have made their way onto our airwaves with her debut single ‘Jungle’ going straight to high rotation on triple j. Now, we get to wrap our ears around her enchanting debut EP, ‘Full Hearts & Empty Rooms’.

Emma is one of those people who were born to play music. She was the one who avoided maths and science classes to teach herself guitar and write songs in the high school music room. At age 15, Emma had already been lauded with two Q Song Awards for her song writing.
Post high school, a string of well-known supports including Sarah Blasko, Bob Evans and Tim Rogers lead Emma to make the decision to move to Brisbane to take her music to the next level. She moved with an unreleased album up her sleeve but as she immersed herself into the Brisbane music scene and started spending more time with song writers and musicians, Emma, now 19, was inspired to do better.

‘Full Hearts & Empty Rooms’ was recorded in Cairns with friend and producer Mark Myers (The Middle East).”In the last year I experimented with a lot of different producers to discover the sound I was looking for. Mark and I had known each other for a few years and had always talked about working together. It was obvious in pre-production that we were on the same track and had the same idea,” says Emma.

This EP looks to the future. Three out of the four songs are brand new. “I always like recording my newest songs.” Emma affirms, yet she hasn’t completely abandoned her old material with the addition of “1000 Sundowns”, a track she wrote in high school that still remains close to her heart. With such a prolific and impulsive songwriting nature, it would be impossible to capture the scope of Emma’s years of songwriting onto an EP. You can however confide in the fact that she records almost as much as she writes and this will be the first of many offerings.

Shortly after the release of her EP, Emma hit the road as the sought-after opening act on folk-rockers Boy & Bear’s sold-out Autumn 2011 tour. It was her first opportunity to delight audiences nationally with her enthralling live presence and unique songwriting skills, and if the reviews are anything to go by, she did just that.
She is now focusing on her first headline shows for the year to launch her EP, starting with a run of QLD shows in June / July, and then expanding on a full national tour later in the year.

Emma Louise won the award for ‘Breakthrough Independent Artist’ at the AIR Jagermeister Independent Music Awards on the 12th October, where she also performed her hit single ‘Jungle’ to a packed room.

See her hit ‘Jungle’ here.

HS: What is your earliest memory as a designer?
KF: I think I must have been in my early teens, maybe 13 or 14. Like all teens, I was constantly listening to music (on my Walkman player!!!). But the headphones annoyed me. They were too cumbersome, or they were too flimsy, or they would fall out of my ears too easily, or they let too much ambient noise through. Looking around I saw how hearing impaired people wore hearing aids, which sat really snugly into their ears and had a clip that sat neatly around the back of their ear. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be smart to combine this approach for headphones; to use a similar design to help avoid headphones falling off or letting in too much ambient noise? I kept this observation to myself, but a few years later I saw the idea designed and produced by manufacturers and companies operating in this space. Had I acted on this idea when I thought of it, I probably could have retired at age 15!

To be honest, at the time I had no comprehension that what I had observed and sought to improve was actually a design process. But I did recognise that the design of an object could have crossovers into other areas and could have a personal impact. At age 13 or 14, I never considered design as a career because I had no idea their was a discipline called design. A few years later, when I did fall into a design course by accident, the fact that I pursued graphic design over product design is interesting, considering my first design observation. I think the lesson here is that, in my opinion, design always starts with an idea, no matter what discipline it may concern. Ideas and observations, which are implemented and used to improve something, are the foundation of good design.

HS: How did you get started professionally?
KF: The same way as most designers, I expect. Having graduated from a design course I took myself around to various design studios knocking on doors in the hope someone might take kindly to my student work. I was full of self doubt and had very little confidence. In fact, it terrified me to think I would be looked upon as a ‘designer’ just because I had completed a course in design. I think the greatest acknowledgement I made at this juncture was that I still had a lot to learn – in fact, a whole career’s worth. Learning is a lifelong pursuit.

Being from Ireland, the obvious choice for a design graduate was London. London is one of the world’s creative hubs for design, so I tried my hand at getting a job there. Surprisingly, I received a good response to my portfolio. Studios like Tomato and Why Not Associates said they’d put me on a freelance list if something came up. I realised I had to make a decision: take a risk and move to London – with no money – in the hope the phone might ring and I might get work at one of the studios that I admired. Or, take a bigger risk and try my luck in Dublin, where I didn’t know any design studios and didn’t much like the city. In the end, I chose not to compete with an army of graduate designers descending on London studios and, instead, I took a bigger risk by moving to Dublin.

Through a contact in the advertising industry I was referred to a design agency who recognised some potential in my work. The big break at this studio was working with a senior designer who treated me as an equal, rather than a junior – a lesson I hold to this day. A year and a half later, when I decided to leave that studio, I got a call from another studio in Dublin looking to hire. They offered me a job. I was terrified, but took another risk by accepting the position. The studio does all the work for U2. Had I gone to London I would have missed this amazing opportunity.

But it’s important to note, even though the design work was instructive, and in some cases inspiring, the most significant lessons that I learned from both these studios were less to do with design and everything to do with life and how to treat people.

HS: What is design thinking? Or where do you see future of design?
KF: Both parts of this question are intertwined. I think the Design Thinking movement will continue to contribute significantly to the future of design. In terms of what Design Thinking is, like the term ‘design,’ there are many definitions.

However: designers see the connections and patterns between things. They go through a series of steps and processes to visualise a future point and they have the ability to then articulate this future point in a manner that people can easily grasp and understand. Designers go through this process naturally and in rapid succession. The end result is usually a ‘designed artefact,’ for example a chair, a logo, a building, a poster, a book, a piece of clothing, headphones, etc.

Design Thinking takes this process and applies it to bigger issues, years or generations in advance. Or it can be applied to more immediate business concerns where the final outcome might be a process, or a system, or a suggestion for a manufacturing process or a corporate culture. Although there will always be a place and a need for designed artefacts, the end result of Design Thinking won’t necessarily result in an artefact. Instead, it will more likely identify and define something more holistic. Design Thinking is used to develop the brief (rather than just receive it), it is used to decide what is required to achieve a wider objective, what this objective should do or look like. Because the design process is universal it can therefore be applied to far more issues than those involved in creating a finite designed artefact.

Essentially, the power of Design Thinking is that the process is universal and available to everyone, meaning non-designers play a significant role. It’s important to note, far from removing the designer from this process I see the future involving designers as expert guides in how business and governments can harness Design Thinking in order to shape a better future. And this is not idealism. Design is a very practical pursuit and, as a result, Design Thinking is a practical process, which is why business leaders and governments are embracing it. When it comes to articulating the Design Thinking process there is still much to resolve and define. But this will be part of the future, and designers will be central to it’s articulation and application. Considering all the world issues we face today – food production, climate change, dwindling resources, growing populations, etc – it seems more urgent that we foresee a future of better designed systems and processes to ensure our survival. And designers can’t do this alone. Design Thinking is a cross-disciplinary, collaborative exercise.

On that note, one of my personal philosophies or maxims is:
Design will help shape the future; use it wisely.

HS: For agencies and freelancers reading this, what tips for working with clients? What about early/emerging career creatives?
KF: Tips for working with clients:
- Work with your client, not for them;
- Listen to the brief and research the issues before you jump into designing;
- Have your fees approved and your commencement fee paid before you start anything;
- Don’t work with people you don’t like;
- Recognise your abilities and collaborate with others who do what you can’t do.

Tips for early or emerging career creatives:
- Stay alert, everything is connected;
- Don’t restrict your focus to design, look at where design intersects with cultural, social, political and economic issues (and watch the news every day);
- Don’t wait – take a considered risk;
- Focus! One idea implemented is better than 10 ideas stuck in your head;
- Be generous with what you know;
- Never, ever, ever stop learning.

HS: Advice for designers to make the most of creative3
KF: Perhaps it’s as simple as absorbing the crossovers between creativity and business. Listen, learn, share and make connections with people, either with the speakers or with other delegates – or both. Most importantly, try to see the difference between ‘ideas’ and ‘ideas that get implemented,’ regardless of whether they are creative or business ideas. As ex-Creative Director of Google Labs and now Creative Director of Facebook Ji Lee says, “Ideas are nothing. Doing is everything.” Creative3 should perhaps be used as a platform for you to find ways to turn ‘nothing’ into ‘everything.’

HS: Your best design moment?
KF: That’s a difficult question as there are many. However, I think most of my best design moments have involved taking a considered risk, be that in a project, accepting a great job, leaving a great job, moving countries or cities, starting an initiative, or interviewing a world renowned leader in their field. Taking a risk always reminds me that I am learning and exploring territory that I’m unfamiliar with. It’s a great laxative and, of course, it doesn’t always work out well. But each time I come away with more knowledge than I went in with. And for that reason alone, it’s always worth the risk!

HS: What are your top 3 inspiration sites?
KF: Again, there are many, but here are three, in no particular order:
Fast Company
Swiss-Miss
Design Observer

Thanks Kevin!

Kevin Finn is one of the speakers taking part in creative3. For more details about the speakers, click here.

Interested in gaining more insights from leading creatives and thinkers around Australia and the globe? Take part in this year’s Creative3 in Brisbane from 26 – 28 October 2011.

Q and A by Hannah Suarez

Connect on social media and make use of Creative3’s online social networks

In the lead up to and during the conference, we will be posting live updates to broadcast some of the key points and highlights. Delegates are encouraged to join the conversation online.

1. Twitters users can delve into the conversation by using the #creative3 hashtag.
2. Keen on making yourself known to be a delegate? Update your social media accounts (mainly Twitter and LinkedIn) to show that you are a Creative3 delegate.
3. Keen to connect with others online? Follow @c3forum and join the conversation, add creative3 on Facebook or connect on the LinkedIn discussion board. These online connections are another way to make the most of the networking opportunities that Creative3 offers during the conference plus you never know who you might be introduced to online…

Is your online presence in shape?

Put your best foot forward at the conference and online. By taking a quick audit of your online presence, you can make the most of the event.

1. Is your online, public profile up to date? If you don’t have a content-managed public online presence, consider creating one. There are free services online to make this process quick and easily such as LinkedIn, About.Me, Twitter, The Loop (they have a job seeker feature) and Behance (for creatives).
2. Is your online profile ‘conversation-friendly’? Ideas include adding keywords to help initiate discussion (ie what interests you?) and including a website link that will allow others to get in touch with you.

Any other thoughts and ideas in the lead up to the conference? Send me your thoughts via hannah@suarez.id.au and I can include it in this blog entry. Feedback is definitely welcome. My favourite thing is crowdsourcing – ie doing a call out on Twitter for the best place in the city to grab breakfast/lunch/dinner/coffee/interns/designers etc.

Mark Lobo is a photographer based out of Brisbane, working in commercial, editorial and portrait photography. Often bringing his studio out on location, he combines technical precision and natural expression to form his well recognised and colourful style. Playing off the surrounding environment and the genuine nature of his subjects, the result is both spontaneous and polished.

Outside of professional work, he finds inspiration through the people that surround him, travel photography and through his many side projects. Von Vintage, his current project, is a film photography series, which takes a look at the keepsakes of the past, remembered through the eyes of a dying media. Using old vintage film cameras, his images appear almost timeless, photographs that could have been shot half a century ago, or yesterday.

In 2011, Mark continues to work both commercially and on the Von Vintage project, exhibiting and selling his prints online.

www.marklobo.com.au

Olson’s company, SmallWorlds, which boasts over 6 million registered players, recently made headlines by attracting $1.8 million in New Zealand Government investment to help realise its global growth prospects through research and development.

As a next generation social game and 3D virtual environment, SmallWorlds’ popularity has seen it triple its revenue and double its employees since its inception in 2008.

With its latest investment, SmallWorlds will develop a scalable cloud-based platform for its social 3D game website that will allow the site to handle more users.

Olson says that while gaming business relies on imagination and a fun experience for the user, his is a serious growth industry with the capacity to boost the economy.

“The gaming industry is a lucrative sector and ‘mainstream’ investors are now getting behind businesses like ours which is vital for our industry,” he said.

“SmallWorlds is backed by enduring entertainment brands like Disney which is testimony to what can be achieved with imagination and passion and sound investment,” Olson said.

Host of the event, QUT Creative Enterprise Australia CEO Anna Rooke said creative businesses are a significant economic generator with the Australian creative industries’ GDP contribution totaling A$31.1 billion..

“Gaming in particular is a fast growing entertainment sector,” Ms Rooke said. ”The video games industry is now double the size of the box office and more than 40 per cent larger than the movie disc industry in Australia.

“A recent gaming industry report showed the Australian market has experienced a significant increase in video games industry revenue to almost A$3.7 billion in 2010 and strong consumer spending on games of over A$1.03 billion in 2009.”

Ms Rooke said the challenge is not a shortage of ideas or gaming start-ups but attracting investment to help turn creativity into profit and build sustainable businesses.

“While the creative industries are an increasingly attractive funding vehicle they continue to need investment to stimulate growth, build skills and respond to new audiences and changing audience or user demographics,” she said.

At the Creative³ Forum, Olson will join Pip Jamieson (The Loop) , Shainiel Deo (Halfbrick Studios) and Simon Goodrich (Portable) to share their experiences and the risks and challenges in bringing creative ideas to reality.

Creative³ offers a rare opportunity for many Australian creative businesses to hear first-hand and learn from some of the world’s most inspiring and influential creatives.

The forum will bring together a 300 plus audience from leading creative entrepreneurs to Australia’s emerging talent and offer a practical hands-on program with more interactive panels and masterclasses to provide even greater opportunity to mix and learn from the world’s best.

Creative³ will be held between 26 and 28 October 2011 across key cultural locations in Brisbane including QUT
Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove, Gardens Theatre and the State Library of Queensland.