WoD 2020

‘Whole of Discipline’ is a long‑standing lecture series presented by the RMIT Communication Design program. RMIT engaged with Public Journal to reimagine the form and content and expand the reach for 2020, iso‑style.

Scope
Communication Design Strategy, Branding and Series Production

Team
Bec Nally, Creative Director
Jason Rohmursanto, Designer

AGDA Partners
Anita Lyons, National Events & Partnerships Manager
Pollyanna Guthrie, Councillor & FFO Moderator

Client
RMIT Communication Design

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Engaged 2020

After analysis of the previous lecture series and student interest, Public Journal purposefully shifted the brand personality, with a make-over that spoke to students and the commercial design industry.

Within the Communication Design program casually, the lecture series was fondly nick-named WoD. This relaxed, casual tone became a trait for the rebrand — played up by a customised mod-monoline logotype.

Public Journal developed a language set that spoke to the broad mix of emerging and existing designers we were aiming to engage. The pop culture dialogue was deliberate — softening the use of some more intimidating four syllable words and concepts that Masters and PhD students gravitate towards.

The overarching artwork theme for WoD’s rebrand responded to a simple question, often asked in the RMIT Communication Design program —

How can we find ways for students and industry to engage with each other? Or in academic speak, how can we encourage reciprocal knowledge sharing between emerging and existing designers?

Using a visual pun for extra giggles, we developed an activity that enabled students to meet design practitioners in their workspaces and share moments together as they exchanged wads of work. The work would then be developed into artwork for the series — connecting emerging and existing designers through a shared love of design work and a visual narrative that existed because of their encounter.

Wads were starting to be collected… and then COVID‑19 hit.

Plans for personal encounters and the fancy Capitol Theatre venue were no longer an option. With a quick change of gears and careful attention to tone, Public Journal developed a revised communication strategy — moving the series to a virtual format and leveraging off the new shenanigans of iso-life.

Our desire to develop a community building series was so important, now more than ever. And we were blown away by the hunger, support and connectedness that resulted from the confidence of RMIT Communication Design, support of AGDA and the amazingly talented and generous line up of speakers we engaged with.