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Last update for 2024

If you're like me, you have some sort of mental whiplash from 2024 and are looking forward to a break.It's been a funny ol' year with the economy but I feel like things may be starting to come right.Christmas can be so stressful on a good day never mind on top of a year where the cost of living crisis has been ravishing a lot of people and their businesses.Lisa O'Neill wrote on her social channels "Money is a shitty thing for a lot of people. And this is the time of year when it gets really...

Elephants, birds and exhibitions

It wouldn’t be right to introduce this month’s update without addressing the elephant in the country.  The message “Toitū te Tiriti” has travelled from Cape Reinga to Bluff, even all across the world. Times Square, New York, even Everest Base Camp.If the reach wasn’t impressive enough, the actual activation, Te Hikoi mō te Tiriti was a masterclass in organisation, activation and unity, communications and setting the tone. This peaceful protest traversed the whole count...

Labourface Day 2024 & our latest projects

If you’ve been following along the last few months, you’ll know we’ve gone from winter doldrums, through a depressing downturn in projects that we fought off with a conscious effort to connect with, and help fellow business owners. We’re now well into the joy and hope of spring and that means Labourface Day! Our 10th one! 10 years. 10 years of celebrating our excellent clients and the projects they bring to us to play with. Looking back over the years, the Tequila trees re...

Spring is my fashion week.

The blossoms have burst! Colour is everywhere again and the new life is literally giving me life. I’ll admit, this winter was a struggle and now that we’re feeling the effects of ‘Spring’ in the way of new scopes for potential projects, adventure and possibility, we’re realising business really did go through a true ‘Winter’ as well.We did all the things you’re told to do when experiencing a seasonal ‘depression’, we got stuck into self improvement, practiced gratitude for wh...

Branding checkups: How our clinics treated budget-conscious businesses

Throughout July and August we held our inaugural brand clinics. We’ve been loving helping businesses, especially those watching their wallets (which, let’s face it, just about everyone at the moment) level up their branding with quick, professional advice. No massive investment, no fluff - just real, actionable solutions to take their brands to the next level.Take a look at some success stories from our recent sessions....

Creative Wins in the last month of winter: Mitchpine, Lorraine Hamilton, and our Insights

The buds adorning branches are threatening blossoms and thank frolicking goodness for that. Winter can hippity hop out of here and spring can get to springing. Give us longer days, give us gorgeous spring light and give us the promise of bloom and bumble related road trips with the @lemonfacelens.Alas, this is an update about the work we’ve been up to.Last we spoke we’d been leaning way into connection and sharing our particular set of skills to help out fellow business owners. The brand cli...

Loyalty deserves Royalty

Australian canine apparel + care/grooming products company Rogue Royalty came to us in 2021 to create a visual identity for its sister brand Rogue Raw. Rogue Raw is the middle finger to the commodification of animal health in the pet food industry, highlighting a premium raw food diet. Its identity needed to reflect the seriousness of its purpose, its values and also its premium nature. It needed to appeal to the pit bull owner and the poodle owner. Communicate its quality as well as its fight.&...

From Stuck to Focused: How our brand clinic is creating connections and providing clarity

As much as we might try to avoid it, (loves a hibernation, me) - humans thrive on connection, especially during hard times. It's no wonder that this past month has been all about offering our time and skills to help others. Without even seeking it, a theme always seems to emerge, and this month’s is clear.We've felt a strong urge to reach out to fellow business owners, offering help and support wherever possible. This has led to our brand clinic—a free 40-minute session every Tuesday. You’...

Thinking of slashing your marketing budget during an economic downturn?

Perfect, if you want your brand to disappear while competitors steal the spotlight 🤷🏻‍♀️ Yeesh! You might be thinking far out Lemonface, no need to be so blunt about it. As harsh as it sounds, it’s the truth and we know it because we went through it earlier this year when one of our largest clients went into a kind of economy-induced hibernation (things got very, very quiet.) There are a few things you can do when your work seems to be drying up. PANIC! The world is falling do...

We’re here to help with a new Brand Clinic

I'm hearing from lots of small business owners how tough it is out there at the moment. Money is tight, sales are down. I was feeling it at the very beginning of the year too.We got you. On Tuesday mornings bookings for the Brand Clinic will be open. These are FREE 40 minute consultations to talk about anything you may be struggling with, pain points if you will, in your branding and marketing. The aim is to provide you with some quick wins and recommendations to help you through without costing...

We’re embracing the change of season. Not even begrudgingly. Who are we?!

It suits our dark humour to realise that these hardworking trees blend into the background, looking gorgeous and doing a job we can’t thrive without, until parts of them start to die in spectacular fashion. Not unlike the designer whose tiny but so considered decisions are so effective they become invisible - we live for the drama, darling. Can relate. We see you.  Morning temperatures lately are suited to afternoon starts, we’ve found that’s actually when the creative juices are...

Birthdays, chasing bees and passion projects

We're in March! Which means we are in the final stretch of Q1.Which means Lemonface Creative has just celebrated their birthday. Nearly double digits. Not long now before we become all moody, unreasonable, indifferent, non-committal and irrational. Best get your work in then while we’re still enthusiastic and keen to please, bhahahahaha.On a serious note through, we’d like to know what Lemonface means to you. What have we done that you’ve loved and what w...

January - the Monday of months

We’re picking up where we left off and feeling positive about the year ahead.January can feel like the Monday of months, feel a bit unmotivated, slow to warm to the year ahead, hard to get into the groove, still in holiday mode etc. If this is you as well we have some tips to get you started in 2024, scroll down.Roadies...

Art Movements & their influence

Art movements have shaped thought on a mass scale for centuries. They inspire us to look at the world differently and to talk about our lives in ways that can change mindset and behaviour. Picasso taught us to look at people from the inside out. Warhol made us think about consumer culture in our daily lives.Looking back through Western history, particularly Europe, it's incredible to see how many art movements have made an impact on society. By tracing a timeline through different art movements,...

The things you learn from your clients

‘Tis is the start of the season for giving, and that has had me thinking about all the knowledge my clients have passed on to me whilst I’ve worked with them and their businesses.I’ve found myself continually thinking back to important moments, conversations, or turning points with specific clients who have shaped, inspired and ultimately improved the work I produce for them. More than ever, I find myself sharing stories with my peers about what I’ve learned from the very best clients I ...

A cautionary tale of intellectual property in design and the navigation of sensitive topics

I’ve pondered on a working title for this blog and I’ve eventually settled on A cautionary tale of intellectual property in design and the navigation of sensitive topics.So, this thing happened. I thought it probably would one day...I’m a designer by trade after all. But when it did happen, it cut deep. Real deep. And I’m not quite sure how to heal the wound.I can’t go into too much detail (as this is a deeply personal subject) but in essence somebody took something that was not t...

Threads, Twitter (X?!) or neither?

Instead of staging a physical cage fight, Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg is challenging Twitter's Elon Musk in a battle that could determine the future of social media. Threads launched on 6 July to great acclaim. But, are creatives, designers and strategists embracing the Instagram-linked app? If not, why not? We’re nosy buggers here at Lemonface Towers so we decided to drill down on all things Threads. Read on.It's all anyone is talking about: the potential death of Twitter&n...

Melbourne - you little beauty!

Do you remember a time (not that long ago) when we couldn't travel? Same.I made a promise to myself during that time that I would never take for granted ever again the sheer unmistakable joy of being able to go somewhere, anywhere else that I wanted to visit. A recent trip to Melbourne justified that promise I made to myself. And it was fabulous. Here's what I got up to…...

Graphic Design in numbers

Strategic graphic design is the essence of visual communication.Business cards, billboards, brochures, websites, brands – every facet of business incorporates some form of graphic design. Creating, memorable and successful graphic design is a crucial skill for advertisers, designers, and business owners.The industry and careersThe field of graphic design has evolved but shows no sign of slowing down. Businesses compete to get the very best graphic designers for marketing, advertising, and web ...

The year that was and the year that will be

Hi everyone and welcome to our first blog of the year.And what a year we’ve just had. (I think I said the same last December and maybe the December before that……not sure, you can blame that on the ‘ole brain fog (more of that later).If 2022 was a movie it’d be a spaghetti Western. There was the good, there was the bad and there was most definitely the fugly.The GoodWe celebrated another milestone. We kept our heads above water. We remained afloat. Oh, and we changed our name. On the da...

Lemonface does semi permanent

Last week Lemonface Creative attended Semi Permanent 2022 at the magnificent St James Theatre in Wellington. After two years in which our lives were disrupted by the pandemic, so too has our perspective on the future completely shifted.To be back in a familiar environment, surrounded by like-minded creative brains listening to the great and the good of the design world was nothing short of cathartic.So, what exactly is Semi Permanent, and what is it all about?Semi Permanent brings together ...

Daylight saving - what's it all about anyway? And how to avoid feeling tired when the clock go forward

DAYLIGHT SAVING STARTED AT 2AM ON SUNDAY 25 SEPTEMBER 2022 WHEN THE CLOCKS WENT FORWARD 1 HOUR.During the daylight-saving months we are on ‘New Zealand daylight time’, which is 1 hour ahead of New Zealand standard time.These dates and the time of the change are heavily publicised in the lead up to the change through television and radio advertisements, local council websites and national newspapers. So how come it always takes me by surprise? And how come I never know if that means MORE slee...

10 blogs to inspire your design

Welcome to our latest blog. This month it’s a little bit different as I’ll share with YOU some blogs that I subscribe to. Blogs that inspire me, make me pause for thought, challenge my thinking, or just make me smile. Smiling is good.One of the best things about graphic design is that it never stands still for a moment. But that does mean that keeping up with the latest trends, techniques, and technologies can be a bit of a challenge. “Stand still at your peril” I was once told and it’...

We're in a right state. Of flux.

This year’s theme, State of Flux, acknowledges the feelings we’ve all become familiar with over the past two years. Change, fluidity, comings and goings, staying still yet somehow always shifting - we've adapted and dare we say... pivoted. We can all agree the one constant in life is change, from the early buds to the flower, the wind and the seasons, and the eventual changing of the tides. Our lives are in a State of Flux.I got COVID – the long version and it was pretty rubbish for a...

Fergus the Fog. An uninvited guest

I’ve got long COVID. I think. Not sure. Pretty sure I’ve got it. I have some of the symptoms, not all of them, but certainly enough of them to suggest that I’ve got it.You see, I’ve been feeling odd since I tested positive and that was long ago enough to conclude I’ve got long COVID now. Yup, I’m pretty sure I’ve got it. Because if I do then it would explain a lot about how I’m feeling, and if you give something a name, then you can tame it (more of this to follow).Testing positi...