Guest Speaker, Michael Malignaggi, Joint MD., Nexus Designs
Nexus Designs is a Melbourne based Design Consultancy, which was founded in 1967 by Janne Faulkner. She worked with David Yencken (Merchant Builders) in designing homes that were specifically for Australian conditions, in colour, shade, light capture and materials. Janne passed away in 2018, but her design philosophy lives on in Nexus Designs.
Nexus Design is a multi-disciplinary graphic design and communications consultancy, covering Interior, Graphic and Product Design. Michael gave an outline of 6 projects which illustrate the skills and range of projects undertaken by Nexus.The first was the Tribeca loft in New York. Using colours that represent Australia, including the blue from the Blue Mountains, Nexus created an outstanding interior layout for their Australian client. This office was updated last year, with much of the original furniture reused, showing the sustainable philosophy of Nexus.
The second was the Victorian Auditor General’s office in 2016. There was a new Auditor General, who insisted that the design was based on showing the transparency of the office. The design drew inspiration from the Victorian regios, Mt Buffalo, The Grampians, Yarra Valley, the Murray sunset, Wilsons Prom., and Otway Forest. The Auditor General’s office was a fully glazed box. Toorak College Chapel. The interior was designed to convey the spirit of the school, creating a serene and beautiful space for reflection and for special occasions. The was a Graphic Design project for Rosa’s Table. An Identity Design was created, covering the Melbourne cooking classes and the Food Tours to Sicily. There was a surface design project for Omni Décor Glass. Nexus designed patterns, glass screens, glass wall and a suite of 6 patterns.
The sixth project was for PGH Bricks, where Nexus looked at a style campaign, including product development, a global trend review, the trend forward and a product audit related to colour. A video was then shown, indicating the range of PGH Bricks designs. The design team try to source items from Australia, but much of the furniture comes from Italy who lead the way in modern design. Michael concluded by answering a number of questions.
