Frost*collective

The media landscape has changed dramatically over the past decade. One person who has lived through the changes with her dream job intact is Katrina Strickland. The journalist and author is editor of one of Australia’s most widely-read magazines, Good Weekend, which appears in print and online every Saturday in The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age. After realising that the law career she’d studied for didn't float her boat, Strickland secured a cadetship in the business section of Melbourne's Herald Sun. Later, she transitioned to covering and editing the arts before moving into magazines, first at The Australian Financial Review, where she edited its monthly glossy magazine for three years, and then, six and a half years ago, to Good Weekend. For someone whose father warned her, when she said she wanted to be a journalist, that, “many journalists are alcoholic no-hopers”, her determination and consistency has paid off. In 2013 her book, Affairs of the Art, about the role those left behind play in burnishing

Landing a job at the London architecture firm you idolise right out of college is a good sign for any young architect, particularly one from another country. Landing the Great Court at the British Museum as your first project is another. Any architect starting out with these two achievements under their belt would wonder, ‘Where to from here?’ Daniel Goldberg is known for his progressive approach to designing from the inside out, with a focus on spatial theory and anthropology. His childhood interests of art and the technical aspects of how things are built have evolved into a wildly successful architectural career focused on the psychology of the way people want to live.  As Founder and Principal at State of Craft – the multi-disciplinary global design studio famous for their integrated approach to architecture and interiors – he’s worked on some incredible projects including The Shard residences in London and One Sydney Harbour. He’s won the John Barrett Award, was nominated Young Engineer of the Year in 19

After inheriting a Nikon F3 camera from his photographer uncle in his teens, Andrew Quilty set about casually documenting life. Later, when he was studying photography in the day, and working in a bottle shop at night, a regular took an interest in his work. He turned out to be a photo editor at the Fairfax media company; this was a time when Australia newspapers were punching above their weight on a global stage. Fate had set the wheels in motion for a life and career Quilty never could have imagined. Today, Quilty is a multi-award-winning photojournalist whose work has been published by The New York Times, BBC News and TIME Magazine - and garnered accolades worldwide. He’s won a World Press Photo Contest award, a Pictures of the Year International award, a Sony World Photography award and six Walkley Awards, including the Gold Walkley, the highest honour in Australian journalism.  On a two-week assignment in 2013 to shoot the Afghani cricket team he fell in love with Afghanistan and spent the next eight yea

Not many kids dream of designing a billboard one day. It was at age 11, when he picked up his first commission from the printer (business cards for his equally entrepreneurial teenage brother), that he realised he was hooked on design. Soon after, a school careers night opened his eyes to commercial art, and his future was set. Some would call it a singular talent for designing original ideas. If you ask him, it’s down to hard work and luck.  Ant Donovan is a multi-award-winning creative who has attracted widespread attention throughout his career. As Partner & Group Creative Director at Frost*collective, he’s helped some of the world’s biggest brands find people-centred solutions to difficult problems. Ant has had a huge impact in the design space over the past two-plus decades globally. And if you're Australian, there’s a very slim chance you haven’t been impacted by his work.  Ant's career in design has taken him on an amazing journey, from flying in a helicopter above the most populated city in the wo

The Australian art scene has dramatically evolved over the past decade. A place that was once seen as belonging to wealthy collectors has opened up to absolutely anyone who is interested and inspired. ‘Front page news’, once dedicated to sport, has recognised the important place of art in our everyday lives.  Kym Elphinstone is the Founder and CEO of Articulate, Australia’s leading communications consultancy for culture and the arts. She’s represented many of Australia’s biggest cultural institutions including the National Gallery of Australia, Carriageworks and the Powerhouse Museum through to more than 12 temporary public art projects for John Kaldor as well as grass-roots festivals and art fairs platforming emerging artists. She’s had a major impact on the profile of the arts in this country.  She cites her background in law as a formative experience but one that didn’t offer the creativity she yearned for. In London in the early 2000s, she realised she needed to pursue her first love: the arts. After movi

Architects are often drawn to designing buildings that are iconic because they’re incredibly sculptural or different. But it’s designing what he calls ‘Everyday Buildings’, and making them better, that makes this one tick. His firm believes it’s these background buildings that often make cities special.  Paul Monaghan, who co-founded the incredibly successful architecture practice Allford Hall Monaghan Morris in 1989, is an internationally acclaimed architect whose work is focused on redefining the built environment. He’s the Liverpool City Region’s first Design Champion, advises government on how to promote high-quality design for cities and is a generous educator and speaker. He’s also committed to helping young and disadvantaged architects get a foot in the door.  Listen in as Vince and Paul discuss; growing up in 60s Liverpool with his dad’s set squares in the living room when The Beatles were still around, the power of being able to sketch an architectural idea by hand, and the incredible task of working

Warehouse living gained popularity in the 60s and 70s in major urban centres, particularly New York. Industrial buildings were empty, and artists loved their affordability and vast open layouts. But it wasn’t until the 80s that Australia caught on.  Jeff Provan co-founded Neometro, Melbourne’s long-standing design-focused and socially led development group in 1985. He is an active and integral figure in Melbourne’s design community with a raft of accolades for his approach to design, construction and sustainable development.  Jeff’s ongoing commitment to creating homes that make people happy, connect them with their local community, and improve health and wellbeing has a huge ongoing impact on how people live in the city. And his philosophy for creating places that will stand the test of time and be loved by the people who live in them is summarised in The Framework For Healthy Buildings, which will be published in October.  Listen in as Vince and Jeff discuss the eternal appeal of warehouse living, designing

Whether we realise it or not, when we’re at work we’re promoting ourselves every day through our personal brands. The way we position ourselves professionally does impact our success. As a freelancer or as someone working within an organisation, this applies to everyone from entry level roles right through to CEOs. Entrepreneurs perhaps have the biggest challenge of all in this space.  Stephanie Bown is a neuropsychologist and leadership expert who incredibly knew she wanted to help people thrive from just 15 years old, in part thanks to the advice of a psychologist uncle. She is focused on inspiring leaders to fully turn up themselves to enable individual and collective success. For Stephanie, it’s all about the pivotal moments that tie us together and those that break us.   Listen in as Vince and Stephanie discuss creating thriving communities at work, what we can all learn from athletes and why it mostly boils down to, ‘just be more you’. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Music is emotional, and sound is a powerful tool for tuning in to feelings and memories. Music helps us recall people, places and experiences. A song can take us back to a time in our lives we may not have thought of for years or even decades.  Dan Higson and Nick West know this better than most and are leading the way when it comes to creating memorable and emotive sonic branding and music strategy for brands with their globally awarded sound studio, Smith & Western.   Dan began his career trying to be a pop star in 80s London. He even made it onto Top of the Pops, the iconic British music chart TV show. Around the same time, Nick was in Japan, going to music festivals in the mountains on weekends. Later he paid his way busking with a didgeridoo while learning how to write music in his basement.  Listen in as Vince, Dan and Nick discuss the science behind making music and sounds, why you can’t copywrite chord progressions or drum patterns, and how AI is impacting their industry.  https://smithandwestern.

Resilience isn’t always a quality that’s obvious to the people who display it. Often, resilience is survival. It’s resilience combined with a positive outlook, can-do attitude, tenacious nature and sense of community that have helped Dion Horstmans reach a place in his life where he’s able to do what he loves for a living. And it’s not a position he takes for granted.  Today, the artist’s work is displayed in private and public spaces across the world. ‘Supersonic’ – a massive sculpture made up of over 100 pieces of bright yellow tubular steel welded together into the landmark entrance of Melbourne’s Collin’s Square – is seen by millions of people every day.  Growing up between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, things weren’t always so golden. With a single mum living on welfare and violence as a theme, Hortsmans spent his childhood turning to art as a place he could go to be in control, a place of safety. After burning out in the film industry - he was making props and models for blockbusters films like Star

Buildings pose a huge problem when it comes to carbon, and the architects of today with a conscience are grappling with the environmental debt of the buildings they design.  Quino Holland, Director at Fieldwork, is tackling the issue with an environmentally conscious sensitivity that also considers how buildings can foster community to improve the lives of the people who live in and around them.  The award-winning architect credits his childhood growing up in a Peruvian mountain village at the gateway to Machu Picchu in the late 80s with his interest in archaeology and the past. But his sights are very firmly set on using his architecture practice to improve necessary and important community infrastructure and decarbonise construction for the future.  Listen in as Vince and Quino discuss community-led development, winning the award-winning Collingwood Yards project as a fledgeling architecture practice and adaptive reuse.  https://www.fieldworkprojects.com.au/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati

Architects and building materials are synonymous, but an inquisitive entrepreneur with a passion for using natural materials to create spaces with soul has flipped the architectural surfaces industry on its head. With his collaborative approach, premium product and innovative approach to business Ben Kerr, the Founder and CEO of Eco Outdoor, has the world’s leading residential architects knocking down his door.    Kerr’s hugely successful – now global - business with over 100 highly engaged employees supplies and installs natural architectural surfaces and outdoor furniture to architects in Australia and the USA. In his early days Kerr studied history and economics in London and went on to work as a political researcher for TV. After flunking an interview with the award-winning current affairs program Insight, he decided to help his landscaper brother and saw an opportunity in product. With what started as a pile of pebbles he’s created an international design-led business with purpose focused on his love of

Not many people can say they grew up in an architecturally designed home furnished with modern classics featuring black lacquered ceilings and slides for transitioning between floors.  Daniel Boddam can. He also spent weekends playing with architectural drawings and materials on the floor of his parents' studio, so it’s no surprise he’s established himself as one of Australia’s most sought-after high-end residential architects and furniture designers.   These days he’s focussed on his new furniture showroom, due to open in Melbourne in the coming weeks, and using local materials in an effort to reduce the embodied carbon footprint of his work.  Listen in as Vince and Daniel discuss being exposed to his mother’s colourful homeland Venezuela as a child, the first piece of furniture he fell in love with and the life-changing 'dark period’ in his life.  https://danielboddam.com/  https://www.instagram.com/danielboddam/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Facade Design doesn’t have the high profile of architecture, but its impact on how we experience our cities and buildings, as well as their environmental impact, is significant.  Troy Donovan is Principal Facade Designer at Prism Facades and is one of the foremost voices in façade design worldwide. He works closely with architects on public and commercial projects to design, detail and construct the faces of some of the most iconic buildings around the world. Case in point; he’s the Lead for the Sydney Opera House Trust Bronze Project to redesign the architectural bronzework for the interior and exterior of the entire precinct.  Thanks to his phenomenal technical drawings and knowledge sharing, some of which he does live, Donovan has amassed an impressive Instagram following. Although he doesn’t see himself as an academic, he uses the platform to educate and inspire.  Listen in as Vince and Troy discuss the niche industry of facade design, appropriating techniques from automotive production for architecture,

Having one of your designs in the permanent collection of the V&A in London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York sets the tone for someone who’s been hugely successful in their career. A design icon, some might say. Bill Amberg is one of the most highly regarded leather workers in the world. So, it’s a shock to learn he flunked out of school to take a job on an oil rig in his teens. His passion for leatherwork began thanks to his architect mother who would bring home cobblers’ offcuts from the town he grew up in – Northampton – known as the centre of leather and shoemaking in Britain.  Amberg credits the moment he walked into Paul Smith’s first store in Covent Garden in the 80s and the fashion designer immediately bought his leather bags for the shop as a turning point in his career. His work in architecture and interiors grew alongside his hugely successful accessories business and is now the focus of Bill Amberg Studio. Today he supports young practitioners from a wide range of skilled craftin

Designing the future of how we live and work is a hot topic, and one that has businesses worldwide wondering how they can get people back into offices in a post covid world.  Ryan Anderson is Vice President of Global Research and insights at MillerKnoll, the makers of some of the world’s most iconic modernist and contemporary furniture, and an expert in workplaces of the past, present and future.  He and his team of researchers survey over 40,000 people annually to understand how to create the best possible spaces for working and living. And he’s not afraid to go deep when it comes to remote work, distributed work and the future of the workplace.  Listen in as Vince and Ryan discuss the emblematic nature of modernist furniture, how Herman Miller’s iconic Aeron chair was initially ridiculed and why the best offices are the ones that offer variety and choice.  Try the Herman Miller work from home survey to check the health and productivity of your WFH set up.  https://wfh.hermanmiller.com/  https://www.millerkn

Designing gratitude to create social and economic change. Being thankful can change our entire perspective on the world. It has been proven to improve not only mental health, but physical health too. Most importantly, it is a powerful motivator to get people to take action. And action is what’s needed in our modern world.  Kim McDonnell is a social impact innovator, futurist, entrepreneur, speaker and author whose focus is on shifting mindsets to create social and economic change. With her global impact organisation, Thankful, she’s promoting gratitude to make real change for a more sustainable, equitable and happy world.   It hasn’t been an easy ride. After 25 years working for leading advertising and marketing agencies such as Leo Burnette and Publicis Worldwide, and founding her own award-winning data business CUBED Communications, in 2013 she turned her family’s life upside down. Unable to get funding for what is now a very successful social impact organisation, she gave up what would universally be seen

Working to have a positive impact is one thing. Working to have positive impact at scale is another. It’s a pursuit that needs an attitude of aggressive optimism to last the distance, and an openness to ongoing learning to succeed.  Kevin Finn is an internationally recognised designer, advisor and author who started his career in Dublin at the studio that has designed all of the album covers for U2 and was Joint Creative Director of Saatchi Design in Sydney for seven years. A self-confessed risk-taker, in 2007 Kevin moved with his now wife from Sydney to Kununurra, a remote town in Western Australia. It’s where he founded TheSumOf, the independent design business he now runs from Brisbane on Australia’s east coast.   As the founder, editor and publisher of Open Manifesto, an independent journal focused on design, social, cultural, political and economic issues, he’s interviewed thought-leaders and some of the biggest names in design from around the world. He’s also recently published Brand Principles, a book

To Cat Burgess, energy is everything. It’s how you inspire the people around you, and it’s how you align your personal resources to the things you need to get done in work and life. She believes we need to move away from the idea of managing time, and into an era of managing your energy, focused on bringing the right energy to the right moment.  Cat is a highly skilled industry leader and brand strategist with more than 30 years’ experience at the forefront of design, branding and communications. She’s worked with Vince Frost for close to two decades, and in her current role as Head of Place at Frost*collective she is passionate about the transformational power of design thinking in shaping places.   She credits her decisiveness and ability to structure ideas into powerful brands to her start as a television journalist. And her appreciation of design to growing up in a house designed by prominent Australian architect Philip Cox, surrounded by ideas, with an artist mother who went to China on cultural exchange

Music has a powerful impact on our emotions, and can amplify what we're experiencing in a way we’re often not aware of. When watching a film, sometimes we don’t perceive the music, but it's there. Impacting our emotions. Elevating our feelings. Music can help set the scene for a time period. And when you really know your stuff, you can make the audience tingle by allowing a hip-hop beat to invade the world of Elvis.  Anton Monsted is Head of Music at Amazon Original Movies and has worked with some of the biggest names in music and film including Herbie Hancock, Jay-Z and George Doering. But he’s most famous for his work with Australian director Baz Luhrmann, who he most recently collaborated with on the hit biographical music drama Elvis.  Monsted’s career trajectory is almost the stuff of movies, he was the boyfriend with time on his hands on the set of Luhrmann’s Romeo + Juliet in 1996. When he realised there was a place for him there, he set about advertising himself internally while painting the walls. Be