STUDIO


Abstract Ambiences is an independent design studio practice by James Mannes, centering around art direction, branding, motion graphics and publication design in the fields of culture, music and fashion.

abstractambiences@gmail.com
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CV 

Education / Design Work Experience:

Kingston School of Art London
Graphic Design BA (Exchange)

Curtin University Perth
Bachelor of Design - Graphic Design

Tim Waters Design

Graphic Design Intern


Independent publications displayed / stocked :
Waste Store (London)

BOOKS Peckham (London)

Current Gallery (Perth)

New Edition Books (Perth)

Crow Books (Perth)


Skills
Branding / Strategy
Art Direction
Visual Identity
Motion Design
Logo Design
Publication Design
Packaging Design
Merchandise
Video Editing
3D / AR
Social Media / Email Marketing
Brand Rollout

I am passionate about design, visual research and production of all kinds and am proficient in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro, After Effects and Blender - having used these to consistently produce a wide variety of vibrant and dynamic visual identities for music, fashion and event labels. 





Last Updated 24.10.31

SHOWREEL




CASE STUDIES 



Red Gum Pass - Festival
Art Direction and Graphic Design
Brief: To create a vibrant and down to earth visual identity for this independent Australian regional arts festival. I made a dynamic logo with nature and live music imagery as well as hand-drawn, textural and topographic elements to communicate it’s wholesome ethos of enjoying music and art outside in a beautiful environment.




Skateboarding Improves Cities For Everyone 
- Campaign / Exhibition (Simulated Project)
Art Direction, Graphic Design, Spatial Design,
Motion Graphics, Video


Brief: To create the visual identity for this campaign and immersive exhibition with an accompanying video that explores the intersection of skateboarding, architecture and social design - communicating information in a vibrant, dynamic and engaging way. I developed a motion visualisation animation with Touchdesigner to incorporate throughout the exhibition as a visual motif; displaying skateboarding’s regenerative and transformative effect on urban enviroments.






Wavelength Listening Bar / Shop / Radio
- Art Direction / Branding ( Simulated Project )
Brief: To create the visual identity for this listening bar that also doubles as a music shop and community radio station, aiming to appeal to both audiophiles / connessiours as well as a more casual crowd. The branding is clean and warm with a smooth, nostalgic touch, incorporating graphic devices constructed from the main typeface that resembe audio waveforms and technical diagrams to embody the key ideas of high-fidelity sound, cultural transmission and social connection / being on the same “wavelength”  - into a simple, cohesive and recognisable graphic system.






 

Pieces Magazine launch / personal
exhibition at Current Gallery
Art Direction, Graphic Design and
Motion Graphics

Visual identity for personal publication and exhibition - centering around my experience moving from Albany to Perth and how this pushed the development of my own practice. This is represented on the cover by images of each place linked together by the title text, mirroring stories at the beginning and end of the publication. I created a motion poster for the exhibition night to further visually display this relationship between these two places and my art and design work bridging the gap between them.





Double Happiness Identity - Event Label
Art Direction, Graphic Design
Brief: To create a fun, vibrant and colourful visual identity and series of posters for this club night focusing on 2000s electroclash / bloghouse sounds. Drew inspiration from posters from the era, rehashed with a clean and dynamic modern aesthetic.


40th Parallel EP Rollout
Art Direction, Graphic Design, Video
Brief: To produce range of visuals for rollout of Melbourne-based band 40th Parallel’s EP Beneath The Noise - covers, tour poster, merch and CD design. Designed to visualise the band’s sounds and influences, taking inspiration from 90s electronica and trip-hop album artwork and geographic / map-based imagery.





Animation for Halcyon - Electronic Music Label
Motion Graphics
Brief: To create a motion graphic logo for Perth electronic event label Halcyon, embodying their late 90s - 2000s inspired aesthetic. Drew on rave and anime graphics from the era and the early 3D rendering style used in consoles such as the PS1



Deconstruction in Graphic Design 
- Publication / AR Installation
Publication Design and Motion Graphics
Brief: To create a publication collecting texts and images around a certain theme, designed to formally and semiotically mirrors it’s contents. Mine focused on the Deconstructivist movement in graphic design, playing with ideas of layering and structure. Developed into mini AR installation that explores ideas from the book in 3D space and the concept of design breaking away from the structures of the printed page.


Aranieform Logo - Fashion Label
Logo Design

Brief: To create a logotype to represent local fashion label Aranieform - which creates unique upcycled pieces with a raw, organic edge. The logo incorporates a structured, yet also organic feel with frilly, flowery lettering and stylized needle and thread to visually display the sensibilities of the brand


Alison Parade, LOOPD, Red Moon Cowboy
- Musical Artists
Merchandise Design
Assorted merchandise designs for local musical artists, all acting on brief to create a more unique, textural and eye-catching visual identities that would help them stand out from the more plain / conservative band-t shirts and logos in the Perth scene.


  Jungle Atmospherics Design Process
for Pieces Magazine
- Personal Project
Art Direction, 3D, Publication
and Packaging design

Passion project of mine laid out in personal publication - process of designing accompanying visuals for a 90s ambient jungle / drum and bass tribute mix I made; from research, learning old 3D software to create era-specific renders and other visual references and then incorporating everything into CD packaging design, with accompany videos of final result



Assorted Work for West Cape
Records - Record Label
Art Direction, Logo Design,
Publication Design


Spread design from personal publication and accompanying video reel showing assorted work for southwestern Australia-based record label West Cape Records brought from concept to reality - from design process behind their logo, development of merchandise, Spacefest festival identity (now rebranded to Red Gum Pass) and photography from event.





Aranieform - Fashion Label
Publication Design, Graphic Design



Brief: To design playful spreads for fashion label Aranieform’s “Bogsense” collection - visually displaying the themes of the collection alongside it’s photoshoots; touching on everything from 2000s indie sleaze / bloghouse aesthetics, cartoons, rave fashion, school sketchbooks and yearbook photos, microsoft paint and early HTML aesthetics.



Spreads from Pieces Magazine
- Personal Project
Publication Design, Graphic Design


Graphic from personal publication to accompany an essay I wrote formally and semiotically deconstructing this shoe as a design object, how it’s context of production influenced what it looks like and how it was designed, and the interconnection of all these elements with wider material and popular culture.


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