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Some of the best ideas germinate at the kitchen table. So it was with Graphic Design Australia, which began its life in Kelly’s small Palm Beach apartment. Navigating her grandfather’s old 486 computer, she would work through the night, taking any job she could. Determined to launch her own packaging design company, Kelly’s grit and hard work soon led to an upgraded computer, an actual desk, then a separate room and finally a whole studio. With the help of advice, guidance and mentoring, the company burgeoned. Soon, she had a skilled, award-winning team of designers, a number of whom still lead the studio while others have established their own successful enterprises.
Set in a converted warehouse at Burleigh Heads, the studio buzzes with creativity and innovation. It provides a friendly environment for small to medium businesses to visit, join the designers in the creative process and be hands-on in developing their all-important product branding, visual identity, marketing and packaging design. At the heart of the packaging design company team’s ethos is a deep understanding of how important it is to connect to the client’s dream and get their fledgling business off to a flying start.
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Kelly Robinson
Creative Director
Kelly’s brainchild evolved from humble kitchen-table origins into the thriving studio that is Graphic Design Australia. A design, branding and marketing expert, Kelly has nurtured a warm-hearted, creative environment and likeminded team of designers where the client always comes first. “My hidden superpower is planning projects and working out the best way to get clients bang for their buck. This is the passion that excites me every day.”
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Isac Pena
Marketing Extraordinaire
Having studied advertising and political marketing in his Brazilian homeland, Isac first moved to Sydney to learn English before heading to Europe to complete his master’s degree in marketing. Returning to Rio de Janeiro, he was Head of Marketing at the world-famous Copacabana Palace hotel for over five years. Today, he combines dynamism and strategic thinking with a friendly approach to business.
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DAVID MCLEAN
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT
“Real world experience” is what David brings to the table, together with an objective view that grows and sustains businesses. Having owned and operated businesses for over 40 years, David came to the company initially as a client needing business cards and website updates. Now, several years later, he is an integral part of the team and his qualities of leadership, commitment and caring shine through every day.
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Gus Marmitt
Graphic Designer
Even as a university student, Gus was a winner. Studying advertising at Feevale University, Brazil, he was awarded Best Art Director and Best Advertising Campaign, among other accolades. During 10 years as a graphic designer, he has worked in print, advertising and e-commerce. His passion is for geometric, clean and meaningful logos, but what he loves most about GCGD is being able to adjust his style to different clients’ needs to drive their business. Yet it could all have been so different: Gus almost became a priest.
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JU FERREIRA
illustrator
Ju’s creative journey blends curiosity, colour, and a love for storytelling. Originally from Brazil, she began her career in advertising before moving to Australia to study & pursue her passion for design and illustration. Starting as an intern here in 2022 while studying we fell in love with her. Her style is thoughtful, bold, & full of personality. Her work has even been exhibited at HOTA - an exciting milestone in her creative career. Outside the studio, Ju continues to explore new artistic styles and contribute to personal projects.
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Gui Hostins
Graphic Designer
With a degree in Advertising and a specialization in Design Thinking, Strategic Management and Innovation Gui is known for his communicative nature, creativity and proactive approach. His expertise spans Creative Direction, Experience Design, Graphic Design and Branding, and currently deepening knowledge in UI/UX Design. He believe in collaborative and co-creative environments, where diverse perspectives are the spark for meaningful, impactful solutions. He has travelled to 25 countries so far, chasing new cultures and creative spaces.
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Jessi Vaughan
Graphic Designer
Jessi grew up on the Gold Coast and found her creative path by learning motion graphics on the job—thrown in the deep end and thriving. She moved into specialised design for building e-learning programs, turning technical information into engaging visual experiences that people actually enjoy. These days, she loves to bring into the studio everyone’s favourite honorary team member, her Cavoodle, Harriet. Jessi also enjoys sewing, playing with Harriet and exploring nature.
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Joe Hopley
Graphic Designer
Manchester born and half Aussie by heritage, Joe studied Multimedia and Design in his homeland before travelling the world extensively, exposing him to diverse styles and cultural expressions. At the core of his work is a passion for the power of storytelling and an enduring curiosity about the human condition. This blend of interests in philosophy, psychology and design fuels what he feels is his purpose: to build brands that tell human stories.
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LILLY ROBINSON
MEDIA & CUSTOMER SUPPORT
The biggest character in the studio Lilly, Kelly’s daughter couldn’t help but be immersed in the creative world as she was growing up. A variety of jobs over the past few years and the chance to meet all manner of personalities has given her great people skills. So, connecting with clients comes easily to this outgoing woman. This outgoing woman who describes herself as “practically bionic” having had bolts and rods inserted in her spine.
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DANIEL LONDONO CALLE
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Daniel’s vocational journey began in Medellin, Columbia, where he completed a degree in Graphic Design, Communication and Advertising and a diploma in Strategic Design and Innovation. He often leverages the skills in his previous job of designing commercial spaces “I’m a strong believer that doing the thing you love is the best motivation to do it right,”
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Maria Torres
Designer + Illustrator
Maria studied for six years to be an architect in Madrid, but after just one year of practice, she realised she needed to be 100% creative every day. A career change beckoned. Moving to Australia, GDA was her “perfect fit”. Her work is defined by outstanding illustration skills and a talent for creating unique and out-of-the-box designs. A further strength lies in her ability to communicate with clients and understand their brand’s soul. A dab hand with tools.
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Leo Gimenez
Graphic Designer
Before he even understood what design meant, Leo was on his creative journey. As a youngster, his twin passions were surfing and drawing. He combined these by hand-decorating old surfboards, falling in love with the process of making attractive things. At 17, he realised for sure what he wanted to do and embarked on his professional path.
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ANKIT CHOUDHARY
Senior Web Developer
On the technical front, Ankit handles the complex side of the web. As a senior developer and server manager he keeps every site running smoothly.With years of hands-on experience building and maintaining digital platforms, he has developed a practical understanding of what businesses need online. He enjoys helping clients understand their own websites so they feel confident making small updates on their own. When he is not working on tech Ankit is planning his next trip into the mountains.
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Skye Crisp
Graphic Designer
Skye joined the team over 6 years ago after gaining a degree in communication design. Beginning as a Junior Graphic Designer, Skye’s awesome design skills coupled with her great understanding of each client’s brief has led to her becoming one of our talented Senior Graphic Designers. One of Skye’s stand out strengths is her ability to thrive in situations that require her to adapt to different design styles to fit a particular brief.
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TIAGO NEVES
GRAPHIC DESIGNER
Tiago had already travelled to all the continents on earth before reaching his 30s. Having gained a degree in advertising, he worked as a graphic designer and art director for over 10 years. Immersing himself in the culture, he developed and led a range of successful campaigns and projects – working in agencies the length and breadth of Brazil, throwing himself with gusto into projects embracing a huge diversity of clients and industries.
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