Design Your Life with Vince Frost

How much do the environments we inhabit impact our health and wellbeing? And does our emotional state impact our physical health? Dr. Esther Sternberg is internationally recognised for her discoveries in the science of the mind-body interaction in illness and healing, and the role of place in wellbeing. She is a pioneer and major force in collaborative initiatives on mind-body-stress-wellness and...

When we think of life on earth in the context of the universe, being human can seem absurd. That’s what British artist and illustrator Paul Davis thinks. When he was 17, growing up in Somerset in England, his father died suddenly. But he’d already taught him everything he needed to know about space, time and human existence.  Davis’ sometimes controversial work has been widely published and exhibi...

The craft of graphic design has changed dramatically since the 80s. Computers. The popularisation of branding. Over the past four plus decades John Rushworth, the design behemoth Pentagram’s longest serving partner, has seen it all. Despite these seismic shifts, he believes the thinking and innate human ability it takes to do truly impactful work hasn’t changed.  Rushworth has had a huge impact on...

In the past decade, the debate about the role of books in our increasingly digital world has been a hot one. This devotee of the printed form is unequivocal. She believes content online has simply pushed publishers to make better books.   Emilia Terragni is Associate Publisher at Phaidon Press, the world’s leading publisher of books on art, design and culture. Phaidon turns 100 this year. Terragni...

Which parts of our heritage and childhood form who we are and impact what we do in later life? If you spend your childhood wallpapering your bedroom walls with drawings of Europe’s great buildings, are you desisted for a career in built environments? Does being a self-confessed neat freak make you better at simplifying complex problems? In this case, the answer is resoundingly, “yes!”.  Carlo Gian...

Buckminster Fuller and Cedric Price were mentors when Peter Murray OBE was studying architecture in the 1960s. Peter Cook and the Archigram Group were idols, “they were the Beatles of architecture at the time”. Not a bad selection of teachers for someone interested in the craft from the age of ten.  Since then, Murray has had a huge impact on shaping the city of London. Although he qualified as an...

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 stud...

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...

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 o...

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...

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...

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 Mon...

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 fig...

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 B...

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 strate...

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...

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. ...

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...

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 h...

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 t...

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....

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. ...

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...

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 U...

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 st...