At any time, there’s between 11 – 16 people in the Ellis Jones office (from full-time staff to our much-loved freelancers). It’s rare that any two days are the same, and it’s guaranteed that on any given week, there will be a lot happening. We all consider ourselves incredibly lucky to be able to come into work and do what we love – from design, to communications, to marketing or web development (and everything in between). We also all enjoy working with each other, and our clients. Here are some highlights from the EJ office, this year.
Best office memory from 2017?
Amelia: Too many. Having an artist in residence and working with Tal to co-design our bespoke quilt in the cafe. Watching the disco mirror ball appear in the Realm. Maddie shouting everyone (read: forcing everyone to shot) tequila in coffee cups.
Bede: That day Janine bought ice creams.
Britt: When the office gave me lemon tart for my 21st.
Caroline: I’ve enjoyed Maddi’s various fashion parades (was it 4 or 5 dresses that you bought for Derby Day?) The office commentary is equally as amusing.
David: Rhod singing “What’s the colour of a 2c piece?” at the design meetup.
Elise: Amelia, Caroline and I expressively (tunelessly) singing (yelling) and interpretive dancing to Missy Higgins’ song Scar in The Realm of Possibilities. That song gets us every time.
Georgia: Starting at EJ.
Janine: Launching the JBC Possible campaign.
Lisl: It will be the Office Xmas party in Anglesea on Friday.
Maddison: When David dressed up as a burrito. I like to call him ‘Daritto”.
Melinda: The David and Elise show.
Monica: That one time EJ went west!
Patrick: Watching an unnamed colleague exit the toilets having quite literally turned green – a catalyst for the recently formed Ellis Jones alcohol policy?
Rhod: Turning the new sound system on.
What was your biggest achievement at EJ in 2017?
Amelia: It’s always a great feeling when you win work – and we won a couple of awesome projects this year. One in particular, stands out for me; working to create cross-sector partnerships for better environmental outcomes. But it was also great to see the guide we wrote with beyondblue launched at a public event with Julia Guillard and Jill Hennessy!
Bede: Getting hired.
Britt: Getting hired.
Caroline: No singular achievements, but many as a group! The Lendlease team did some great work generating extensive media for the client’s national Spring Retirement Festival. It’s also been exciting to work with the very talented EJ design studio on branding for the Academy of Design Australia (soon to be LCI Melbourne).
David: Christmas origami, clearly. Also installing a poster dripping with post-modern irony and 80 hip hop references.
Elise: Building a behaviour change strategy for the Victorian Public Sector Commission (VPSC) to improve integrity, build trust, reduce misconduct and create pathways to good decisions for all public servants. Melinda and I worked closely together to map out key decision-making moments, integrity risk areas and find opportunities for ‘nudges’. Great work with a great partner-in-crime!
Felicity: Biggest (and most fun) achievement at EJ in 2017 was the creation of three digital marketing videos for Just Better Care’s brand activation campaign which we endearingly termed the “Possible Campaign”. Following a refresh, it was time to activate the Just Better Care brand and visual identity. Applying research on barriers to care, the concept of ‘possible’ was developed into a compelling campaign that increased awareness of Just Better Care and its services among target audiences, at the national and local level. We worked closely with Just Better Care staff and customers to capture the essence of how Just Better Care goes above and beyond care to make their goals Possible. These emotive videos explain the possibilities Just Better Care offers its customers. See how Possible starts with June. The videos were hero content for the Just Better Care Possible campaign microsite. The campaign videos received up to 25,000 views each on social media in the first three months of the campaign.
Georgia: Using a PC after 5 years on a Mac.
Janine: Launching the JBC Possible campaign.
Lisl: Installing the new sound system.
Maddison: Editing and publishing Just Better Care’s magazine, Possible.
Melinda: The DELWP campaign and hiring Bede and Georgia.
Monica: We had some great PR wins for Lendlease, but the biggest achievement would have to be launching the new Better Building Finance website.
Patrick: Collaboration – this year we worked with heaps of talented photographers and illustrators which you know… is just bloody great.
Rhod: Being present on most contracts as we experienced significant growth.
