Stuart Davis helps creative businesses to map out recommendations and strategies for growth in his role as the SA Business Adviser for the Creative Industries Innovation Centre (CIIC).
CIIC Communications Manager Gemma McCarthy visited a selection of Stuart's clients recently to discover the success stories coming out of SA's innovative business community.
The first appointment of the day is at the JamFactory, a unique centre for the design, production, exhibition and sale of work by leading and emerging Australian designers and craftspeople. We met with the general manager Conny Wilson, and the creative director of the metal studio, Christian Hall, to discuss how the CIIC could help.
Since 1974, the JamFactory has been training and mentoring practitioners in four key studio areas; ceramics, furniture, metal and glass, each combining a rigorous training program with commissions and high quality production work.
The Gallery showcases contemporary Australian craft practice and its two award-winning retail spaces offer a wide range of high quality and collectable craft and design. The accomplishments of JamFactory's artists and designers have gained an international reputation for quality and creativity.
The JamFactory is a leader when it comes to the practical training of emerging designers – offered through its two-year studio based Career Development Scheme – where participants explore their creative ideas and hone their technical and making skills while acquiring business and marketing expertise – crucial to being prepared for future careers and life in business.
I was interested to discover that Christian’s role as a design educator recently led to a new project with Gilles Street Primary School, where Year 6 and 7 students are being trained in design thinking, with the school benefiting from the profits from the sales of the final pieces.
Christian said the idea that is central to this project is that these students are active participants in the creation of their own material culture – now and in the future.
“By working with young students and allowing them access to ‘design thinking’ plus be involved with the creative development of their own concepts, then to see these concepts realised as professional outcomes manufactured to the highest degree of finish, we are aiming to plant the seed for future growth in these individuals and the design sector. This project may be the spark that ignites a passion that sees one of our students go on to become an architect, artist, designer etc,” Christian said.
On the way to our next stop, Stuart tells me about Ballistic Publishing, a company taking digital art to the world, using its own global online network (www.cgsociety.org) of illustrators and digital artists. In fact, CG Society contains more than 130,000 portfolios – amazing considering it was established before the term ‘social media’ hit the mainstream, back in 2005. It also hosts over 265,000 images and receives over 1,500,000 visitors per month.
Stuart has worked with CEO Andrew Plumer, and CFO Garth Hammet to complete a Business Review, which involves both business benchmarking and reviewing its operations. (This service is delivered at no cost to eligible creative businesses through the Australian Government’s Enterprise Connect program).
Ballistic is an example of where digital innovation driving the business model. Unusually, it was the online network that came first, and drove the establishment of the publishing business.
The company now have offices in Melbourne and the United States - exporting 90% of all their online services and design publications which feature selected works from CGSociety members and supporters. The company sources authors and inspiration from the CGSociety and uses the community as a basis for developing editorial themes and series.
Changing gear completely, we next meet the team at Grover Allman,who design,manufacture and export guitar picks and other music accessories from their base at Plympton, South Australia.
This is a creative business with its operations firmly based in manufacturing – and for which design integration has become both a core asset and vehicle for growth.
Stuart worked closely with the team at Grover Allman in late 2009, and produced a Business Review report - outlining recommendations for how to improve the marketing, efficiency and growth of the business.
The business was established by Kevin Grover and Jason Allman 20 years ago with non-branded guitar picks, at a later date they progressed to printing the picks with various designs. In 2004 they embarked on printing picks with licensed graphics such as The Simpsons, Family Guy and Southpark, these graphics were then also applied to other guitar related accessories.
Kevin and Jason have been overwhelmed by the fact that they have created a business where the majority of income is derived from producing printed guitar picks in particular utilising licensed graphics.
The strategy has proven itself to be very successful and has also allowed Grover Allman to develop more efficient printing technology and in turn being able to manufacture cheaper than their Chinese competitors. They now produce in excess of 3 million picks per year export to over 25 countries and employ 9 staff in their Adelaide facility.
In addition to licensed graphics they also brand guitar picks for some of the worlds major bands such as Pink, Slash, Silverchair, Powderfinger and Miley Cyrus to name but a few. The focus going forward is for Grover Allman to build their own suite of branded products.
Overall, it was an interesting insight into a State that is modest about its achievements in the creative industries. Yet, SA has some of the most innovative and interesting businesses - achieving prominence in niche markets, on a world stage.
If you’re a creative industries business looking for support in SA, please contact Stuart Davis directly on 0449 901 609 or email stuart.davis@innovation.gov.au.
Alternatively, please contact Gemma McCarthy if you're looking to profile your innovative creative company (Australia-wide) - gemma.mccarthy@uts.edu.au.