The Year In Review
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Founder and Creative Director of Local Peoples, Giuseppe Demaio, sits down to reflect on the year that has gone, what we’ve learned as a studio and how we plan to move forward into 2021.
2020 has been a challenging year, how did Local Peoples adapt to the ever changing landscape?
G.D: 2020 has been characterized by deep and dramatic learning on almost all fronts. It has challenged us to focus on simplifying how we live, and of course, how we work. But as a studio whose values are embedded in learning and curiosity, there is a part of us that has partly enjoyed this crazy roller coaster. As a result, we’ve really aimed to keep providing insights and solutions to our community during this period.
Of course, let’s not beat around the bush, parts of this year have also been uncomfortably challenging. But as always, we’ve taken a human-centered design approach by really centering our clients and the people they serve, in the conversation: What are their pain points? What are they struggling with? How can design thinking best support them in reimagining their business and emerge more resilient? How can we turn these challenges into opportunities?
How has human centred design evolved as a result?
G.D: Like all types of work, human-centered design techniques and practices have had to adapt to socially distanced living and socially isolated practices. For instance, working from home means workshops have gone online and become fully remote. And there’s always some skepticism around how social and collaborative activities function remotely.
For us, we have found that they can be quite effective still.
I am still a believer though that the added friction of screens does take away from the type of collaboration design thinking seeks to create. In-person, you just get a different sense of energy and excitement. But it has been interesting to see how our craft and practice of human-centred design has had to evolve and adapt, absolutely.
What are some highlights from this year?
G.D: There are so many highlights!
At the start of the year we hosted an amazing multifaceted exhibition as part of Melbourne Design Week. We shared our research around the future of learning; prototyped a learning course called College of the Curious; and helped exhibit Deakin University’s research around the 100 jobs of the future. We also had a fantastic launch party for the print issue of Matters Journal Issue Four which was themed around the future of learning.
GD: We've also collaborated with a fantastic social enterprise called Violet.
We have collaborated with a fantastic social enterprise called Violet who give end-of-life care and advice to carers and people caring for individuals in their final stages of life. Local Peoples produced a new website for them and that’s a project we are very proud of.
Local Peoples also worked with the Department of Environment, Water, Land and Planning (DELWP) on a number of projects from a series of animations for the Better Apartment Design Standards to developing a brand identity for the new Recycling Victoria policy. The studio is also working with the VMCH on a future retirement living precinct in Kew, helping create a strategy and engagement plan around how they might incorporate human-centered design practices.
More recently, we’ve begun a multi-project collaboration with Spectrum; a fantastic not-for-profit that focuses on migrant settlement and migrant service for Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities (CALD).
There are so many great projects – I can’t name them all! But we are really excited with how these opportunities will build into 2021.
Looking ahead, are there any exciting things for the LP community to look forward to in 2021?
G.D: There’s plenty to look forward to!
In particular, we are really excited about the launch of our own Better Homes Guide, a digital product that supports new home buyers in making well-informed purchasing decisions. We’ve been developing it over the last 12 months and now we’re in a really exciting stage; getting some users on board and collecting feedback to help it grow.
Inspired by our experience in the placemaking and residential development space, we’ve come to realize how difficult buying a home actually is. So this is our solution to help people feel empowered, to make better decisions and create more transparency and accountability in the industry
We also have some exciting developments for Matters Journal, with some new plans for the publication’s next phase in 2021!
A message to our community for the New Year?
G.D: I think we are all looking forward to 2021, once we have a good period of rest and reflection over the break. At Local Peoples we are feeling optimistic and will be taking the learnings from this year to grow and evolve the way we are work, so we can learn faster and therefore be more adaptable, resilient and impactful.
There’s going to be lots of big picture challenges, which I think a studio like Local Peoples is really well-placed to continuing to help solve.
We are looking forward to collaborating in the future so please don’t be a stranger and reach out. From the entire team at Local Peoples, have a safe, restful, reflective and wonderful festive season.
Thank you all for your support!
