For cofounders Dan Flynn and Adam Vella, the name of their Sydney-based design firm Standard Projects could relate to their mission of elevate the global standard and standing of design. “We’re frustrated with the quality of design that has passed for good over the last decade; it’s doing our industry a disservice, and it’s time it came to an end,” Flynn says. “For us, good design is good business. We care about outcomes as much as output and see our clients’ success as our success.” Flynn and Vella met at a small Sydney-based agency, first working with small regional clients before moving onto national Australian chains as the agency quickly expanded before its acquisition by a global consulting agency. “Adam and I quickly formed a philosophical admiration of each other’s work, approach and complementary skill sets; we knew pretty early on that we’d set something up together,” Flynn explains. “After leaving agency land, we worked together as independents. Mid-pandemic, an opportunity arose with a likeminded client, and we snatched it. Since that day, we haven’t looked back.” Under Flynn and Vella’s leadership, Standard Projects operates on principles they realized after working at a larger agency, namely cultivating a flexible, media-agnostic team; achieving stellar outcomes from design-led planning and execution; and eschewing trends for a timeless aesthetic inspired by modernism. “‘Intelligent, aesthetic systems’ is often how we describe our work,” says Flynn, “We create design with the intent for it to stand the test of time, meaning many, many hands will work with it over the years. If we can create a philosophical understanding of the work and deliver it with consideration, other designers can pick up the work easily. Systems should empower good design—never hamper it.”
Radiating with playfulness, the work of this New York–based photographer reveals her avidity for crafting every part of the image.