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Candid Company: A Q&A With the Founders of Evie Group
Get the scoop on this husband-and-wife team who run a multi-disciplinary furniture, homewares and graphic design studio
Julia Fairley
29 May 2018
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture that is thoughtful, sophisticated and champions an element of the unexpected. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW and becoming a journalist, I studied interior architecture. For over a decade I have interviewed inspiring creative minds from around the world to write about design in its many different forms. Recently, I have also become an accidental gardener, to everyone's surprise.
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture... More
Houzz goes behind the scenes with Alex Gilmour and Dominic Chong, industrial designers and founders of Sydney-based Evie Group, which turns heads with its eye-catching homewares, furniture and lighting design as well as its graphic, branding and logo work.
What do you do?
We run a product and graphic design studio that has two sides.
We design and produce our own range of homewares, lighting and small furniture items as well as creating custom pieces for clients, interior designers and architects.
As a graphic design studio, we also produce a range of creative content for presentations, events and client pitches, along with branding and logo design, stationery, templates, and print collateral.
Alex Gilmour and Dominic Chong, founders of Evie Group
We run a product and graphic design studio that has two sides.
We design and produce our own range of homewares, lighting and small furniture items as well as creating custom pieces for clients, interior designers and architects.
As a graphic design studio, we also produce a range of creative content for presentations, events and client pitches, along with branding and logo design, stationery, templates, and print collateral.
Alex Gilmour and Dominic Chong, founders of Evie Group
What distinguishes your work?
Because we operate as a multi-disciplinary studio, we take that approach to all our design work, whether it’s products, logo branding design or creative art direction for an event theme.
We create holistic design from 2D to 3D and cover a wide range of projects and outputs within these fields of product and graphic design, rather than in just one area.
Oliver Planter, Oliver Marble Side Table and Dion Daybed
Because we operate as a multi-disciplinary studio, we take that approach to all our design work, whether it’s products, logo branding design or creative art direction for an event theme.
We create holistic design from 2D to 3D and cover a wide range of projects and outputs within these fields of product and graphic design, rather than in just one area.
Oliver Planter, Oliver Marble Side Table and Dion Daybed
How did you enter this field of work?
Dominic
I studied manufacturing engineering in Singapore then followed my passion for furniture design and came to Sydney to study Industrial Design at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). This was followed by a Masters in Design at UTS.
Following university, I worked as a designer for a product design company and a creative art director for various corporate companies.
Spun Lighting and Frederick Glassware
Dominic
I studied manufacturing engineering in Singapore then followed my passion for furniture design and came to Sydney to study Industrial Design at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS). This was followed by a Masters in Design at UTS.
Following university, I worked as a designer for a product design company and a creative art director for various corporate companies.
Spun Lighting and Frederick Glassware
Alex
I studied industrial design at UTS, majoring in Product Technology and Music. Following this, I was awarded a grant for my undergrad final year project – ‘Swash’ steam dishwasher – and went on to do a Masters in Design by research at UTS to further develop this product.
After university, I worked as a freelance graphic designer, tutored industrial design at UTS and worked as a production manager for a couple of design studios, managing local and offshore manufacturing, quality control and design. This was the turning point to starting my own design business.
Marble Chevron Tray
I studied industrial design at UTS, majoring in Product Technology and Music. Following this, I was awarded a grant for my undergrad final year project – ‘Swash’ steam dishwasher – and went on to do a Masters in Design by research at UTS to further develop this product.
After university, I worked as a freelance graphic designer, tutored industrial design at UTS and worked as a production manager for a couple of design studios, managing local and offshore manufacturing, quality control and design. This was the turning point to starting my own design business.
Marble Chevron Tray
When did you start Evie Group?
The idea occurred to us in 2010, with Alex leaving her job to pursue designing her own things. We both worked around the clock in part-time jobs freelance designing, as well as on Evie Group for two solid years. This was when product design was the main focus for the company.
This focus grew with pop-up shops, and when we won a couple of design competitions (SOYA 2010, IDEA Awards 2012, Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award finalist 2012) as well as having our products represented by retailers locally and internationally.
The idea occurred to us in 2010, with Alex leaving her job to pursue designing her own things. We both worked around the clock in part-time jobs freelance designing, as well as on Evie Group for two solid years. This was when product design was the main focus for the company.
This focus grew with pop-up shops, and when we won a couple of design competitions (SOYA 2010, IDEA Awards 2012, Bombay Sapphire Design Discovery Award finalist 2012) as well as having our products represented by retailers locally and internationally.
How has your business changed?
We opened up a studio and showroom in Sydney’s Balmain East, thereby creating a permanent home with our products on display for clients and trade to view, as well as an office space for client meetings.
Evie Group has also become a multi-disciplinary product and graphic design studio. We have split the website in two so it’s less confusing for our clients and customers: graphics.eviegroup.com and eviegroup.com
We opened up a studio and showroom in Sydney’s Balmain East, thereby creating a permanent home with our products on display for clients and trade to view, as well as an office space for client meetings.
Evie Group has also become a multi-disciplinary product and graphic design studio. We have split the website in two so it’s less confusing for our clients and customers: graphics.eviegroup.com and eviegroup.com
Can you identify a turning point for your company?
Around the time we won a few design competitions the business began to shift, with the nature of new client work attributed to contacts in our previous design work. Following this, the graphic design side of the business has really grown along with referrals from existing clients.
Around the time we won a few design competitions the business began to shift, with the nature of new client work attributed to contacts in our previous design work. Following this, the graphic design side of the business has really grown along with referrals from existing clients.
What has proven the greatest professional challenge?
Kids! What some people may not know is that we are married. Working and living together amazingly works so well for us.
Added to the mix over the past four years are two children. The hardest thing is creating the work/life balance to ensure everything and everyone is looked after with deadlines and responsibilities (sometimes on little to no sleep).
Niles Side Table
Kids! What some people may not know is that we are married. Working and living together amazingly works so well for us.
Added to the mix over the past four years are two children. The hardest thing is creating the work/life balance to ensure everything and everyone is looked after with deadlines and responsibilities (sometimes on little to no sleep).
Niles Side Table
What have you learnt about your industry that you wish you knew when you started?
It’s important to learn as much as possible from as many people as possible, from a design as well as a business perspective. Once you reach a certain level of skills and quality, don’t undervalue your work.
Marble Round Tray and Emily Tea Set
It’s important to learn as much as possible from as many people as possible, from a design as well as a business perspective. Once you reach a certain level of skills and quality, don’t undervalue your work.
Marble Round Tray and Emily Tea Set
When choosing sub-contractors, what do you look for?
Reliability, honesty, professionalism and pride in their work.
Reliability, honesty, professionalism and pride in their work.
What are the deal-breakers that make you reluctant to work with sub-contractors?
People who disappoint with work quality or project deadlines, and those who don’t communicate well.
Niles Side Table
People who disappoint with work quality or project deadlines, and those who don’t communicate well.
Niles Side Table
What’s the best advice you can offer about managing a team?
Open and clear communication and ensuring all are on the same page. Lead by example rather than pushing.
Hex Boxes
Open and clear communication and ensuring all are on the same page. Lead by example rather than pushing.
Hex Boxes
How do you plan to grow or maintain your level of success?
Our plan for the next two years is to grow the business with new product ranges, new clients and their exciting projects.
Our plan for the next two years is to grow the business with new product ranges, new clients and their exciting projects.
Any recommendations for software or apps that help you run your business well?
We completely rely on Microsoft suite and Outlook calendar for day-to-day running and planning, then Adobe creative suite for all our creative design work, PowerPoint for interactive client pitches and event presentations then your usual Instagram and Mailchimp for social media and Drivers Note for car use. We like to keep things simple and not overcomplicated in a small team.
Tell us
Tell us your experiences of building your own business in the Comments below, and if you found this interview interesting, like it, share it and save your favourite images.
More
Missed last month’s Candid Company interview? Catch up here on how the MD of Secret Gardens grew one of Sydney’s most recognised landscaping businesses.
We completely rely on Microsoft suite and Outlook calendar for day-to-day running and planning, then Adobe creative suite for all our creative design work, PowerPoint for interactive client pitches and event presentations then your usual Instagram and Mailchimp for social media and Drivers Note for car use. We like to keep things simple and not overcomplicated in a small team.
Tell us
Tell us your experiences of building your own business in the Comments below, and if you found this interview interesting, like it, share it and save your favourite images.
More
Missed last month’s Candid Company interview? Catch up here on how the MD of Secret Gardens grew one of Sydney’s most recognised landscaping businesses.
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