We LOVE the experimental type these guys get into, so we reached out to OMSE to give us the lowdown on the whole team and how they came to be, their custom typefaces, and their exploration of 3D, motion, AR and VR.
Where did you study and what were some of your first jobs?
James studied a Bachelor of design at College of Fine Arts, UNSW Sydney and completed his final year at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden. His first job was at Fuzzy in Sydney working with Briton. He then moved to New York to work for NR2154 then moving to Wolff Olins and eventually moving to their London office. Briton studied a Bachelor or Arts in Design together with a Bachelor of Commerce in Economics and Marketing at the University of Otago in New Zealand before his first job at Fuzzy in Sydney working with James. From there he moved to Interbrand Sydney before moving to London and eventually setting up OMSE with James. The rest of our team hail from Australia, New Zealand, Canada & the UK and have all completed undergraduate design degrees.
Give us the elevator pitch on what you do.
OMSE is a design studio that creates brands, campaigns and experiences with an equal focus on strategy, concept and execution. We also create commercial and custom typefaces as OMSETYPE which demonstrates the craft and attention to detail we apply to our design practise.
What do you look for in a great portfolio?
We look for designers with attention to detail and ideas which have been applied to graphic systems. Gone are the days of logo slapping, so if you can create strong recognition through a brands expression you’re on to something! Self-initiated projects are a great way to demonstrate your own thinking and design aesthetic and are also a great way to fill out your portfolio.
What qualities and skills to you look for in a graduate?
Readiness to try and experiment as it’s hard to know what the correct answer is until you’ve explored different options. While not essential, it’s beneficial for designers to understand new technologies and show a desire to develop their skillset. Designers need to wear many hats so we look for designers who show strong concepts as well as attention to detail and their own design aesthetic.
Self-initiated projects are a great way to demonstrate your own thinking and design aesthetic.
Where do you think design is heading in the next five years and how will you adapt?
Technology is rapidly changing the landscape and I would expect this to increase over the next five years. Advances in web, 3D, motion, AR, VR and many other areas are opening up new design possibilities that didn’t exist five years ago. We do look for graduates who can demonstrate some of these skills and a desire to innovate and design at the forefront. For our part, we always looking to experiment with new technologies and for ways to incorporate them into our client work. Recently we experimented with these new technologies through an exhibition hosted at Hoxton arches to promote our new typeface Agenda
Where to find OMSE/OMSETYPE online.
Website: omse.co, omsetype.co
Instagram: @omse.co, @omsetype.co
