Designer, art director and type tinkerer Luke Lucas is known for pushing boundaries in form and concept — from founding a print magazine as a student to building a career that's part craft, part cultural commentary. In this interview, Luke opens up about how dropping out led to his first big break, why being a student of life beats chasing a style, and what might happen when the creative industry finally reaches its tipping point.
Can you tell us a little about your first few steps in your career. Was there a moment or experience when you realised this was what you'd do as a career?
I was at art school and started a print magazine with a friend about half way through our first year. We didn't really know what we were doing on either a design or business front.
By the end of that year we had published 2 editions and were working on our third. It was a super steep learning curve and we learned an incredible amount in a very short space of time. It was exhausting balancing studies and the responsibility of running a magazine. We made the decision that we needed to go all in for the business to succeed so we both dropped out of our course to focus on the magazine. I was never really thinking ahead more than one magazine at a time and hadn't really consciously chosen a career but I guess at that point it had become my career.
What lessons from your career have most shaped your style and approach?
Where I can I've tried to remain versatile and not get too locked down in styles. I think for me in situations where I'm both guiding the creative direction and the craft side of finished art I will always come up with a concept that successfully answers the brief first and then work out an interesting way to communicate that concept as a secondary. If I don't know how to achieve what I have in mind, then I treat it as an opportunity to learn a new skill or I'll seek out the advice of someone who knows. I think there is the danger, particularly when you're starting out, to get sucked into design fads or fall into doing familiar techniques and style and then apply them to everything but it can be a wasted opportunity to create something unique.
Tell us about the core values or philosophies that guide your creative practice.
A couple of simple rules:
1. Be kind.
2. If a job is worthy of my time then it's worthy of me giving it my all.
1. Be kind.
2. If a job is worthy of my time then it's worthy of me giving it my all.
What needs to change, so emerging and under-represented creative professionals have more opportunity, are seen and heard?
I think realistically it's tough out there even for seasoned professionals let alone emerging or under represented creatives. Financial pressure is real and I fear that with the cost of living in this country, a reduction in commercial budgets and the rise in accessibility of creative content through of AI, Canva etc I don't see how any emerging creatives other than those that are born wealthy / privileged, living at home etc would be able to survive on an up and coming creative service wage. Maybe channelling that talent or drive into something scaleable is the answer? Who knows.
We are definitely in a transitional period and things are changing rapidly. While I don't wholly subscribe to WEF's claims that Graphic Design will in effect be dead by 2030, I do think that what it means to sustain a creative profession going into the future will be very different to the model that we've known for the last few decades.
How important is it that creative professionals find their unique voice?
It definitely helps in some areas of the creative industry and many have been very successful in doing this. It does depend whether your voice is something that others resonate with. We're a fickle bunch us humans. I think you should only do this kind of work if it's something that you are passionate about. Each to their own but I don't think finding your voice is something that you should sweat in the beginning. Just learn as much as you can and aim for versatility and not being too rigid in your ideas. Be a student of life and culture and do good work with what you have and your voice will find you.
Looking ahead, what do you think are the key factors that will influence change for creative professionals?
Blind technological drag racing and greed seems to be what's driving change in most industries at the moment. I suspect that will continue to be the case until the money runs out or the culture demands a change, whatever happens first. Although there is plenty of great work out there, the market is also being saturated in the mediocrity of creative Canva/AI junk-food and social media dribble. I'm hopeful that the phase will pass, the pendulum will swing the other way and this time will be a memory like hair metal in the 80s. Not that there's anything wrong with hair metal. More that the culture demands a change. I don't know who our Kurt Cobain is but the tipping point is fast approaching. It has to be. Maybe it's towards a return of appreciation and desire for human authenticity above all else, a return to genuine meaningful connection and an appreciation of imperfect beauty. Who knows what it will be, but change is coming.
How much does your city influence your work?
It's hard to quantify, I'm sure it's not zero. I think the largest influence on my work is my state of mind as opposed to where I physically reside.
How much does your culture influence your work?
Once again it's hard to quantify. I don't really even know how to define what my culture is let alone recognise its influence. I guess I must be a product of my environment and my experiences but I don't really how to put a value on it. Maybe I'll just say a fair bit.
Tell us some of your favourite, creative professionals and inspiring places in your city!
Even though I've lived in Sydney for 12 years I guess I'm still a Melbournian at heart. I haven't really interacted much with the industry up here and most of my clients and colleagues are from elsewhere for whatever reason. Probably doesn't help that I work from a treehouse. In saying that nature is my number one source for inspiration so maybe working from a tree does help.
What should emerging creative professionals keep in mind as they begin their design career?
Don't put all your eggs in one basket.
