Purpose-led design, thoughtfully done

Alex’s career has been shaped by a desire to do work with real impact. With a background in brand, UI and digital design, he’s worked across complex digital projects, but has always been most drawn to work that serves people and community.

Calm, kind and considered in his approach, Alex brings the same steady presence to his work as he does to life outside the studio. He’s a father of two young kids, wrangler of a French bulldog, a soccer tragic, and is known for a dry sense of humour that tends to land when you least expect it.

Prior to Harvey, Alex worked on a number of meaningful projects, including:

• Yoorrook Justice Commission, where Alex led the design of a long-term, accessible website for the commission’s findings, working closely with a local Indigenous artist.
• CFA, where he worked alongside his UX lead to redesign and uplift the fire safety section of a dated website improving the clarity and accessibility of critical safety information. 
• Foundation for Young Australians, where Alex helped deliver brand and print material for the organisation and its various initiatives, including annual reports, findings reports, educational work books, digital advertising, and more.

Now, let’s hand it over to Alex…

Putting people at the centre of design

If I had to share a simple tip that guides my work, it would be this: stay open-minded. Don’t settle for your first idea. Push yourself to explore other options and directions before landing on a solution.

Above all, always put the user or audience at the centre of everything you do. Style, colour, typography and layout should never exist for their own sake. They should elevate the experience and make things clearer, easier and more engaging for the people using them.

Designing work that matters

In my previous role, the work I felt most proud of was for clients that had real impact. While large corporate projects can be enjoyable, they don’t always feel deeply rewarding in the long term. Two projects that stood out for me were for the Yoorrook Justice Commission and the CFA.

Yoorrook was the last major project I worked on before joining Harvey. I was the lead designer on a website created to house the findings, evidence and recommendations of the commission, ensuring they would remain accessible after the commission disbanded. I collaborated closely with a local Indigenous artist to create something that felt both striking and respectful. I completed the designs before finishing my role, and seeing those designs carried through to launch a month or two later was incredibly meaningful.

For the CFA, I worked alongside my previous UX lead to redesign and uplift the fire safety section of a very dated website. Growing up in the bushfire-prone Dandenong Ranges, this project felt especially personal. Improving the clarity and accessibility of critical safety information felt like work that could genuinely help save lives.

The Foundation for Young Australians gave me my big break as a freelance designer, working closely with a number of team members from various parts of the organisation to bring to life communication and marketing material. Collaborating with an organisation that assists and lifts up young people was tremendously rewarding, and helped kick start my passion for purpose-led design work.

Designing with care and cultural awareness

Over the years, clients have taught me a lot, particularly around accessibility and cultural sensitivity. The experience collaborating with a First Nations artist deepened my understanding of how different cultures interpret symbols, language and visual storytelling.

I’ve also learnt a great deal about accessibility through work with government and community organisations. It’s highlighted how easily design decisions can unintentionally exclude people if we’re not thoughtful. We all carry biases, often without realising it, and recognising those biases is essential if we want to create work that is inclusive and meaningful.

My reflection working at Harvey

Supportive from day one

From the moment I joined Harvey, I felt genuinely welcomed. Everyone is supportive, friendly, and generous with their time, which makes a huge difference when you’re starting somewhere new. The structured onboarding process helped me ease into the Harvey way of working without feeling overwhelmed, and it set a really positive tone early on.

A culture built on trust and curiosity

Co-working days have quickly become a highlight. They’re full of great conversations, spontaneous collaboration, and moments where ideas bounce around naturally. In a few words, I’d describe Harvey’s culture as positive, fun, enthusiastic, collaborative and humble. There’s a shared eagerness to tackle new challenges together, without ego getting in the way.

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A typical day for me

Finding focus and flow

My ideal workday is fairly simple. I like having one or two key tasks or clients to focus on, minimal distractions, and enough uninterrupted time to really get into a flow. When that happens, I can properly immerse myself in the work and get a lot done.

Music is almost always on in the background. It helps keep me energised and motivated, especially during longer design sessions. Figma is my go-to tool, and I love exploring new features and plug-ins that improve efficiency or unlock new ways of working.

Blending brand, digital and collaboration

UI design is usually my favourite type of work, with brand design a close second. I actually started my career doing a lot of branding and corporate design, but in more recent roles my focus has been on digital experiences. Harvey has given me the opportunity to combine my brand and digital design experience, which has been really exciting and rewarding for me.

When it comes to clients, I don’t have a single favourite one that comes to mind. What matters most to me is working with people who are open to new ideas, trust us as design experts, and genuinely value collaboration.

Recent Harvey Projects: Maine Wellness brand identity

One early highlight was a small branding project for Maine Wellness. It was my first client project here, and it went really smoothly. The budget was tight and the brief had its challenges, but Lee, the client, was wonderful to work with and very open-minded about the options we put forward.

It was also my first branding project in quite a while, so I definitely felt some self-imposed pressure. In the end, the process was collaborative, the work landed well, and the client feedback was brilliant. We’re now helping bring the brand to life through a website, social templates, and print media using the new colours and styles, which has been really rewarding to see.

Collaboration without ego

I’ve often been told I have a fairly dry sense of humour, which I think helps break the ice and build rapport within teams. For me, kindness, humour, humility and open communication are essential ingredients for good collaboration. Big egos tend to get in the way, and I believe the best work happens when people feel comfortable, respected and heard.

That mindset is a big part of why Harvey already feels like such a good fit, and I’m really excited to keep building on that as I continue my journey here.