Grain Creative gets Bronze
The Grain wins Bronze at the prestigious 2010 Pentawards.
Grain Creative Wins Gold
The Grain are proud winners of 3 Gold and 1 Silver at the 2010 Creativity International Awards
Sydney Children’s Hospital – Champions for Children - Sigrun
Since offering our services as the Sydney Children's Hospitals principle pro-bono design agency a wonderful relationship has been established. One where we are able to contribute to an organisation that makes such a huge impact on so many people’s lives.
As active custodians of the Sydney Children's Hospital brand, we’re committed to driving evolution and innovation, as well as providing successful design solutions for a number of fundraising events and programs. Champions for Children is one such event. Held every year, it is the hospitals opportunity to thank and recognise the contribution made by supporters, and to express the tremendous impact this has on the Hospital, the patients and their families.
The event had never been looked at as an individual sub brand of the Sydney Children's Hospital so initial concepts were all about creating an identity; a visual platform that was easily transportable across event collateral and PR components, and that could be established and recognised in years to come. Once a look and feel had been developed, it was then translated across all elements of the campaign, bringing the Champions for Children event to life and encouraging further involvement from the supporters.
Much like the constant flow of patients through the doors of the hospital itself, there is always a SCHF on the Grain’s drawing board, so check this site regularly to find out what other exciting projects we’ve been working on!
Ideas and Innovation – Jeremy
Turning ideas into profit is one of the hottest areas and toughest challenges in business. But what is innovation and how can you cultivate it? William Coyne of 3M suggested "creativity is the thinking of appropriate new ideas and innovation is their successful implementation".
Most businesses are not designed to generate, embrace and implement ideas, being conservative, controlled activities aimed at generating profit. Yet without innovation and ideas, these same businesses will fade as newer, more agile organisations meet the needs of an ever increasingly demanding consumer.
The key perhaps is finding the balance between embracing and developing new ideas, whilst continuing to manage existing ones. Experimenting with internal cultures too and seeing which parts of the process you're good at and which you're not. The good news is, all sorts of specialists can be employed to help in the areas you lack. Big ideas can be very scary so the breakthrough thinking needed for creativity and innovation are often bought in. Be it through consultants, licensing, acquisition and/or alliances, this outside assistance (often with little regard for the "old way" and internal politics) breathes new life into your business cycle.
Big ideas are ever evolving, created when two or more old ideas collide inside the right mind. When then shared with open minds and collectively worked through the various challenges to market; this is innovation and requires the embracing of big ideas, often!
Sustainability blog – Jennifer
Welcome to the Grain’s sustainability blog. My name is Jennifer Schipper, and I'd like to introduce myself as the Grain’s Sustainability Officer.
I will share a small secret with you. I haven’t always been as caring about the environment, in fact four years ago I didn't even know how to recycle (very concerning I know, I'm ashamed) and put the idea of an environmental lifestyle in the too hard basket; how much could one person really do?
However after receiving lessons on the fundamentals of recycling from a frustrated friend whose family lives and breathes this sustainable lifestyle (they even have a tepee in their front yard. Seriously.) I’ve realised how simple changes can make a huge difference to our environment.
At the Grain we take our environmental policy seriously and unlike many other businesses, 'introducing' a cardboard box, which staff (occasionally) dispose of paper and cardboard for recycling is not doing enough.
We follow our environmental policy carefully, simply because it is the right thing to do. Resources that may appear abundant, such as paper are in fact not infinite in supply so we need to make the right decisions now to avoid limiting the choices of generations to come.
Our biggest claim to environmental fame would be that we have achieved and maintained Climate Neutral certification through the Climate Friendly program. This means that we offset 100% of our measured carbon emissions by supporting new renewable energy products that prevent as much greenhouse gas from entering our atmosphere as we have released. Check out www.climatefriendly.com for more info!
We have also taken the following steps to reduce our carbon footprint:
- Switched to 100% green energy
- Changed to energy efficient light bulbs
- Undertaken a review of our printers and elected a team that satisfy our environmental policy in the areas of FSC certification, ISO 14024 accreditation, waste management, paper stock, recycling, water and chemical consumption, fair trade practices and supply chain integrity
- Introduced an online traffic management system which has dramatically reduced our paper usage
- Implemented a travel policy which this year has reduced our air travel by 74% and our fleet travel by close to 60%
- Implemented a 100% recycling program for paper, glass, plastics, used ink toners and cartridges, unwanted mobile phone and electrical equipment, as well as a regular household goods donation to local charities
- Banned all disposable cups and crockery from the office
- Opted to replace the two water coolers we once had drinking Sydney's finest from our own (personalised!) SIGG water bottles for all staff
This blurb will be updated regularly with environmental steps we have taken, sustainable packaging and POS we have designed, photos of what we have been doing as a team for the environment and community, products and blogs that tickle our fancy and ideas and tips for reducing, reusing, recycling and up cycling in your own business or home so you too can adopt the green way of life.
The next installment will be all about our goals for 2010 (yes the year has gone that fast!) and how we plan to reach them. Watch this space!