Language Design offers project based writing services to individuals, organisations and businesses. Language Design is available for a wide spectrum of applications. We have a flexible way of working bringing creativity and experience to bear on behalf of brands. To discuss your project, or ours, please get in touch.
[1] About

Language Design is a new discipline in the writing field, emphasising clarity of intent and transparency of process.

[2] Purpose

Like all forms of design, Language Design is purposeful, strategic and applied to exert effective influence.

[3] Applications
  • Brand Dialects (TOV) & Brand Personas
  • Campaign ideation, scripting and direction
  • Website language and information architecture
  • Editorial copy & press releases
  • eDMs, letters and texts
  • Decks, catalogues and signage
  • Packaging language
[4] How we work

We can plug into your internal team structure, or work as a discreet component. Language Design is sensitive to visual design, and may be applied alongside a design partner.

[5] Origins

Founded by James Harvey BA GDip Sci (Psychology), Language Design brings together principles of linguistics, design and hard-won commercial experience from 15 years spent with some of the world’s best advertising and design agencies.

[6] Clients

The Communications Council
Diageo
David Jones
Event Hospitality Group
Foxtel
Google
Orchard St.
M35
Maud
Monster Children
Schwarz
Secret Sounds
Sekisui House
Spacenow
Telstra
Tinder

[7] Contact

mail@languagedesign.com.au
PO BOX 7404, Bondi Beach, NSW, 2026

Recent Work

Google at Parliament House
Speechwriting
2023

“Championing innovation and creativity is at the heart of what we do at Google Australia and we’re proud to have collaborated on some truly visionary Australian ideas over the past 20 years.” – Mel Silva

Google Australia Managing Director Mel Silva spoke at the Great Hall in Parliament House in June 2023 at the first ever ‘Google at Parliament House’ event, with Language Design helping to articulate Google’s contributions to Australia’s economy, technology, jobs, skills and the environment.

Think with Google
Research & Editorial
2023

When thought leadership is in order,
we can make big changes and opportunities compelling and actionable. 

Last year, we spent a lot of time connecting with marketers about how embracing AI can power even better
results.

Working alongside Think with Google’s Australia and New Zealand editor, we researched and published a series of articles relevant to readers in our
region.

 

Curly Lewis
Brand Positioning & Mantra
2023

Cold ones coming in hot for Curly Lewis.

Positioning the eastern suburbs’ first brewery on Bondi Beach was thirsty work, but we thought ‘Always Coasting’ touched the correct degree of refreshment and curlylewis.com.au agreed. With the right mantra in mind, brand language flows easily and creative direction is clear.

Shout out to our mates at go-od.co for the visual design excellence, and to one young gentleman who got properly into the spirit. This is beer for coasters.

City of Parramatta Council
Launch, Campaign & Editorial
2023

Our hearts were in Parramatta in 2023, with words flowing and energy glowing for West Sydney’s cultural riverside hub. 

True pen pals to City of Parramatta Council, we helped them communicate big restorations, much-anticipated openings and eventful happenings throughout the year. 

From introducing PHIVE as a new community hub and welcoming the city back to Town Hall, to creating campaign language for Parramatta Lanes, creating a narrative about the new Parramatta Aquatic Centre and articulating the forward-looking Future Parramatta strategy through thorough reports, eye-catching event collateral and more, it was a big year for the burgeoning CBD and LD.

YouTube AUNZ
Complete Experience Language Design
2023

Language Design supported YouTube in preparing BRANDCAST 2023, the platform’s much anticipated live moment of the year.

As well as onsite language and event communications, and creative direction and scripting of filmic segments of the event, our team worked with key stakeholders to author speeches for:

-Mel Silva, Managing Director of Google AUNZ

-Ash Chang, Head of Culture & Trends at YouTube

-Julia White, Group Marketing Manager at KFC

plus the development of a segment featuring marketing heavyweight, Professor Mark Ritson.

Language Design also wrote and developed a digital campaign for BRANDCAST, ensuring that each and every message before, during and after the event supports the brand’s master-narrative.

Ryan Hospitality
Estate & Venue Family Brand Language
2022

Writing for Hubert Estate was a pleasure.

With several distinct but related venues from restaurant to art gallery, we developed language for each that bears relation to the Estate Voice, but enjoys a unique personality that reflects its offering.

The resulting family of voices is housed beneath the main story, and welcomes visitors to find themselves in the Yarra.

QT Newcastle
Brand Launch
2022

We draw on a sense of place to create an unexpected narrative for a new QT Hotel.

NEW BEGINNINGS

Escape yesterday’s gravity,
and check into a new reflection.
Here comes that sliver of yourself to draw
sharp contrast, long shadow, diamond-edge 
delights 
to slice raw reality to sashimi.
Here we muddle magic from the things we find,
Spin up wax and wane with tidal rhythm,
Her light dances on the surface tension
of cool depths,
becomes something else,
fuller, brighter, almost a sound,
but passes quietly behind the earth,
to emerge renewed
and shine again.
Future Super
Brand Language
2022

We help Australia’s ethical super fund land some hard-hitting points.

R.M. Williams
Campaign Title & Poetry
2022

The most compelling truths come from the soul of the brand.

To help R.M. Williams reconnect with its roots, Language Design wrote a campaign line to describe its legacy of quality, authenticity and connection to the land.

From The Ground Up was accompanied by a piece of original poetry to launch new season collection.

YouTube AUNZ
Sales Tool
2021

Before they invest, customers need to understand and be inspired by what you’re offering.

Language Design created a three-part documentary about YouTube, to help advertisers understand the power and the passion of the world’s largest video streaming platform.

An authentic and personal counterpoint to broadcast TV’s glitzy ‘Upfronts’, ‘YouTube: The Lowdown’ followed an investigative journalist as she met the creators, the brands and the fans that make YouTube such an effective tool for audience engagement.

Google AUNZ
Virtual Event
2021

Data inspires when presented creatively.

The Museum of 2020 is a look back at the strangest year in living memory, and a way to engage Google’s business customers by making search trends real.

Each search trend was represented by an exhibit, full of data points turned into tangible artefacts. A guided tour of the museum turned out to be a highly engaging virtual event that informed and delighted Google AUNZ’s clients.

Alipay +
Verbal Identity
2021

The voice of Alipay+

When Ant Group were ready to bring a new mobile-first marketing and payment platform to market, Language Design was chosen to build its verbal identity.

Fish In The Family
Naming & Brand Language
2020

[Formerly Sydney Fresh Seafood]

When one of Australia’s largest seafood suppliers and retailers outgrew Sydney, they threw out a line for a new name.

Language Design worked closely with the business to surface their passion, and we were proud to re-christen an icon across 15 locations.

Telstra
Verbal Identity
2020

Helping the iconic Australian company find its voice for the new decade.

After defining a distinctive verbal identity for Telstra, Language Design surveyed internal and external teams to design and deliver concise guidelines, training materials and workshops ensuring continuity of voice.

Now every communication, from billboard headline to email sign off, can reinforce Telstra’s purpose.

Secret Sounds
Brand Storytelling & Partnerships
2019

Helping Australia’s largest live music and festival business manage their brand partnerships.

Language Design developed a long form content series, pre-, during and post- festival campaigns, and created the narrative for the country’s largest music research project to assist Secret Sounds connect their fanbase with major brand partners.

YouTube
Brand Storytelling & Speechwriting
2019

Helping YouTube share the passion of their audience and creators with the world.

Language Design developed a film series with real fans and some of Australia’s most popular creators, and brought the brand story to life writing live addresses to move an audience of thousands.

Foxtel
Brand Values
2019

Articulating a new set of values for Australia’s biggest entertainment company.

From boardroom to fan forum, Language Design worked with Foxtel to help understand and express the values that underpin the business.

To launch them to the world, we enlisted the help of a handful of die-hard fans.

QT Hotels
Brand Dialect & Storytelling
2020

Helping individuals recognise a like mind in QT Hotels.

Language Design worked with QT to establish a distinctive Brand Dialect, and now employs it to engage their audience in campaigns, on-site dialogue, partnerships and locally savvy web language across thirty venues in Australia and New Zealand.

With hundreds of thousands of words deployed (and counting) QT’s brand is elegantly reinforced from personal greeting to final full stop.

David Jones
Long-form Language
2020

Language Design specialises in researching and composing category specific long-form language, like this Beauty Editorial copy for David Jones