THIS IS THE BIT WHERE I TALK ABOUT MYSELF

Writing words that make meaning—what's that all about? For me, it's about taking something out of nothing, figuring out exactly what kind of story you want to tell, and bringing together every element of the brand so the way that it speaks brings even more nuance into the way that it looks.

That's what I've contributed when collaborating at the studios I've worked in.

I've been the lone writer in the building for stretches of time and I've also led writing teams. I've mentored and I've tutored. And I get along with the other kids in the sandbox; strategists, designers, clients.

But at the end of the day, I love writing. It still gives me a thrill to come up with a great line or (especially, even) a very silly one—even if I know it's never going to see the light of day. It's why I keep on coming back.

Here I am (in blue) with my fellow tutors and one of the AWARD School classes of 2025.

Have I mentioned I like telling stories? In the spirt of precisely that (and because it's my page, I can be self-indulgent) here’s chapters of my story that all hit a different tone. All of this is 100% true.

DICKENS

(The beginning. That guy loved starting the story at your literal birth)

In what would be her first and final occasion of arriving early to any social gathering, Katherine Fischer made her entrance into the world some ten weeks ahead of schedule.

It was a dramatic debut. Her mother took a 400-kilometre emergency helicopter journey that crossed state borders to Melbourne, rendering Katherine quite unceremoniously the sole Victorian among a family of proud South Australians.

Thus, she began her life with a prevailing sense of dislocation.

She was raised in the country, in a township of such modest scale that most recreation of note was ostensibly river-based. Fertile soil makes for good farming, but not quite fertile opportunity for a young girl who wanted to write for a living.

And so, she gathered herself and journeyed to the nearest city that would have her.

GONZO

(The second act means you have to answer the call. And if Hunter S. Thompson's involved, let's go for a ride)

I'd made it Sydney, a place whose seedy underbelly always seemed to roll over and present itself for a scratch. And while I was stuffing around between higher education and a grown-up job—I found myself working as a receptionist in a brothel.

I now had all this under-the-belt experience under my belt. And after the world of hookers and blow, getting into marketing seemed like the next logical career move.

Both also seemed to share a certain sense of desire-driven, late-night madness.

bell hooks

(The present. Time for contemplation.)

Now being a number years into the industry, I carry a title most people don’t understand: Verbal Design Director. For a long time, it didn’t feel right. Like language had been placed in a lesser category.

Design, around these parts, means visual. And then there's verbal design. An afterthought. Like qualifying someone as a ‘female doctor’.

In branding, we all begin at the root. We build from nothing, or we reshape what’s there. We move things from what they are, to become what we can imagine and desire. We all do the work of design.

It is foundational, but it rarely bears our names. It gets handed over, and finished by someone else; to end up on a highway, or on your TV, or in aisle three. We're like parents who are constantly waving goodbye as yet another child goes off to university. And you can only hope that what you did in the early years is going to be good enough to see them through.

So I guess that what I do with words. I design them.

And then I let them go.

HEMMINGWAY

(The future. It could be our future. Forgive me Ernest for the parentheses.)

For hire: brand writer, never worn (out)

THE HARDWARE

D&AD
👩‍⚖️ Jury Member – Writing for Design 2023
Shortlist: Writing for Design – Brand Voice | Solo by MYOB 2025

Shortlist: Writing for Design – Storytelling | Rewrite 2024

Graphite Pencil: Writing for Design – Naming | NextSense 2022

AGDA (Australian Graphic Design Association)
👩‍⚖️ Jury member: Design Crafts 2024

Merit: Brand and Identity | Large Business | The Prince Akatoki 2019

BEST Awards (NZ)
Gold: Small Brand Identity | ROLUS 2024

Transform Awards ANZ
Silver: Best use of copy style or tone of voice | Sydney Fish Market 2023
Gold: Best visual identity from the public sector | Sydney Fish Market 2023
Grand accolade: Best overall visual identity | Sydney Fish Market 2023
Bronze: Best use of copy style or tone of voice | Westpac 2020

Good Design Awards
Winner | Communication Branding and Identity | NextSense 2022
Winner | Communication Branding and Identity | The Prince Akatoki 2021.