Pluvo, known previously as Brandhaus, is a 15-year-old Gold Coast-based creative agency servicing a wide array of high profile clients. The agency made the move from a private office to Co Spaces in August, and has been reaping the benefits ever since. 

Pluvo Creative Director Tobias Black discusses the agency, their new office and the changing nature of design.

Original post by Collective Magazine, Wednesday 30 Oct 2013: http://collectivemagazine.com.au/pluvo/ 

How do you decide who works on each brief? Is the process a collaboration or do you work independently?
Each project is a blank canvas. The artwork we produce needs to meet certain criteria, depending on the client’s needs. But most importantly the final output should reflect the brand personality and communicate the offering in a way that is in line with the overall brand strategy.

So each project should be a collaboration between a selected group of individuals who have a style that works well for that brand. This often involves combining talent from our internal team as well as our ever expanding external network of professionals.

What is your design philosophy? Is there a principle that overrides others when designing or branding?
It’s all about connection. Customers need to understand and relate to brands and their offerings. Developing a brand strategy and creating a unique personality is a huge part of this, so we spend extra time on in-house clique to ensure we making that connection.

What is your background? Can you tell me about your team?
Our clients are local and abroad, but we live on the Gold Coast because of the lifestyle. We surf, we drink coffee, we love music and art. Each one of us is passionate about the creative culture, so we are also quite active in promoting creative endeavours around our local community.

What sets Pluvo apart from other creative agencies?
We are creative but also approachable and honest. Our clients see us as their brand partners – not just a creative agency.
We help solve communication problems by offering creative and innovative solutions.
We openly share our knowledge with our clients and we also embrace change.

You recently moved into Co Spaces, how has your new office helped to inspire creativity in your work?
The Co Spaces environment is actually tailor made for the creative working process.
Ben Howe has built a very unique and stylish workspace, which encourages people from different industries to not only co-exist, but also to collaborate. In fact, the Co Spaces crew are like one huge family and everyone here really enjoys coming to work!

As a result of our new environment, we have changed our Pluvo working model to be much more flexible. We have recently collaborated with local industry professionals like Andrew Suggit, Claudio Kirac, Kiel Tillman and photographer Andrew Thurtell on creative projects as far away as China.

Working collaboratively from distant locations is the way of the future and Co Spaces is the first step in the right direction for the team at Pluvo. We feel refreshed by this process and are very excited to think of who we might collaborate with next.

What do you find most challenging about reimagining or reinventing already established brands? How do you overcome the challenges?
All good brands reinvent themselves continuously. It is important to keep your brand fresh, engaging and relevant in the eyes of your audience. The only challenge comes when a client is resistant to change. So the client needs to be excited about the opportunity that change can bring.

You say that you thrive on creating a memorable experience for your audience – How do you implement a fresh angle so that each client has their unique point of view showcased in a memorable way? 
We embrace each brand’s personality. Before beginning a project, we take time to really get to know each client and their offerings. It’s only when we connect with their brand internally, that we can inject creativity in a way that accentuates or reinvents their brand personality.

Your company is almost 16-years-old now, how have you adapted to industry changes over the years? How has the changing nature of the internet shaped the way you design for web?
Over the years we have morphed, merged, moulded and embraced technologies as they come and go. We have been there creating HTML websites which were optimised for a dial up connection. We embraced the interactive experiences of heavily action-scripted flash websites and one mantra has remained constant in our minds, all along the way.

Change or Die!

The internet is about content and as technology advances and new ways of experiencing come into the fray, brands need to ensure the quality of their content. Advancements in technology have actually shaped the way people experience online content, because not only do we need to be engaged, but the content needs to be viewed on a multitude of devices. Content is now king, so a simpler website which delivers content on a multitude of devices is far better than an immersive experience that only works on your computer.

What’s your advice for students looking to go into the creative industries?
In this industry, we are all students. Find your passion and learn from your mentors.
Share your newly gained wealth of knowledge and NEVER, EVER stop learning!