There has always been an artificial divide between art and craft. Art is often celebrated as expressive, emotional and unconstrained. Craft, on the other hand, is seen as technical, disciplined and functional. One is supposedly driven by passion, the other by process. The reality is that the most enduring creative work has never respected that boundary.
One of the unexpected highlights of my time exploring the Ubud Open Studios was the opportunity to visit and have a tour of Bambu Indah and spend time with the team from IBUKU, the visionary design studio responsible for some of Bali’s most extraordinary bamboo architecture.
One of the great privileges of running a creative agency is the opportunity to step outside the day-to-day demands of client work and immerse myself in other creative communities. Earlier this month, while in Bali, I spent several days exploring the Ubud Open Studios event an experience that felt equal parts design pilgrimage, treasure hunt and choose-your-own-adventure.
I recently visited the The Art of Banksy Exhibition in Sydney, and I walked out thinking less about street art and more about communication. That might sound strange at first. Banksy is often discussed through the lens of rebellion, anonymity, anti-establishment politics, or spectacle. But standing in front of those works especially as someone who runs a creative graphic design agency what struck me most was how incredibly effective the work is from a design perspective. Not just aesthetically effective. Communicatively effective.
There’s something about Milan Design Week, and in particular Fuorisalone, that resists being neatly summarised. It spills out of exhibition halls and into courtyards, laneways, apartments and gardens, turning the city into a living, breathing expression of design thinking.
In March, alongside attending the PrintTech and Signage Expo 2026 at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani, I spent time exploring a very different side of Bangkok its creative district in Samphananthawong, more commonly known as Talat Noi.
I attended the Print and Design Expo in Ho Chi Minh City in May 2026 as part of VMARK Vietnam Design Week and the DESIGNITY 2026 program, running 19–20 May at THISKYHALL SALA Convention Center. Triscia attended the Bangkok Print Expo in April, giving us a useful parallel reference point across both markets.
In March this year, I had the opportunity to attend the PrintTech Expo 2026 an experience that felt both expansive and grounding for where we are as a graphic design and print studio right now.
Attending graphic design conferences and creative industry events is one of the most impactful investments a designer or creative agency owner can make. These experiences broaden perspectives, spark inspiration, build professional networks and expose creatives to the latest trends in branding, visual communication, digital design and print production.
Working with a single agency that oversees all aspects of your school’s graphic design ensures coherence and efficiency.