October 14 2023, marked the date of Australia’s referendum on Voice to Parliament. The Voice to Parliament would have recognised our First People in the Constitution and provided an official platform for our First People to advise, consult, and contribute to policies directly impacting their lives. It was a meaningful first step, supported by over eighty per cent of First People, but sadly, the YES vote failed to get either of the two majorities in favour that were both required for the Constitution to be changed. Voting YES would have provided a tangible step in honouring their calls for meaningful dialogue and empowerment. Clear created our poster to support the YES campaign and to express the importance of a call for change.

Addressing Australia’s history by empowering our First People is the only way we can genuinely advance the Australian identity towards the more progressive, confident, and engaged place we aspire to be.

The design process began with research into the Voice to Parliament and the focus on self-determination. The typography has a default feel, presenting the format as a sequence of steps and key concepts that need to be communicated. The layout required the reader to lean into the image and do some of the heavy lifting. There is a deliberate tension between the positive impact of a yes vote and the fragile nature of the building blocks, which are at risk of falling down.

As a creative leader, a business person, and an ‘allie’, I experience tension when engaging with these important issues. As a creative, I sweated every element, from the selection of local materials from my home in Wurrundjuri country. I engaged in conversations with my team and had hard conversations with suppliers, clients and people on the street about why this issue mattered. Paying for a street poster campaign, a limited-edition run of A2 posters, and getting out on the street to share my voice.