NEW WORK | THEFULCRUM.AGENCY
Some work is measured in buildings. Some in decades.
@thefulcrum.agency works across architecture, Aboriginal community development and social impact — with First Nations communities in urban centres, regional towns and remote communities. Their process isn’t about polished case studies. It lives in the relationships, the listening, and the long-term thinking beneath the built outcome.
Their new site needed to reflect that. More space for community voice, context and process. A calmer, more considered way into work that resists easy summarising.
Design by Block. Development by Morgan Leek.
A collaboration twenty years in the making — and still going.
🔗 thefulcrum.agency
NEW WORK | REMUMBER 10.05.26
Every year, the same thing happens.
Mother’s Day arrives. Someone panics. Someone ends up at a servo.
The irony of forgetting the day dedicated to the woman who forgets nothing.
@kitchenwarehouse didn’t need to motivate people. They just needed to make sure they remembered. One idea. One date. Said loudly enough that it sticks.
REMUMBER 10.05.26.
Radio, digital, in-store and outdoor - including a 21-poster mega-site in Melbourne. Far-from-subtle by design.
Don’t be the servo flowers person.
CRED | UNBLOCK
The traditional agency remuneration model has a design flaw. Every new project means scoping, estimating, negotiating. Before a brief is even written, time and goodwill are already spent.
We built UnBlock with Simon Lamplough, Chief Customer Officer at @kitchenwarehouse – a client who’d sat on both sides of the table and had seen enough.
The model is simple. Clients subscribe to a pool of ‘BlockBits’ – priced by project type, allocated by priority, adjusted in real time as their business changes. No haggling. No renegotiating. Just the brief and the work.
Outcome-based. Built for flexibility. Designed to make the relationship the asset, not the invoice.
It’s live. And we think it changes things.
Read the full story via @lbbonline . Link in bio.
GOOD COMPANY | MONTISA
Montisa is in her final year of school in northern Thailand. She’s Akha — one of the hill tribes that face systemic barriers to education, employment, and economic participation. She’s thoughtful, capable, and clear about what she wants: university, then business or teaching.
The only thing standing between her and that future was money. For us, a shamefully small amount. For her, a life-defining amount. That’s the part that’s unacceptable.
We’ve established the Block Scholarship to support Montisa through to graduation and into Rajabhat University, Chiang Rai. She earned it. We’re just removing the obstacle.
Millions of kids like Montisa don’t get to find out what they’re capable of — not because of who they are, but because of where they were born. That’s not misfortune. It’s a structural failure.
If you want to make a direct impact, look at what @bff_wa_charity are doing.
HAPPENINGS | HOW WE ENTERED YEAR 25.
April 1. Twenty-five years in. We held the first Notes on Block Salon at @lawsonflats The room filled the way good rooms do; without effort.
We launched @notes_on_block IRL - printed editions of our journal for the thinking behind the work. Volumes 1 and 2 are now sitting at Block and Lawson Flats — pick one up or visit NotesonBlock.com for the digital experience.
‘Allegory of Perth (2020–2024)’, @bybraddock ’s mixed-media painting series, is now showing at Lawson Flats through April. Kept private for years. Worth the wait.
And in Volume 2 — ‘The Ghost in the Studio’. @ryanmurphystudio walked into Braddock’s studio unannounced and photographed whatever he found. The result is unsettling in the best way.
Three things at once on our way to 25.
NB VOL 2 | “A stranger walked into a room. And found a mirror.”
What happens when you step out of your own space?
In The Ghost in the Studio, photographer @ryanmurphystudio enters @bybraddock ’s studio alone. No brief. No direction.
He photographs what’s there.
What comes back feels less like documentation than something else.
A record. A trace. A kind of evidence.
Braddock reads the images back, trying to understand what they reveal – about authorship, control, and the stories we tell ourselves about our own work.
Read more at the link in our bio.
AARON Awards 2026 — Best Sonic Design Shortlist
Supported by Abe’s Audio — Abe Udy
Sound is playing an increasingly powerful role in AI-driven creativity. And this shortlist highlights how sonic craft is evolving alongside visual innovation.
Best Sonic Design celebrates work where AI, music and sound design come together to shape atmosphere, emotion and brand identity. From subtle audio worlds to distinctive sonic signatures, these projects show how sound is becoming a core layer of AI-powered storytelling.
Shortlisted work: • Shades of Blue – @dabes_sage_das • My First Voice – @madebymonks • Participa Aut Peri (Participate or Perish) – @wildboar_studio • 60 Days of Prepmas – @blockbranding and @mc_and_v
All shortlisted work has been selected by our independent global jury.
Congratulations to the teams and creators pushing the boundaries of sound and storytelling.
Winners will be revealed at the inaugural AARON Awards virtual show on 16/17 April (timezone dependent).
🔗 Link in bio.
Note: AARON Awards is founded and organised by @mariecelinemerret & @vinnesv They are not involved in judging. All entries are reviewed independently by the jury. Conflicts of interest are declared and managed, with jurors recusing themselves from discussion and scoring where applicable.
#AARONAwards #CreativeAI #SonicDesign #AIAudio #InnovationInCreativity
HAPPENINGS | We’re not usually followers of trends, but since it’s our 24th birthday today we thought the “This is who you’re asking” trend made perfect sense. How cute are the teenie team!
HAPPENINGS | @perthdesignweek 2026
Another year, another reminder that design in WA is anything but quiet.
Proud to have supported Perth Design Week once again – a platform that continues to grow in cultural weight.
With lively discussion, PDW continues to prove that design isn’t a discipline on the sidelines. It’s embedded in how we shape, navigate and understand the world around us.
This year’s identity set out to reflect the city back onto itself – not as a statement, but as a reminder. Design is already here. Everywhere.
Thanks to @sandyanghie_architect and the entire PDW community for making it happen.
📸 @oliviapizzalebrycephoto
@perthdesignweek signage going in today ready for next week! Design by @blockbranding and artwork on site by @smartcasualsigns 🖌️
At Smart Casual Signs, they’re old souls in the heart of Perth, holding fast to their passion for the traditional charm of Hand Painted Signs. Love it!
Perth Design Week starts next week, 19-26 March 2026. Explore our program - link in bio.
#perthcity #designweek #perthdesigners #perthevents
Like to know who’s behind this year’s new look for PDW? It’s Jack McAuliffe and the team at Block Branding.
Jack began his creative journey as a tattoo artist straight out of high school, before expanding his canvas at a signage shop while completing his Graphic Design degree at Edith Cowan University. His career took off in Amsterdam, where he joined Dentsu ACHTUNG! and developed a passion for international, innovative design across advertising, branding, and digital media, contributing to projects that earned six silver Cannes Lions.
Back in Australia, Jack’s career continued to grow across agencies and clients spanning automotive, healthcare, government, culture, and telecommunications. He now leads as Senior Creative at Block, creating award-winning work.
Jack is also a dedicated mentor, supporting emerging creatives and volunteering with the Perth Advertising & Design Club. His curiosity, creativity, and collaborative approach continue to inspire those around him.
Jack’s presenting at PDW. His event is now sold out, but there’s still plenty to explore!
Check out our full program via link in bio or
#perth #designweek #perthevents #perthcity #perthdesigners @blockbranding
