Wordplay Radio

Lobster Shack 07 - DJ Drunckle by Wordplay Studio

Lobster Shack 06 - Astronafrica by Wordplay Studio

Welcome aboard the Charlotiinha ~ @charlotiinha ~ sailboat express to Brazilian Disco faves. Swashbuckle up with the dancing Dona Garça, a giant white heron bird that is often found in the middle of the pitiú, for a wild river ride full of funky tunes and saucy forró e samba moves. All hands on deck for a hip-shaking good time that’ll keep you grooving til the lobsters come home. Recorded on May 2, 2020. For Upcoming Lobster Shack DJ Sets: facebook.com/pg/wordplaystudionews/events/

In tonight’s delivery of live sets from the Lobster Shack, we welcome Tobias (@tobiasdelamerevogel), one half of @eartoearmusic, aboard for an exquisitely curated ride through his sound catalogue. It’s like bathing in a full-bodied sparkling shiraz. From soft and dreamy ambient beginnings through to jungle, reggae, techno, r&b and rare finds, leave your cares to the wind and let Tobias do the steering. Recorded on April 18, 2020. For Upcoming Lobster Shack DJ Sets: facebook.com/pg/wordplaystudionews/events/

Travel to a place beyond borders with one of the most prolific global beat collectors as your guide. Heating up the Lobster Shack for Vol.3 of our live DJ sets, André Meyer ~@andremeyer~ delivers 3hrs of nonstop tribal rhythms perfect for those with stomping feet and floating minds. Strap in for a heart-thumping voyage of the cosmic kind. . . Recorded on April 11, 2020. For Upcoming Lobster Shack DJ Sets: facebook.com/pg/wordplaystudionews/events/

For the second instalment of the Lobster Shack Live DJ Sessions, we are led by GOHS ~@gohs-music ~ designer of sonic journeys and head honcho of Zandoli Arts Collective @zandoliparadisco, on a dance around the world. Hailing from the tropical island oasis of New Caledonia, GOHS will take you sailing through his vast collection of global sounds in this lively and eclectic set that is sure to get your temperature rising. Recorded on April 4, 2020. Watch GOHS' Live Set: youtube.com/watch?v=SBHaXClmS7M For Upcoming Lobster Shack DJ Sets: facebook.com/pg/wordplaystudionews/events/

For the very first Lobster Shack Live DJ Set, we were honoured to have Captain Fellipe Abdalla ~ @txaifellipe ~ at the helm for a 5 hour journey through tropical paradise. As anyone who has crossed his path will say, Fellipe is a master storyteller, with intimate knowledge and endless tales of all the Brazilian greats. Turn up the bass and get ready to bunda-shake your way through the galaxy. Recorded on 28 March, 2020. Watch Fellipe's Live Set: youtube.com/watch?v=HKSJYjM5rSQ&t=845s For Upcoming Lobster Shack DJ Sets: facebook.com/pg/wordplaystudionews/events/

If you've ever had to sync your sleep cycle with your uniforms wash cycle for your second job, you’ll understand what’s going on in this rather stormy episode. After the sugar high comes the sugar crash and the founders face a major burnout that leaves them all in a collective struggle with energy levels low and tensions high.

Adopting Co-design as a new WordPlay process opened us up to a whole new way of working, removing barriers of collaborative design and workshops. Creating unexpected avenues of meeting new clients with strong bonds being formed through the process.

The Wordplay team cross paths with a couple of people who introduce them to new ways of working, a pivotal moment for Wordplay and the way the team approaches design solutions. Matt and Gail Taylor, masters of the co-design process and founders of the MG Taylor Methodology share their origin story and how they formed their process back in 1979. After realising that the world was going to need a capability to solve complex problems in the not so distant future.

In Episode 3, Tom, Rix and Luke adjust to their new creative home at the Michael Crouch Innovation Centre (MCIC) at UNSW, and begin activating the MCIC brand in collaboration with some very important mentors. For this episode, we catch up with our mentor/collaborator, Bradley ‘Brad’ Furber Snr., Chief Operating Officer of the MCIC at the time, who fondly recalls our transition from the public library to one of Sydney’s most exciting new innovation hubs.

Tom, Rix and Luke revisit some of the dazzling highs and devastating lows that defined WordPlay’s early days as a business. As we begin hustling for new clients and embarking on our first major projects, we uncover some of the pitfalls we faced whilst juggling second jobs and an ever-evolving studio situation. We talk to Sean Hurley, a good friend and fellow designer, and get his perspective on what it was like to hop on board with us during this pivotal chapter in our journey.

This is the story of how WordPlay Studio came to be, as told by the founders: Rix Lee, Tom Horne and Luke Anderson - three mates with a bold vision to start their own design studio in Sydney with no savings and zero funding. In Episode 1, we take you back to where it all began. From street art sketchbooks to the San Fran startup scene, we recall the people, places and events that brought us together, inspired us, and led us to create the purpose-driven design agency that is WordPlay Studio. Shoutout to Lean Koo, (pictured, right), the first guest in this series, who helped us to formalise WordPlay as a business back in 2015.