Derek Samuel and Cat Burgess join Designworks

Designworks Sydney has secured two of the industry’s most respected practitioners as part of its strategy to become Australia’s leading agency focused on design thinking.

Multi-award-winning creative director Derek Samuel comes from an international career of over 20 years based in New York and London, developing solutions for high profile brands such as Liberty of London, Aveda, Harrods Nestle, Gillette, Diageo and Brown Forman.

Upon returning to Australia, Samuel spent time as art director of the Melbourne Magazine, during which time it won an Australian Magazine of the Year award.

Samuel is joined by leading brand strategist Cat Burgess, who was formerly in the seat of strategy director at Frost* having been with the studio for over 10 years.

Burgess has led major rebrands for the Sydney Opera House, Broken Hill and the State Library of NSW. Her experience spans a diverse client base including Qantas, Sydney Airport, Frasers Property, Macquarie Group and Four Seasons Hotels.

Together Samuel and Burgess extend Designworks’ already strong capabilities in strategic branding and engagement, and add new depths of expertise in beauty, fashion, F&B, luxury, property, cultural and destination branding.

Designworks CEO Sven Baker says the new recruits form part of a larger plan to build the Designworks Group into a major player throughout the Australasian region. Designworks now has offices in Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland and Wellington and is eyeing opportunities in Asia.

Says Baker: “Design thinking is becoming critically important in leading businesses in the face of a radically shifting consumer landscape. Not only do we help brands to position and identify them, we go far beyond into helping businesses to transform and become more accessible and appealing to their customers.”