Visual communication for the built environment wayfinding | placemaking | interpretation | celebration



The long and the short

It was with a dot and a dash—or a “dit” and a “dah”—that a man named Morse proposed an inventive new mode of communication. One that could span vast distances, cut through noise, and deliver its message. And so when Mark Ross and Despina Macris started their small, can-do design studio in Brisbane in the late 80s, “Dot Dash” seemed like a pretty good call sign. Dot Dash began transmitting in 1988, doing a little bit of everything. In recent years, the studio has sharpened its focus to specialise in visual communication for the built environment:

Wayfinding
Helping us to find our place, follow our path and reach our destination in an increasingly complicated landscape.

Placemaking
Defining, expressing and branding the character, culture and spirit of a place. Placemaking may communicate one central idea, or integrate many separate elements.

Interpretation
Contributing to the understanding and appreciation of a place by communicating the stories and histories or the social and cultural context behind it.

Celebration
Capturing and expressing the spirit and vision of a significant place or major event. Visual communication that enhances the experience and accessibility of the places we inhabit.

From your local library to the Olympic Games

Today, Dot Dash has studios in Sydney and Brisbane, servicing projects Australia-wide. Dot Dash has also completed projects in New Zealand, Hong Kong, the United Arab Emirates and Greece.

Dot Dash has delivered visual communication programs for a wide range of large and complex built environments ...

People like you working with people like you

Dot Dash clients include government authorities, councils, major contractors, project managers and property developers. The studio is regularly referred by—and collaborates with—other design professionals, such as architects and landscape architects.

The Dot Dash team comprises design professionals from diverse backgrounds— graphic design, industrial design, architecture and engineering. The studio’s services include: Dot Dash is a member of international design communities:
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Team Olympic

In January 2008 Dot Dash teamed with colleague Looksport to provide wayfinding consultancy services to the Beijing Organising Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG).

We are now working with BOCOG’s in-house venue wayfinding team to pull together a hands-on interactive guidelines manual for the planning, design and roll-out of the competition venue wayfinding systems. When completed in March, this tool will be presented and distributed to all 35 competition venue management teams to complete their individual venue sign packages for procurement.

We are enjoying a very positive and constructive working relationship with our clients, as we all know that the key to a great outcome is.......teamwork.

Opening date for the Beijing 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games is 08/08/08.

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Dot Dash Company Profile