The Latest at VOMP Studios - Happy Thanksgiving, Black Friday, and Cyber Monday since we’re all mad here anyway. Hope you’re crushing leftovers today.

This week’s riffs for the creative vandals, outlaws, misfits, and pirates of the internet:

• Create Cooler: 5 deck design lessons from Virgil Abloh

• Build Better: You need to define whatever the hell “good” is

• Earn Easier: The art of brand collaborations

• Break The Rules: A tribute to the most-photographed Aussie of all time

• The Hit List: Music to turn up and tune out

From Off-White to On-Point: 5 Presentation Design Tactics From Virgil Abloh

“I have this brand Off-White, only to tell stories. I don’t have it to do traditional fashion, because I don’t know that.” – Virgil Abloh

Virgil Abloh wasn’t just a fashion designer; he was a design disruptor, a storyteller, and a modern-day alchemist of creativity.

He was a true shaman of design, if you will, who was heavily influenced by a past designer we’ve covered - Massimo Vignelli.

Before his meteoric rise with Off-White and Louis Vuitton, Abloh cut his teeth in architecture and civil engineering.

Fun fact: he learned the basics of clothing design from his mom, a seamstress.

That foundation led him from interning at Fendi to reshaping the entire menswear landscape at Louis Vuitton.

So, what does Virgil Abloh’s genius have to do with your next presentation?

Everything.

Here are five of his design principles you can borrow to elevate your slides and blow your audience’s minds:

1. Keep It Modern

Abloh’s “3% approach”—tweaking existing designs just enough to make them fresh—is pure brilliance.

You don’t need to reinvent the wheel for your deck either.

Add a modern twist that makes it relevant and relatable.

Think streetwear meets slides: edgy, current, and unmistakably cool.

Pull inspiration from your surroundings or brand aesthetics—just keep it sharp and current.

2. Use Color to Evoke Emotion

Virgil’s Off-White wasn’t about literal black and white—it was about nuance, about playing in the “off” shades in between.

Sure, your brand colors are your go-to, but don’t shy away from bold pops that make people feel something.

Play with an electric yellow or an audacious red.

Just make sure your palette is on-brand and on-trend.

A great color story can turn your deck into an emotional rollercoaster—the good kind.

3. The Power of Visuals

Virgil’s designs scream, “look at me” without being obnoxious—a balance of minimalism and eye-catching appeal.

Same with Massimo Vignelli.

Your presentation visuals should do the same.

Use branded images, videos, or high-quality icons to create a vibe.

Pro tip: Humans are visual creatures—lean into that.

A killer image can say more than a thousand dry bullet points ever could.

4. Let Your Design Speak for Itself

Abloh mastered subtle statements—his use of “quotation marks” turned sneakers into a commentary.

Your slides can do the same.

Don’t clutter them with noise.

Instead, let your key points pop.

Use templates like word clouds or minimalist charts to make your point loud and clear.

People should get the message without needing a translator (You’re not Shohei Ohtani, big guy).

5. Storytelling Is Everything

Virgil said it himself: Off-White exists to tell stories, not to make traditional fashion.

Your deck should tell a story too.

What’s the narrative? Who’s your audience? What do you want them to feel, think, or do?

Lead with the story, and let your visuals and design amplify it.

A good story connects. A great story converts.

Hence why I call it Convert-Sational.

How to Handle Clients Who Think Comic Sans is King

Creative work is awesome… until you’re battling a client who insists Comic Sans is "fun" or that a giant logo smack-dab in the center of every product is “branding”.

Sound familiar? You’re not alone.

It’s peak Q4 and I’m remembering some experiences with past clients lately that made me wanna run a 5K into oncoming traffic.

The eternal struggle of bad taste versus good design is as old as design itself.

But fear not—here’s how you can gently help your clients understand that they don’t know what they don’t know:

Define What The Fuck "Good" Is Together

The word “good” is like pineapple on pizza—totally subjective.

Unlike ranch on pizza - which is what it was created for.

What’s tasteful to you might be tacky to someone else (looking at you stupid brands that remove vowels from your name).

The fix? Establish a shared definition of “good” before you dive in.

Break it down:

• Concert flyer: maybe "good" means wild, messy, and unaligned.

• Architecture book: clean, structured, and serene.

• Wedding invitation: elegant, strong, and connected.

Good design has rules, but your client needs to help set them.

Something I wish I realized earlier: Collaboration kills subjectivity.

Win-win.

Make "Bad" Impossible

Set criteria that’ll keep your project from spiraling into “the same as everybody else”.

Want a sharp, clean aesthetic?

Lock in font choices, a color palette, and a grid system before anyone starts getting "creative."

Think of it like guardrails for the client’s imagination—no more swerving off into WordArt territory.

Don’t believe me?

That’s how you go from the Tesla Model 3 to whatever the fuck Elon designed with the Cyber Truck.

3. Educate Gently (But Firmly)

You’re the expert here, not the yes-man.

You were hired for a reason, right?

When a client’s request makes you wince, explain why it’s not a good idea.

Use data if you’ve got it:

• “Bold reds and blues clash, which might confuse your audience instead of enticing them.”

• “Studies show audiences process simpler visuals 60% faster. Let’s streamline this.”

Don’t say:

• “This green looks like puppy shit.”

• “That idea is more complex than the CIA’s Kennedy files.”

Showing the logic behind your decisions without leading with emotion (even if you know better)?

That’s a game-changer.

Build for Their Audience, Not Their Ego

Sometimes, clients don’t even know what their audience wants.

That’s where you come in.

Frame your pushback around their end user:

• “Your audience is tech-savvy millennials, so this needs to look sleek and digital, not retro. We’re talking Apple not Samsung here.”

• “We’re targeting corporate execs, so Comic Sans is… probably not the vibe.”

The shift from “what the client wants” to “what the audience needs” can be subtle but effective.

And yields results (probably revenue).

… Which leads to a good chance they ask you to keep working together.

Know When to Walk Away

Not every client is worth the hassle.

READ THAT AGAIN.

If you’ve tried everything—educating, compromising, Jedi mind tricks—and they’re still dead set on trashy design, cut your losses.

You don’t wanna launch another Ed Hardy-looking campaign anyways.

Your portfolio doesn’t deserve to suffer just because someone insists on drop shadows and lens flares.

The Takeaway

Design is subjective, but success isn’t.

Your job is to bridge the gap between a client’s vision and what actually works.

That means collaborating, setting guardrails, and flexing your expertise.

And hey, if all else fails, just remember: “Be good, but know what good is.”

The Art of Masterful Brand Collaborations

In the world of direct-to-consumer (DTC) e-commerce, cross-brand collaboration is a secret weapon for innovation and growth.

Pairing distinct brand identities to create something that resonates with consumers is both a creative art and a strategic challenge.

It’s cool as shit when done correctly.

Remember last week’s riff on KITH x Batman? Exactly.

Here’s how brands have pulled this off in the last few years:

Innovating with Unlikely Pairings

Unlikely pairings can captivate audiences and drive massive sales—if done right.

Take Beekman 1802, a goat-milk skincare brand, joining forces with Nestlé Toll House.

Skincare and cookies?

Seems absurd, yet they pulled it off, generating over $1 million in sales within an hour of launch.

Bold brainstorming is key to landing on ideas that wow your audience.

Nostalgia Meets Modernity

Nostalgia is powerful, especially when paired with modern relevance.

Consider Sigma Beauty’s collaboration with Disney’s "Beauty and the Beast."

It blended iconic childhood memories with sophisticated, modern makeup, creating a product line that spoke to grown-up Disney fans.

The lesson? Tap into shared memories while giving them a contemporary twist.

Bold Storytelling

Authenticity and risk-taking drive bold storytelling.

oVertone, known for vibrant hair colors, teamed up with Franzia, the wine brand, for a campaign that broke beauty norms.

This unconventional partnership brought humor and creativity, proving how unique narratives can lead to unforgettable consumer experiences.

Choosing the Right Partner

Successful collaborations hinge on synergy.

It’s not just about combining two brands but finding partners whose values align.

The best partnerships complement and elevate both parties, creating something greater than the sum of their parts.

Engagement is Everything

Collaboration success often depends on audience engagement.

Interactive experiences and storytelling invite consumers into the narrative, fostering connection and long-term loyalty.

Relatability transforms a campaign into something personal and memorable.

Brand collaborations are evolving into vehicles for storytelling, authenticity, and unique consumer experiences.

Successful partnerships forge emotional connections and create offerings that stand out and endure.

Think differently, connect deeply, and aim to craft unforgettable moments.

When done well, a collaboration isn’t just a campaign—it’s a lasting impression.

Meet The Most Photographed Man in Australia

Alan Adler didn’t wake up one day and think, “You know what this world needs? A guy with 16 photo booths and a face so familiar it should be on stamps.”

But fate, or maybe just the crushing reality of capitalism, had other plans.

Back in the ’70s, Adler was just a regular grocer in Melbourne, duking it out against a supermarket that was systematically destroying his business.

While flipping through a local paper one day—probably over a cup of lukewarm coffee and a growing sense of doom—he saw an ad for photo booths.

The man took a leap of faith. Why? Because groceries weren’t paying the bills, and he figured people would always need photos.

Little did he know, this decision would make him a Melbourne icon.

Scratch that. A global icon.

A Million Photos and Counting. A Million!

Fast forward 50 years, and Adler’s photo booths have snapped over a million photos.

At one point, 16 of these black-and-white relics were scattered across Melbourne like little time machines.

Now? There’s just one, standing defiantly outside Flinders Street Station.

Twice a week, Adler’s 90-year-old self shuffles down to refill the chemicals, collect coins, and take a “selfie” test strip because, let’s face it, even legends need quality control.

Adler’s collection of selfies?

Hundreds of strips, spanning decades.

If narcissism had a patron saint, he’d be it. But let’s call it dedication instead.

A Cultural Landmark with Fans

This isn’t just any photo booth.

It’s the photo booth.

People leave love notes thanking Adler for preserving a slice of Melbourne’s soul.

Some families return every year to document their kids growing up.

One woman even told Adler her parents used the booth 40 years ago.

That’s right—his booth isn’t just a photo op; it’s a legacy.

But it’s not all nostalgia and fan letters.

A few years back, corporate overlords tried to evict the booth during a station refurbishment. Adler had 10 days to pack up and leave.

Enter Christopher Sutherland, a film student who took Adler’s plight to social media.

The internet did what it does best—it got loud.

Public outcry saved the booth, proving that even in a digital age, analog still has its champions.

I freakin’ love the internet.

The Price of Staying Old-School

Running a photo booth in 2024 isn’t a walk in the park.

Paper costs have skyrocketed thanks to a little thing called “the war in Russia,” which has jacked up prices from $100 to $800 per roll.

(Go step on Lego in a dark room, Putin.)

Chemicals? Harder to get than a smile from a DMV employee.

And let’s not forget the looming specter of digital photography, which has made analog machines seem about as practical as a rotary phone.

But Adler isn’t giving up.

He’ll keep the booth alive as long as his body—and wallet—can handle it.

After that? Who knows. Maybe someone will take over. Maybe the booth will get relocated.

Or maybe it’ll just fade away, like so many other analog treasures.

A Moment In Time, Saved

For Adler, the booth isn’t just a business.

It’s a memory vault.

He’s got albums filled with strips from friends and family, many of whom are no longer around.

He’ll flip through them occasionally, not to mourn, but to remember.

Because that’s what these photos are: moments frozen in time, little fragments of life that refuse to be forgotten.

A Legacy in Black and White

As Adler celebrates 50 years in the photo booth game, he’s not just the guy who owns a machine…

He’s a keeper of stories, a curator of moments.

The world might be going digital, but his booth stands as a testament to the power of simplicity and authenticity.

Because no matter how advanced technology gets, nothing beats the charm of a proper photo booth.

Alan Adler: the grocer who turned lemons into black-and-white snapshots and became a Melbourne legend.

Here’s to the next million photos—if the chemicals hold out.

Check out this article sharing a ton of his selfies.

Different creative pursuits call for different music to jam to. Here’s what I jammed to this week on The Vomp Playlist: