Ethical Design Co.

04/05/2026

𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: A personal reflection from our co-director, Caitlin...

Becoming a mother has changed me in ways I’m still finding words for.

There’s a name for it, matrescence: the messy, beautiful, all-encompassing transition into motherhood. It cracked me open. It asked more of me than anything ever has.

For me, as I’m sure is true for many others, it has been one of the most profound and transformative experiences of my life. As a first-time mum, after a difficult pregnancy marked by daily sickness for 41 weeks, pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood felt bigger than anything I’d ever known.

With an intense, driven, overachieving ADHD brain already wired for spiralling, catastrophising, and imagining every possible outcome, stepping into the unknown of motherhood often felt enormous. It was relentless, tender, exciting, and terrifying all at once.

But on the other side of that fear is our healthy, happy baby, and a version of me that feels changed.

Stronger, softer, steadier.

Moving through something so vulnerable and life-altering has shifted my perspective. Things that once felt daunting or intimidating, in business and in life, don’t quite hold the same power they used to.

I’m returning to Ethical Design Co. with a calmer nervous system, deeper trust in myself, renewed courage, and new energy for what’s ahead.

Motherhood has stretched me in every direction. It has also made me more grounded in who I am, what matters most, and how I want to show up.

I know now that I would do anything for my daughter – for her safety, happiness, and security – and that fierce love has sharpened my sense of purpose and deepened my drive for the future of our small business.

And I’m bringing that energy with me into the rest of 2026 and beyond. 💪

26/04/2026

🤩 We’re proud to share our design work for the 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗛𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸, created for Landcare Victoria as part of the 𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁.

📗 This project gave us the opportunity to apply Landcare Victoria’s established brand guidelines in a different way. Unlike the reports we often design, this piece needed to function as a practical handbook – something more instructional, accessible and easy to navigate for its intended audience. Because the publication was designed for print and intended to read more like a manual than a report, we approached the layout carefully to support the handbook’s usability.

🎯 The handbook brings together key principles and practical steps to help landcare organisations develop a Landscape Action Plan for their area, drawing on expert knowledge, pilot project learnings and collaborative methodologies developed over three years.

🤝 It was a pleasure to work on a publication that supports community-led landscape planning and practical environmental action across Victoria.

🎉 Congratulations to Landcare Victoria and all project partners involved in bringing this valuable resource to life.

12/03/2026

♻️ This was a great read on circular economy thinking in practice – from ethical fashion and food redistribution to building reuse. It’s a good reminder that real circularity isn’t just about recycling more, but about reducing waste at the source, keeping resources in use for longer and centring equity alongside environmental outcomes 👉 https://mattersjournal.com/stories/circular-economy-solutions-from-fashion-to-food

Fast fashion, food waste, and construction all reveal how much our economy relies on disposable habits, but circular economy asks us to choose wisely, value more, and put human wellbeing and planetary health at the center of economic life. By Daniel Vlahek

19/02/2026

Our fabulous lead designer, Sonja, has just published a new article exploring the key annual report design trends shaping 2026 – from digital-first layouts and accessibility to integrated sustainability reporting and clearer data visualisation.

If you’re planning your next annual or sustainability report, this is a helpful overview of where reporting design is heading and how organisations are adapting to evolving expectations.

Read the full article 👉

Explore the top annual report design trends for 2026, including sustainability reporting, accessibility, digital-first layouts and ESG-focused design.

17/02/2026

🌿 A little late to share, but we had the pleasure of designing 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗩𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮 𝗜𝗻𝗰.’𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 𝗔𝗻𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 (released in May 2025) for the fourth consecutive year.

🤝 We worked closely with the Landcare Vic team to design a report that reflects their ongoing impact supporting environmental volunteers across the state.

📈 The report balances strong visual storytelling with clear structure, helping communicate their growth, advocacy efforts and community engagement throughout 2024.

📗 The annual report is available to download on their website alongside previous reports and publications 👉
https://landcarevictoria.org.au/annualreports

05/02/2026

Excited to share our latest website project for 𝗢𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶 – an AI-powered platform helping teams develop medicines smarter, faster, and more equitably.

𝗢𝗸𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗶 is building the world’s first cognitive infrastructure for medicine development, connecting knowledge, workflows, and community to support better decision-making and collaboration across the sector.

We worked closely with their team to design and build a new site that clearly communicates their mission, expertise, and impact.

Explore the site 👉 https://www.oktopi.com/

13/01/2026

Pleased to share that Ethical Design Co. has been recognised in the 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐂 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐀𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 as:

🏆 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧 & 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓 – 𝐀𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐚

Recognition like this reinforces why we do what we do – working with organisations that care about people, the planet and sustainable, long-term outcomes.

Thank you to our clients for the trust and shared commitment that makes this work possible.

𝐄𝐃𝐂𝐨.𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐚𝐠𝐞 👉 https://apacinsider.digital/winners/ethical-design-co-3/

01/01/2026

✨ Wishing everyone a safe and happy New Year from the team at Ethical Design Co. 💜

We’re grateful for the meaningful collaborations, sustainability-focused and purpose-driven projects, and the wonderful clients we’ve worked with this year. As we step into 2026, we’re looking forward to creating more positive impact together.

We’ll be back in the office from 5 January – see you then! 🫡

10/12/2025

Thank you to Fifteen Trees for the handwritten notes, and for the ongoing updates on the trees planted through our Subscriptions for the Planet. 🌿✉️

Always grateful to support projects that regenerate and restore our beautiful Australian landscapes. 🌳💚

Want to reduce your carbon footprint? Learn more here 👉 https://15trees.com.au/

08/10/2025

🌿 More spreads from the 𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑–𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 (launched September 2025).

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞: “Fusing Threads in a Changing World.”

📊 For this edition we dialled up custom visuals and infographics to make complex data and processes faster to comprehend and the report more memorable. The interactive 94-page PDF includes bookmarks, cross-links and a smart TOC for smooth navigation. We also structured the content to support TAL’s shift toward more frequent online storytelling.

👉 Swipe for highlights from the graphic-heavy 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 section – GHG trends, wastewater upgrades, waste hierarchy and disposal methods.

08/10/2025

📗 We recently worked on the copy editing, proofreading and visual design for 𝐓𝐀𝐋 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥’𝐬 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑–𝟐𝟒 𝐒𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐑𝐞𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 (launched September 2025).

🧵 TAL Apparel is a global leader in responsible apparel manufacturing, with sustained commitments across climate action, waste reduction, circularity and worker wellbeing.

👉 Swipe to see some of our fresh layouts.