Extra-
blackground

About

We are a friendly team of highly experienced designers and strategic business and marketing thinkers.

We change the way people think by creating smart communication and exciting visuals that connect businesses and organisations to their audience.

The difference lies in our service. It’s a people business and we enjoy working with people and have fun doing it, knowing that our proven 5 Ex Method continues to deliver unique outcomes and long lasting results.

We believe in offering quality and value to clients who understand the power of design and brand communication and want to make a difference.

We love what we do and know the power of design.

  • Growing team
    7 and counting
  • Founded 2012
  • Branding, property,
    signage and wayfinding
  • Internationally
    experienced
  • Leadership team
    day to day involvement
  • Silent achievers
    award-winning

How we do

We have a proven process we call the 'Five Ex' method.

  • Extract

    Through deep questioning and listening we gain a clear understanding of the business imperatives and issues.

  • Examine

    Analyse the challenges and identify the potential opportunities.

  • Explore

    Explore a raft of creative possibilities and thought provoking ideas while searching for ‘the magic’.

  • Excite

    Develop transformational creative solutions that hit the mark with your audience.

  • Execute

    Deliver across all channels for digital, print, motion, workplace and signage.

Leadership team

  • Ray Parslow
    Founder, Creative Director

    Ray is an award-winning designer and one of Australia’s leading proponents of brand and experiential graphic design. With over 30 years experience developing brands across multiple sectors and channels, he brings this experience to each project.

    For experiential projects, he is well versed in designing and developing signage and wayfinding systems, sign hierarchies and bespoke sign forms that respond to both audience and architectural considerations within the public domain, with a focus on civic, hospitality, infrastructure, community and workplace.

    Ray works closely with the client and design teams on including brand and wayfinding strategies, user group workshops and consultation, concept design, ideation and creative direction through to documentation, implementation and delivery. Ray leads the team at Extrablack.

  • Stuart Keith
    Business Director

    Stuart brings a strong and proven marketing and sales expertise to the Extrablack business. Over his career Stuart has gained a deep understanding of the importance of brand strategy, the power of design when grounded in sound strategy and the way it can transform businesses and how they are perceived.

    Supporting an over arching business strategy, Stuart’s expertise comes through to ensure alignment of marketing strategy and tactics to generate leads, through to sales conversion and the measurement of these key areas.

    With a focus on new business and client management, he also plays an operational role and is responsible to ensure delivery of projects. Key strengths include high-level client engagement across multiple stakeholders and industry sectors, new business, proposal and budget development, and business resource management. Stuart is experienced at delivering large scale projects locally and internationally, for some of the biggest brands in the country.