There is another indie player on the scene in the Australian market, with Paul Hoskins and Nick Davis launching their own strategy and design agency, Superunknown.

The duo, hailing from the client and agency side respectively, have been working together since 2018, when they launched their micro consultancy, EveryHow.

Previously, Hoskins ran Etsy in Australia, launched goodwork (a venture-funded startup), and led digital transformation at Medibank and ANZ. Meanwhile, Davis formerly headed up Landor in Melbourne where he rebranded the Australian Open and created the Anko brand for Kmart, and prior to that led strategy at Interbrand where he worked on Australia Post, REA Group, and ahm.

Superunknown's mantra is 'Design with the future in mind', indicating an innovation-led approach to its work on brands, products, and experiences. The agency aims to create impact in four specific sectors: Education, Health, Community, and Technology.

The agency, which was quietly launched in May this year, has already secured a number of foundation clients, including Orygen Digital, University of Melbourne, EACH community health, Save the Children, Monash IVF Group, and Publift.

"The notion of ‘innovate or die’ once carried a lot of drama but nowadays it’s common sense for brands and businesses. We’re here to help our clients imagine truly future-ready brands and digital platforms," said Davis.

Since its inception, the agency has grown steadily, making key hires including Carlo Mussett (Design Lead), Gareth Joe (Strategy Lead), Mathieu Burton (Designer), and Sally Coldham (UX Designer).

"In the last few years, we’ve done a lot of work with organisations in these sectors—they’re domains that we’re passionate about and where we have the expertise to make a difference. Moreover, we feel these sectors present the biggest opportunities to design better futures," said Hoskins.