Somewhere between the second glass of wine and the last slice of cheese, a design studio was born. Now it’s a thriving practice.

The Team

  • A woman with dark hair and glasses smiling behind a mask, with palm leaf decorations and a desk with some objects in the background.

    Fran Collings

    Director - Senior Designer

  • A woman with shoulder-length dark hair, wearing glasses on her head, smiling at the camera, in a black and white photo.

    Sam Kahl

    Director - Senior Designer

  • A woman with long dark hair, wearing glasses and a patterned shirt, is laughing or smiling and looking to her right, with a leafy plant in the background.

    Bora Lim

    Senior Designer

  • Close-up of a woman with a joyful expression, smiling and showing her teeth, in a lively indoor setting.

    Lisa Power-Mirfin

    Senior Designer

  • Black and white photo of a woman with long dark hair, smiling, wearing an earring, and a top with a wide neckline.

    Francesca Corona

    Senior Designer

  • A man with glasses and a short haircut, wearing a t-shirt, sits with his hand resting against his chin, smiling slightly at the camera against a plain dark background.

    Will Ainger

    Senior Designer

It’s not just our process, it’s what sits behind it. Years in the trenches with government and corporate teams have taught us how to cut through complexity and design with clarity.

We started with a small, slightly risky idea after seven years working side-by-side in a cross-government studio. We jumped in, teamed up, got comfortable, tripped over a few things, learned quickly, Irish danced and figured out how to make a partnership work well.

Along the way, we took on responsibility, not just for the work, but for the people relying on us. We learned how to make the tough calls, and move forward when things got hard.

Somewhere between the early chaos and the late-night problem solving, we grew up.

What we have now is a studio that feels grounded, considered and genuinely collaborative. Still curious, still evolving, but with the kind of clarity and confidence that only comes from taking the journey.

OÚ - Pronounced

OOH LALA = OÚ

Why OÚ?

OÚ is French for ‘where’. We love it because the journey is always so much more interesting than the destination.

(also Sam is a Francophile)

Our story.

Those who’ve been with us since the very beginning of OU Design back in 2016 will remember our first “office”, AKA a corner table at the Union Hotel in Fitzroy, where the planning was ambitious and the wine definitely helped.

Our first proper space came soon after: a lovely, light-filled office perched above the Carlton institution Madame Frou Frou. It was charming, but between the temptation of local food and the reality that our growing client base were in the city, we quickly outgrew it.

Next stop was WeWork on Elizabeth Street. It was buzzing, social and full of opportunity. We met great people, attended inspiring salons and survived more than a few legendary parties… though at times it felt like we were working inside a well-designed frat house.

Eventually, we decided it was time to pop our big girl pants on and get a place of our own. Alongside another like-minded business, we moved into a loft on Hardware Lane. It gave us room to think, create and build a vibe that was entirely ours. We also opened a collaborative hot desk space, bringing in designers and small agencies to share ideas, energy and the occasional Friday afternoon debrief.

Then COVID arrived, and like many, we had to let the space go and rethink everything.

What came next was a shift we hadn’t planned for, but wouldn’t change. We became a fully remote studio.

We miss the shared lunches and spontaneous desk chats, but what we’ve gained has been invaluable; flexibility, balance and the ability to focus deeply on the work itself. Our team is now spread across three states and New Zealand, working from wherever they feel most at home. We’ve kept our roots in Melbourne and now have a satellite office in Brisbane, but the way we work is no longer tied to a single place.

This is OU Design today. A connected, collaborative team that knows how to work together, wherever we are. We love what we do, and we think it shows in how we partner with our clients and in the care we bring to every piece of work.

A large white vase filled with green foliage and white flowers on a wooden table, with a black bottle, glassware, and a coaster nearby. Two black and white framed botanical prints of palm trees hang on the wall in the background.