SCT feature in ‘The Case For Export’

Design Victoria recently sat down with Brad Smith for an interview to be included in ‘The Case For Export: A collection of case studies about exporting design.’

By Holly

The booklet, a Victorian Government incentive, features Australian case studies of successful design export, tips for successful exporting and recommended resources for further information.

SCT is very proud to be featured as an example of one of Australia’s design export success stories.

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Square Circle Triangle are shapes found in nature. These shapes are also fundamental to the Bauhaus School, the modernist school of design founded in Germany in the early part of the 20th Century. Square Circle Triangle is also the name of a web design and development company in Fitzroy, Melbourne. Founded 13 years ago and owned and operated by directors Brad Smith and Paul Wilson, the company has steered along the digital road rather than staying with pure graphic design services.

One of the company’s main growth areas is Blocks Global. Blocks Global is a web-based marketing application that empowers marketing teams by removing the reliance on  IT departments and agencies. “It allows clients to manage and distribute all their own digital and marketing material,” says Smith.

One of Square Circle Triangle’s larger clients is the integrated real estate group, Mirvac, with the company developing Mirvac’s websites for their global operation. Another large client is [yellow tail], one of Australia’s great wine success stories. “They are one of the largest exporters of wine to the US market with around 13 million cases of wine each year,” says Smith.

Square Circle Triangle also works with two other web agencies overseas, developing global brand strategies. One of Square Circle Triangle’s champions for export was business advisor Bob Beaumont, described by Smith as a ‘business angel’.  ”Bob identifies businesses with high potential that engage in smart technology,” says Smith. Wilson also led the company through a six month Global Access Program (GAP) with the University of California in Los Angeles where MBA students evaluated Blocks Global’s market readiness and opportunity. “The students were upfront about Blocks Global from the start. The feedback at the time was that it required further development,” says Smith.

Blocks Global later became a separate arm of Square Circle Triangle and with this new business direction, suitable staff were required. ”A team is everything,” says Smith, referring to both his staff in the Melbourne office and the people they work and collaborate with abroad.

Smith also attributes Blocks Global’s development, growth and success to COMET (Commercialising Emerging Technologies),  a program administered by AusIndustry, which he has been involved in for the past few years. ”We’ve also found the government’s short courses on export to be insightful,” says Smith.

Square Circle Triangle has been self funded from its inception. “It has been a challenge. We’ve just developed slowly, but surely, and I’d have to say we’ve never been busier,” says Smith.

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