10 Year Anniversary - As a young designer, I was proud...

15-Sep-2010 Sydney, 10 years ago was a buzz with the thrill of the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games!

I was a young designer, working for a design and branding studio in Sydney. I had been given the ultimate opportunity to design the graphics for a brand new product - that I also helped design the actual product itself - in conjunction with my Director Guy Faber and the team in China from the Cheerine Group.

It was an amazing time, the city of Sydney was on a high and celebrating as the world's attention cast their eyes on Sydney. I was so proud to see my designs appearing on the big screen in the arena of the Opening Ceremony and the whole arena sparkling.

The product was called Cheerband. (pictured left - lower right corner of picture). It was a flashing wristband that was given to each of the 110,000 people at the ceremony. The bands are battery operated high tech wristbands, inlaid with motion sensitive micro lights which flash when the wearer claps or waves. My role was to design the logo for 'Cheerband' and the graphics on the wristband along with the packaging that the band was in. There was also promotional material including trade presenters etc. It was designed with the intention of making it a wonderful momento for all the attendees of the Opening Ceremony, Olympic Games 2000, Sydney.

We also designed different versions that contained graphics depicting Sydney and Australian Animals (momento's for our International visitors to the games). These were sold throughout the Olympics on site.

I know that the designs I developed back then have their little place in Australia's history. This is a humbling thought for me as a designer. It is amusing to seeing the Cheerband being sold on Ebay as 'Sydney Olympic memorabilia'!


Louise Sykes,
Director of Visual Strategies