One of my great pleasures in producing The Mandarin‘s columnists’ articles is working with our design department to come up with feature images for them.
Here are my favourite images Zennie and Emma Bemrose created for our Premium columns in 2023, in no particular order.
Are regulators watchdogs or guide dogs?
By Richard Mulgan, August
Brief given to Design: Being a watchdog (calling out non-compliance) must take precedence over being a guide dog (education) with regulators.
I loved this image from Emma because I was expecting a pic of two ordinary dogs. What I got was this wonderfully whacky yet sophisticated composite image of people with dog heads. Despite my saying these pics are in no particular order, this one was my overall favourite.
Part 1: The mysterious world of public service craft
By Sean Innis, August
Brief given to Design: Exploring the role public service policy advice played in robodebt, and its relationship to the Jedi-like world of public service craft.
Zennie has a particular flair for the abstract and is the visual equivalent of a poet. I really didn’t have an idea of what Design was going to do with the brief I gave them, so when I saw this from Zennie, I was humbled. Many elements went into this composite, and a shade of orange not usually seen in Mandarin pics. What’s more, this was one of three images in a short series, and the other two Zennie did were just as striking.
Coalition scandals the gift that keeps on giving, but time is of the essence
By Verona Burgess, August
Brief given to Design: ‘The Coalition’s past transgressions may be a veritable feast for the Albanese government, but it’s the one that has to fix them.’
Instead of the clock or stopwatch playing off the article’s headline that I was expecting to be drawn, Emma surprised and schooled me in her talent with a play on the word ‘feast’ from the snippet. I gasped in delight when I saw it.
Mookhey’s NSW Budget sells the back-to-normal dream
By Julian Bajkowski, September
Brief given to Design: Mookhey looks more orthodox than many to his left would have liked.
It was actually quite a ‘meh’ source image of Mookhey; he should have worn aviators — but that would have made him cool in a way that contradicted the headline. Zennie presented us with a cool image from a conventional photo, and that’s the value she brings.
Never say never: Recycled secretaries in vogue
By Verona Burgess, June
Brief given to Design: Lunch at the Commonwealth Club, anyone? How times have changed for department secretaries.
My face lit up with a huge smile when Emma sent me this pic that she’d worked up for Verona’s sassy article. The orange popped out at me; the helix staircase of ‘department secretaries’ walking up and down was just so stylish and on the nail.
Climate change litigation exposes risks to investments and sovereign bond markets
By Binoy Kampmark, September
Brief given to Design: A court settlement means a statement will be added to Treasury’s website acknowledging climate change is a systemic risk to bond value.
I adore colour and seldom wear black (which makes me an odd Melbournian), so when Zennie sent me this to go with the article, I sat and stared at it in a trance. The composition pic nailed the brief and caught the eye and held it.
Australia’s FOI regime shrouded in impenetrable secrecy
By Binoy Kampmark, October
Brief given to Design: FOI is no such thing.
A brutally short brief was given to Design, and I got back this Brutalist pic in return. Expecting an abstract collage of deep shadows, Zennie kept it light and clever, with gradient shading of the purple on the safe (which was originally gold in colour). Minimalistic sophistication.
Public service values Part 4: Implementing stewardship
By Sean Innis, November
Brief given to Design: One day, every Australian public servant will wake up ready to incorporate stewardship into their work.
This pic was for one piece in a three-article series that Zennie designed for. There’s only so much you can do with ‘stewardship’; I really liked the colouring of all the elements in this pic. The captain’s-wheel-on-the-custard-powder-yellow-mug looks very galley-kitchen-like, and the building lobby made purple & grey looks like an ocean liner’s interior. Very clever.
Giant canary sings of public-service lawyers
By Verona Burgess, November
Brief given to Design: Robodebt may be the giant canary in the coal mine of the wider APS.
An instance of needing to remain respectful of the robodebt circumstances while staying true to The Mandarin and Verona’s mutual like of striking imagery, Zennie was able to avoid a dark coal mine and go with a bright yellow canary on top of legal books. Class all the way.
Annual migration of politicians heralds the Christmas season
By Verona Burgess, December
Brief given to Design: They all depart for Christmas hols.
This image drew out the evil cackle that involuntarily escapes me when we step right up to the edge and go hard. For this one, Zennie had to call and ask me for more direction than that provided in my rather pathetic brief. I told her “African animals fleeing Parliament House”. This is what came back, and I love it.
And that’s it from me! I hope you enjoyed the Design team’s feature images throughout the year as much as I did.
Any feedback or news tips? Here’s where to contact the relevant team.