Naomi Akikusa-Dawber
                                       













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Naomi Akikusa-Dawber is a Creative Director and Producer based in Naarm/Melbourne. At the heart of her practice is an interest in tone and emotional clarity—the invisible work behind how things feel. For the past decade, Naomi’s built a body of work across branding, design and cultural storytelling. In 2017 she co-founded Play On Play Studio, a design practice known for its playful, purposeful approach. Naomi has also been a core part of the Ladies of Leisure collective (2016–2020), an independent platform for women and non-binary creatives. Today, Naomi is the Creative Director of SEQUEL (est. 2025), a Naarm/Melbourne Based multi-displinary studio where film production meets design. 


Represented by Haven’t You Done Well ** indicates via Play On Play Studio

AWARDS
Good Design Awards  |  Green Winner  |   Project: Weave (2025) **
AGDA Awards  |  Finalist  |  Project: Weave  (2025) **
 AGDA Awards  |  Merit  |  Project: Piccolina  (2023) **
The Brand Indentity  |  Poster Competition  |  Winner  |  Out of Time Poster  (2023) **

PANELS / DISCUSSIONS
Melbourne Design Week: Breaking the Pixel Ceiling ED2  |  Panel Host (2024) **
Melbourne Design Week: Breaking the Pixel Ceiling ED1  |  Panel Host  (2023) **
The Design Kids: TDK Tuesdays  |  Guest Speaker  (2022) **
RMIT: Graduate Festival of Design  |  Alumni  |  Guest Speaker  (2020) **
AGDA: First Five Out  |  Guest Speaker  (2019) **
General Assembly: VICE Presents: How to Respond to a Design Brief  | Guest Moderator (2019)
General Assembly: VICE Presents: Hot to Respond to a Design Brief  |  Guest Speaker (2018) **

FEATURES / PRESS
Offcuts  |  Print Feature  “Poster Archive 200”  (2025) **
The Brand Identity  |  Feature, Interview  (2024) **
Broadsheet  |  Article  |  Piccolina Campaign  (2023) **
Counterprint Books  |  Print Feature  “Colour Clash”  (2023) **
The Design Kids  |  Feature  (2023) **
Projekt Mono  |  Feature  (2023) **
Blaze Type  |  Feature  (2023) **
Design by Women  |  Feature  (2023) **
The Brand Identity  |  Feature  (2022) **
AGDA  |  Social Media Takeover  (2022) **
Address Magazine  |  Feature  (2022) **
RMIT  |  Alumni Feature  (2019) **
It’s Nice That  |  Feature  (2018) **
i-D  |  Ladies of Leisure Feature  (2018)  Freelance

KONPIRA MARU WINE
2025
Wine Label Design, Creative Direction
Client: Chunky Move
Client Lead: Jahlia Sara
Design Creative Director: Naomi Akikusa-Dawber 
Supporting Designer: Lucy Fry
Photoshoot Creative Directors: Naomi Akikusa-Dawber, Lucy Fry
Photographer: Sam Linford