Solid Yarns

Australia's design industry lacks accessible, practice-based guidance for working ethically with First Nations creatives. Existing frameworks fail to address contemporary design workflows and the realities of Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), leaving critical knowledge gaps. Meanwhile, First Nations creatives carry a disproportionate burden, repeatedly investing cultural labour to educate clients on practices that should already be understood. The realities of respectful collaboration - how to build relationships, navigate ICIP, and share knowledge ethically remain largely invisible. Solid Yarns was created to open these conversations, centre lived experience, and build a more culturally capable design industry.

Solid Yarns is a five-part podcast series, with each episode pairing a First Nations artist with their industry collaborator to unpack the process of collaboration. By foregrounding dialogue and conversation, the podcast translates complex practices including ICIP and cultural protocols into accessible, real-world insights for the design industry. Across placemaking, publishing, architecture, and advertising, episodes bring often private commercial interactions into a public resource for Australia's design industry. Made possible with support from the Alastair Swayn Foundation, Solid Yarns builds industry capability and supports more culturally safe, Indigenous-led design practice.

Solid Yarns is already demonstrating measurable impact. Since launch, the series has generated over 400 streams and downloads, with Episode 1, Understanding ICIP, attracting nearly three times the listenership of any other episode - signalling strong industry demand for accessible guidance in this space. Coverage across National Indigenous Times, RMIT News, and Radio Today extended reach across Indigenous, academic, and industry audiences. The series is integrated into RMIT design courses and selected for Spotify's First Nations podcast shelf. Solid Yarns is building a more culturally capable design industry, one where First Nations creatives are empowered to shape its future.

First Nations authorship: Cultural integrity is embedded across every element of production, including original music by First Nations composer James Howard and artwork by First Nations artist Tyrown Waigana, ensuring First Nations authorship extends beyond content to the full listener experience.Practice-based insights: Each episode unpacks real projects, including work with Australia Post, HarperCollins, BKK Architects, and Clemenger BBDO, providing concrete examples of culturally safe design practice across placemaking, publishing, architecture, and advertising.Two-way knowledge exchange: Conversations are structured to reflect reciprocal learning, aligning with Indigenous approaches to co-design and knowledge-sharing.Focus on ICIP: The series foregrounds Indigenous Cultural and Intellectual Property (ICIP), translating complex legal and cultural considerations into accessible, workflow-relevant insights for the design industry.Voices-first storytelling: Audio storytelling enables nuance, emotion, and relational depth, allowing participants to speak in their own voices and define their own narratives.Sector-facing resource: Designed for designers, studios, and clients, the podcast provides practical guidance on briefing, commissioning, and culturally safe collaboration.