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BUILT ON JUDGMENT. EXPRESSED THROUGH DESIGN. TOBEN IS A BRAND STRATEGY AND IDENTITY DESIGN STUDIO, BASED IN FRANKFURT AND SYDNEY. FOR ORGANISATIONS, PLACES AND PREMIUM BRANDS.  STRATEGY & DESIGN, WORKING AS ONE.

BUILT ON JUDGMENT. EXPRESSED THROUGH DESIGN. TOBEN IS A BRAND STRATEGY AND IDENTITY DESIGN STUDIO, BASED IN FRANKFURT AND SYDNEY. FOR ORGANISATIONS, PLACES AND PREMIUM BRANDS.  STRATEGY & DESIGN, WORKING AS ONE.

BUILT ON JUDGMENT. EXPRESSED THROUGH DESIGN. TOBEN IS A BRAND STRATEGY AND IDENTITY DESIGN STUDIO, BASED IN FRANKFURT AND SYDNEY. FOR ORGANISATIONS, PLACES AND PREMIUM BRANDS.  STRATEGY & DESIGN, WORKING AS ONE.

WHAT WE BELIEVE

From the Inside OutGreat brands stand for something. When that idea is right, design does not decorate it. It makes it real. It makes it felt. It makes it impossible to ignore.

We believe there is something worth finding inside every organisation – a force, a conviction, a way of seeing the world that belongs only to them and that the world needs. We make it our job to find it and express it – with truth and beauty, creating magnetic brands that pull the right people in.

OUR APPROACH

How We WorkGreat design without strategic foundation rarely creates lasting value. And strategy without the creative courage to express it rarely changes anything. Our work has always brought both together – from the very beginning. Not strategy handed to a designer. Not a creative team briefed after the thinking is done. Both disciplines, in the same room, from the first question to the final detail.

Every project is led by the same leadership team throughout. The people you meet are the people who do the work. When a project requires specialist skills – photography, illustration, digital development – we bring in the right collaborators from our close network of specialists for that specific brief.

We understand the market. We study it, respect it, and know where the edges are. But industry norms produce sameness – and trends never last. We push for the most distinct and creatively courageous solution every time – the kind of work that surprises, moves, and stays.

It is not the easiest way to work – but it is the only way we know how to make something worth keeping.

What We Work OnWe work with organisations, places and premium brands, who navigate transformation, differentiation, or long-term brand development – at a moment that matters. Launching into a market. Repositioning against a shifting competitive landscape. Making the long-term brand decisions that will define the next chapter.

Working primarily across Australia and increasingly in Europe, our work spans financial services, real estate, hospitality, cultural institutions and professional services. But these sectors don’t define us. The problems we solve do.

Transformation. Repositioning. Growth. Differentiation. Long-term brand value.

WHO WE WORK WITH

Our ClientsWe work with organisations that understand the power of branding – that working from the core, the place of unique truth, expressed in the most compelling way, is impossible to ignore. What they have in common is not a sector or a size. It is a willingness to lead from who they truly are – and the courage to express it uniquely.

Our clients range from early-stage ventures to established market leaders – across sectors as diverse as the problems they bring us. Our work extends across Australia, Asia-Pacific, and Europe.

RECOGNITION

AwardsOur work has been recognised internationally. We are honoured by our industry’s judgement.

Talks & PanelsWe contribute actively to the design and brand industry – as speakers, jurors, and elected members.

  • Graphis Awards 2025: 3x Gold + 2x Silver
  • Transform Awards ANZ 2024: Gold
  • AGDA Awards 2024: Finalist
  • Best Award 2024: Finalist
  • AGDA Awards 2023: 2x Finalist
  • Best Award 2023: Finalist
  • Graphis Awards 2023: 4x Silver
  • Eat Drink Design Awards 2022: Finalist
  • AGDA Awards 2022: 2x Merit
  • Best Award 2022: Finalist
  • Good Design Award 2022: Winner
  • Graphis Awards 2022: Gold + Honour
  • Eat Drink Design Awards 2021: 2x Finalist
  • AGDA Awards 2021: Distinction + Merit
  • Best Award 2021: Finalist
  • Graphis Awards 2021: Gold + 2x Silver
  • AWARD 2020: Finalist
  • Graphis Awards 2020: Silver
  • Eat Drink Design Awards 2019: Finalist
  • Best Award 2019: Finalist
  • Good Design Award 2019: Winner
  • Graphis Awards 2019: Silver
  • AWARD 2016: Silver

Talks & PanelsWe contribute actively to the design and brand industry – as speakers, jurors, and elected members.

  • ADC Award (D): Judging Panel, 2026
  • Art Directors Club (D): Elected Members – Katja & Thorsten, 2025
  • AGDA Awards: Judging Panel, 2022
  • Graphis Awards (NY): Judging Panel, 2022
  • Design Institute of Australia: Masterclass Speaker, 2019
  • Semi Permanent (Syd): Industry Panel, 2019
  • Diemen Awards (Tas): Judging Panel, 2016
  • Google +20 Workshop: Mentor, 2013
  • Semi Permanent (Mel): Speaker, 2012
  • Semi Permanent (Bris): Speaker, 2010

EVERY PROJECT, SENIOR LED

Leadership TeamEvery Toben project is led by senior strategic and creative direction – from the first conversation to the final detail. Our founders are German by formation and Australian by experience. Both cities. Both markets. Deeply known.

  • Katja Hartung
  • Co-Founder
    Strategic Creative Director
    (FRA)
  • Linkedin
  • Thorsten Kulp
  • Co-Founder
    Design Director
    (FRA)
  • Linkedin
  • Geoff Courtman
  • Design Director
    (SYD)
  • Amanda Lawler
  • Strategy Director
    (SYD)