Testimonials
In business, the strongest partnerships are often built over time, through trust, consistency, and the ability to deliver meaningful commercial value.
I first worked with Dan several years ago when he was engaged to develop the brand identity for a consulting client of mine in the finance and property sector. He did an exceptional job, creating a cohesive and professional identity grounded in clear brand strategy. He captured the essence of the business, clarified its positioning, and helped shape how it presented itself in a competitive market.
The impact was immediate. The brand gave the business greater consistency, stronger market presence, and a clearer way to communicate its value to the right clients. That experience demonstrated the strategic value Dan brings to a project, not just as a designer, but as a brand partner who understands how strategy, identity, and creative execution work together to support business growth.
Since then, I have continued to work with Dan across a wide range of projects, including brand strategy, brand identities, and websites for consulting clients, the development of the brand identity for my son’s company, Pure Turf Care, marketing materials for medical research initiatives with my wife, and design and collateral for my own business.
Across every engagement, Dan brings creativity, attention to detail, and a strong understanding of how to build brands that are both strategically considered and commercially effective. He is easy to work with, reliable, and consistently delivers work that is purposeful, refined, and of a very high standard.
I have continued to turn to Dan because he has earned my trust over many years. I would confidently recommend him to any business leader looking to clarify their brand strategy, strengthen their market presence, and work with a creative partner who understands the commercial role of brand.
We worked with Dan Buchan Design to develop the Dockside Festival brand from the ground up.
The event was created through a collaboration between our independent events business and the local council, with the ambition of building a sports and community festival that celebrated Port Adelaide and showcased the historical heartland of the area.
Dan took the time to properly understand the event, our objectives, the audience, and the broader vision. While we had some initial ideas, he was able to build on them thoughtfully, developing a range of creative concepts that gave us clear and exciting directions to explore.
As a council-owned event, there were multiple stakeholders, opinions, and considerations to manage. Dan played an important role in helping us navigate that process, bringing clarity, creative direction, and a strong sense of collaboration. He helped us arrive at an outcome that brought stakeholders together while staying true to the original vision for the event.
Dan was easy to work with, accessible, and genuinely invested throughout the process. That level of care and involvement felt like a real advantage of working with a hands-on, bespoke design team rather than a large-scale agency.
He brought the strategic thinking, creative energy, and practical understanding needed to help bring Dockside Festival to life.
I first started working with Dan while running 100Proof, a marketing company operating in the on-premise liquor space.
From the outset, I was impressed by Dan’s ability to think creatively and strategically about the brand, its positioning, and the way it came to life across market-facing executions. As a relatively new business, we were continually evolving, and Dan was highly effective at translating the team’s thinking into considered, engaging creative outcomes.
Over several years, Dan played an important role in helping extend the brand into new areas, channels, and executions, before the company was ultimately impacted by Covid in 2020.
After joining Metcash in 2021 as Head of Wholesale Merchandise and Marketing, I re-engaged Dan to support the next stage of our brand and marketing development. This was a significantly larger and more complex environment, involving several established brands that required renewed strategic and creative focus after a period of underinvestment.
Dan added significant value by bringing a fresh perspective to our digital, print, and brand strategy, delivering creative visual solutions that resonated with our audiences across digital, promotional, and in-store channels.
Beyond the quality of the work, Dan is an excellent person to partner with, a strong team player who brings a calm, considered, and solutions-focused approach to every project. He has the ability to balance creativity with commercial outcomes, which makes him a valuable partner in any brand or marketing environment.
