Graphic designer Desmond on way up
By ROBINSON LEKA
DESMONG Faure is a self-taught graphics designer who wants to expand his business by sharing his work with as many people as possible.
Desmond, 28, from Tufi in Northern is the owner of Awara Products which designs and sells custom-designed items and merchandise.
He is the eldest in a family of three brothers and a sister raised in Madang. Their parents originally from Tufi have been living in Madang for most of their lives.
Mum Anne works as a nurse at Madang’s Modilon General Hospital. Dad Mathias is involved in the agriculture sector as a consultant for various organisations and agencies.
Desmond completed his secondary education at the Tusbab Secondary School in 2014 before moving to Lae to look for work in 2015.
“I have brother who lives with me in Lae. We stay with our relatives. I have another brother who lives in Port Moresby and is currently attending the Don Bosco Technical Institute. Our youngest and only sister lives with our parents in Madang.
“ Generally it’s quite hard to have your designs put onto a product with your specifications in PNG. So when I started, I had almost all my products and fabrics printed and produced overseas.”
“It’s always tough coming out of high school today and trying to make something for yourself but thankfully for me I have the support of my parents and family to guide me.”
Desmond initially knew very little about graphic design although it was something he had been thinking about for some time.
In 2015, he was introduced to designing while working with a printing firm in Lae.
“That’s where I got to see how people designed logos and banners for companies or teams. It got me interested in designing. I just kept practising it during my spare time.”
In 2016, Desmond decided to start his own business, using Facebook to share tapa cloth designs from Tufi.
“I started to get serious about it and I would follow tutorial videos on YouTube about graphic designing and its application.
“It took two to three years of learning and practising to actually master the use of certain software in designing.”
Desmond managed to get his business registered with the Investment Promotion Authority and started exploring options in designing. He found himself producing designs on fabric.
“I started doing tapa designs and incorporating them onto different fabrics. Later I could make designs for items such as shirts, caps, purses and jewellery.
“Generally it’s quite hard to have your designs put onto a product with your specifications in PNG. So when I started, I had almost all my products and fabrics printed and produced overseas.
“I would usually outsource the printing of my fabrics and products to suppliers in Thailand and China. And over time, I got to see the variety of options in the different products that I could provide a design for.
“Designing something on a screen is one thing but to have those designs brought to life on fabrics and other materials is really amazing.”
In 2017 and 2018, his business started looking up with most of his clients being schools and local businesses. Sarah Haoda Todd, a leading PNG fashion designer, is also a client.
“Sarah was probably one of the first big clients that I worked with. It was mostly fabric designs that she used.”
A few of Desmond’s designs made their way into Kenny Collection, a PNG fashion collection by designer Kenny Ng.
During the Covid-19 pandemic last year, Desmond saw a slow-down in business because of the closure of international borders.
“There’s always going to be challenges and I’m happy that I’ve faced some of them. For me, designing is something that’s worth doing because I’ve come to learn a lot from it and it’s something that has put food on the table for me.
“Finding something that you have a passion for was what I found out through getting my first job in Lae and I’m always grateful for that opportunity.”
The sky is the limit now for Desmond.