About

Simon Lowther.
Designer. Educator. Freelancer.

Simon Lowther

13 years in the industry.
6 years in the classroom.

I'm a Melbourne-based industrial designer with over a decade of professional practice in wayfinding design and education across some of Australia's most prominent design studios and universities. I've worked on transport infrastructure, airports, hospitals, universities, and retail environments for clients including Lendlease, MECCA, ANZ, and the Department of Transport and Planning.

Alongside my design practice I've spent six years teaching design students at RMIT, Monash, and Swinburne. That combination of industry experience and time in the classroom is where this pack came from.

I've watched talented graduates and colleagues run into the same problems when they start taking on freelance work, not because they lack design skills, but because nobody teaches you the business side. The contracts, the invoices, the awkward scope conversations, the tax. And honestly, even if full-time freelancing isn't your plan, being set up properly means you're ready to move fast when an opportunity comes up between jobs or on the side.

Get in touch at simon@ultimatefreelancer.co

13+
Years professional
design practice
6+
Years teaching design
at Australian universities
3
Universities — RMIT,
Monash, Swinburne

Background

Where I've worked

Industry

Design Practice

  • Simon Lowther Design
    2020 to present
    Freelance wayfinding and signage consultancy. Clients include MECCA, Lendlease, TRiC, and Strategic Spaces.
  • Studio Semaphore
    2023 to 2024
    Wayfinding and signage systems for Perth Airport, hospitals, universities, and civic developments.
  • Büro North
    2019 to 2021
    Lead industrial designer across projects in multiple sectors.
  • Best Group
    2021 to 2022
    Led major wayfinding and urban design projects, including materials R&D for large-scale installations.
  • Adherettes
    2016 to 2019
    National retail rollouts for ANZ and NAB; transport signage for PTV and the Department of Transport.
Education

Teaching

  • Monash University
    2025 to present
    Lecturer. Third-year elective on inclusive design in public transport, in partnership with Travellers Aid Australia.
  • RMIT University
    2019 to 2024
    Sessional Lecturer. Design for Sustainability, User-Centred Design, and Design Engineering. Unit coordination and curriculum design.
  • Swinburne University
    2021
    Sessional Lecturer. SolidWorks and CAD Theory for Industrial Design and Engineering students.
  • Education
    RMIT University
    Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design), First Class Honours.

Why I built Ultimate Freelancer

When I started taking on freelance work, I made most of the classic mistakes. I quoted without a proper brief. I started work without a signed agreement. I invoiced late and chased payments even later. I undercharged, then resented the work.

I also saw fellow freelancers in my industry make some seriously expensive mistakes such as not registering for GST, and not having the right insurance when things went wrong.

None of that was due to a lack of design skill. The business side of freelancing just isn't taught at university.

The resources that exist to fill that gap are mostly generic, and for a broad international audience. I wanted to make something specific, practical, and genuinely useful for Australian creatives.

Ready to get properly set up?

14 files, instant download, one flat price. No subscription, no upsell, no fluff.

$39
AUD, one-time purchase
Get the pack