ABOUT

I’m Colin Bartley a graphic designer and social media marketer. I design everything from logos and brand identities to web sites, from business cards and brochures to books and online videos.

I also help companies and businesses with Social Media by creating Inbound Marketing campaigns and Social Media Business Strategies.

I work from home and have a great network of contacts in the industry whom I share and learn from.

I started my design career in Perth as an architectural draftsman and then made the move over into graphic design. I then moved to Hamilton Island in the late ‘80s where I started my own graphic design business doing work for the resort and other island businesses. My client list included Hamilton Island Resort, Sunsail, Coca-Cola and Powerade.

While on the island my wife Julie and I also started a sea kayaking company that took guests on eco-tours exploring the Whitsunday Islands.

After 20 years on the island we packed up the family and headed off on a 4WD adventure and returned to the west. On the way we kept a blog so our family and friends could follow and share our adventure.

I have a love of the ocean, hence the name ‘Bluedge’. I have always lived near the water and get a lot of enjoyment from the ocean so when it came to a business name I wanted it to reflect this connection. I’m always at my happiest and most creative when I’m close to the ocean or as I call it, the blue edge.

I love paddling and also have a second business manufacturing, exporting and importing racing outrigger canoes called Outrigger Connection Australia.

Here is a summary of my career so far.

1980 – Graduated Trinity College Perth
1982 – Draftsman PDM Johns Perry
1984 – Draftsman Oldham Boas Ednie Brown
1986 – Graphic Designer JSW Graphics & Media
1987 – Moved to Hamilton Island and was “Col Porter” the bag chucker for a while.
1989 – Started my own graphic design business “Resort Graphics” on the island.
1998 – Started “Outrigger Connection Australia” building racing canoes for domestic and export markets.
2001 – Started “Sea Kayaking Whitsundays” an eco-toursim kayak company taking guests for tours around the Whitsundays.
2006 – Sold Resort Graphics and Sea Kayaking and headed off for an around Australia 4WD adventure with my family and returned to Perth.
2008 – A brief stint with the City of Mandurah as the Tourism Development Officer.
2009 – Paddled across Bass Strait in outrigger canoes to raise money for cancer research.
2009 – Started “Bluedge – Design | Marketing” in Mandurah where I am now working with some very progressive and forward thinking clients.