Origins
Growing up in Hong Kong and Australia, Rizwan Nawaz was always an avid learner and creative thinker. In high school he was Dux for 4 years and could have become anything he wanted to be; a finance professional, a doctor, a scientist or even a literary professional. However, his imagination and love for design would take him down a different path. Instead, he completed a Certificate II in Multimedia at TAFE plus a Bachelor of Visual Arts and Design at university.
He then began his career in uniforms and signage learning how to practically apply his designs. Soon he opened his own clothing store in a Sydney factory outlet, garnering that entrepreneurial spirit. All this by the age of 20. Soon after a university internship turned into a job at a B2B Publication house, where he worked on various industry magazines; including the Finance, Franchising, Healthcare, Hospitality, Manufacturing and Media sectors. Rizwan then made his way up into a Creative Director role for a merchandising group. A few years later, he was poached to work as a Lead Pitch Designer in the commercial real estate sector.
All the while Rizwan dabbled in freelancing during this journey. He finally quit the corporate world to focus full-time on Studio Riz, where he built a team of experts and followed a deep passion for learning, innovation and sharing his knowledge through teaching and lecturing.
He is fascinated by history, mythology and philosophy; and how they can tie together a brand’s story, values and narrative. His name - ‘Rizwan’ - is Arabic for the ‘angel who guards heavens’ gate’. He chose the symbol of a griffin to represent the Studio Riz brand as this deeply aligns with his dedication to protecting the treasures within each brand he works with.
As CEO, Rizwan is responsible for leading Studio Riz and supporting client business across the Asia Pacific. He is passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion. In his spare time he loves photographing cityscapes and landscapes and is an accredited Master Photographer on Google Maps. He also spends some of year teaching as a Design Lecturer at JMC Academy - one of Australia’s leading creative industries institutions.
The story of the Griffin
Part lion, part eagle, tales of this great beast were born from ‘ancient bones’ and gold deposits found in the Gobi Desert by the Scythians; a nomadic, culturally advanced people, who traveled the territory between Southeastern Europe, Central Asia, and Mongolia. Soon the tales of the fierce and protective creature were woven into the art and mythology of many diverse ancient cultures, including Babylonia, Anatolia, Egypt, Europe, and India.
By the time these stories reached Greece, their gods had griffins pullling the chariots of Apollo and Dionysus, defending the treasures of Nemesis, and were companions to Zeus. These myths perpetuated beliefs of these fierce creatures being protectors, carrying out retribution for injustice and gatekeepers of treasure.
Today, Studio Riz’s griffin logo perfectly encapsulates the company’s ethos - ‘protecting and championing the most treasured aspects of your brand’. We are deeply committed gatekeepers, interpreters and mental alchemists; providing enlightened, sharp thought-provoking design and processes for brands who are ready to soar, roar and leave behind a great business legacy.
References: Carroll, C. (2012). Mythology in Art. Arts & Activities, 152(3), 22 ; Storied by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios. (2022). Why Has the Majestic Griffin Been Forgotten? | Monstrum. [Video].
Our Values
A few key characteristics that we strive to live by…
People
Considering and supporting others is what we’re all about, Without each other we will never reach our full potential. We strive to spread joy, happiness and fun, to make work together a pleasure, not a chore.
Adaptability
We believe the best teachers are the best learners. We learn and master anything we put our minds to very quickly, accomplishing any task and overcoming any problem. This is why we have extensive experience and knowledge beyond our years, across so many fields.
Practicality
We understand design doesn’t live in a vacuum. It needs to work for you. Our focus is to create simple, easy-to-use designs, systems and templates. Ones that cut through the clutter and aligns with business goals.
Hard Work
No matter what the project is, our actions are guided by a sense of ethics, loyalty and integrity. We always give 150%, putting in the extra mile if needed to get the job done. We self impose high standards and never compromise on our vision and values.
“What do we wake up for? It's brainstorming for that elusive idea or a solution to a problem. It's exciting because we’re potentially coming up with an answer, perhaps only in part, to a variety of past and future questions.”
— Rizwan Nawaz, Founder & CEO