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RED
Red Instead Creative – Design, Print, Web, Photography, Canberra, Sydney, Melbourne, Australia
  • My Story

hi I’m Jen Leheny and I freelance under the business name, Red Instead. I’ve been doing graphic and web design for over ten years. I was blogging before the word was even coined and I’ve seen some changes! I have worked in the web and graphic design industry in Sydney previously, but I am now based in Canberra. Up until now, I have been self-taught, though I am about to study for my Bachelor of Graphic Design at Uni to fill in the holes in my knowledge and technique. It’s important to me to get a qualification and to learn everything I can, and the time is right for me now.

I recently decided to return to design as a profession, after spending many years focussed on looking after my young family, as well as running my own indie handcrafted accessories business called RED INSTEAD handmade – sewing and making things and selling them online and at local markets.

During the six years of running that business, I began to realise that one of the things I enjoyed the most was designing the branding, shopping cart site, blog and print elements. Over time, I came to see where my heart really lay. I am passionate about design (in its many forms) and I want to share that enthusiasm with you.

So I am going back to my roots and making graphic design my business now.  I first started working in this field in Sydney way back in 1997, working for free alongside a real star, a young designer called Justin Fox.  You might know him as the Founder of Australian INfront.  He taught me a lot and I went on to work at SPIKE, before the dot com crash came and dumped us all.

At aound the same time as the dot com bubble burst, I had my first child and my priorities changed. Sewing around the kids became a great option, for me and for them, so I set up RED INSTEAD handmade from home.  Of course, my new business needed branding, marketing, product photos, a shopping site and a blog and so I was able to keep up with the photography, graphic and web design that I loved so much.

My children are older now and I am ready for a new phase in my life.   I still love to sew and really enjoy making things with my hands but I am not going to do it as a business any more.  I am ready to make design my focus again, and move the sewing back to personal time.

Designing for web and print is what I love the most and this is the new direction for Red Instead.

» What does your business need?

  • Jen Leheny

    hi! I'm Jen Leheny and I have been building and coding websites, designing graphics and taking photos for over ten years.

    » MY STORY

  • HOW RED INSTEAD CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS

    Your business can really benefit from a well-thought out visual communication solution. What does that mean? It means that if you look the part, people will take your business more seriously.

    » OUR SERVICES

  • RECENT BLOG POSTS

    • Old is New again – photo retouching
    • New Twitter Background
    • Event Photos in Canberra Weekly magazine
    • Event Photos: Tania McCartney’s Book Launch
    • Product Photos: Poppy, Bean and Bloss
    • Event Photos: Canberra’s Handmade Market
    • Event Photos: High Tea at Miss Chief Maker
    • What is branding anyway?
    • So much RED
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  • Red
    As of November 2009, I'm ready for a new phase in my life. I still love to sew and really enjoy making things with my hands but I'm not going to do it as a business any more. I am going to make design my focus again, and move the sewing back to personal time.

    Right now you can save 20% off everything in my indie clothing and accessories online store: www.redinstead.com.au/handmade


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Contact Jen on 0411 224 314
Follow me on Twitter     Fan Red Instead on Facebook    Check my photos out at Flickr     Buy my stuff at RED INSTEAD handmade
All content and design © Jen Leheny and Red Instead. All Rights Reserved.





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