Aidan Anderson

CEO & Founder, The Local Project

Aidan Anderson founded The Local Project in 2016 with just an Instagram account and has in eight years grown the business into a diversified multimedia publishing company working across print, digital, social, video and content production with a full-time staff of more than 50 people.

As a furniture maker in his early twenties, Aidan noticed little was being done to meet the demand of the ever-growing interest in local design. With access to a vibrant community of creatives under a shared warehouse roof, Aidan's humble Instagram account, initially meant to showcase his work, swiftly transformed into a thriving platform celebrating the craftsmanship of local artisans. Over the past 8 years, The Local Project has become the fastest-growing design publication in Australia, New Zealand, and the Asia-Pacific region. It has evolved into a comprehensive media platform, successfully diversifying into digital, print, and now, an agency, The Local Production.

Aidan’s vision led to the launch of The Local Project's print publication in 2019, offering a tangible connection to the community and recognising the importance of design as a physical entity. This print venture expanded into additional titles such as The Commercial Project and The Local Marketplace and the release of the inaugural hardcover book "10" in 2022. The Local Project's dynamic evolution also includes a thriving YouTube channel with more than one million subscribers and one hundred million video plays, providing a platform to engage with its global audience. Recognised for its excellence, The Local Project received accolades such as Best Use of Video and Publication of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards in 2022, reflecting the company’s commitment to showcasing the finest in local design, from emerging talents to established industry leaders.

The Local Project continues to expand with a podcast on the horizon as well as challenge what it means to be in print by reinvesting in the space with a growing circulation of the three times a year print magazine and another hardcover book set to release this year.