Design & Te Ao Māori

You may have noticed this year’s theme of ‘Design &…’ across Design Assembly. From Design & Women, Design & Planet, Design & Business and now as we move into the topic of Design & Te Ao Māori.

For June & July we are focusing on Design & Te Ao Māori on the Design Assembly website – featuring interviews with Māori designers, project features spotlighting their work & design processes, to thought leadership articles that inspire and challenge the Aotearoa NZ Design community.

Later on this month we’re also running the Redesigning Aotearoa workshop in partnership with our Friends at Ira. Taking place in Tāmaki Makaurau on 20 June, this year’s workshop includes updated content to keep it current and relevant to everyone.

To close out the series we’ll be hosting our third online Under the Hood event of the year where we’ll hear from our speakers Jade Kake ( Founder of Matakohe Architecture & Urbanism ) and Te Kani Price ( Creative Director at Huia Publishers ) who will each walk us through their design process behind a recent project. *DA Friends get free tickets to this event

Ngā mihi nui to our Friends at Ira for their mahi designing the Design & Te Ao Māori visual identity for 2024

“Our ampersand symbolizes the connection between two worlds: Design Assembly, represented by the top circle, and Te Ao Māori, represented by the base circle. Inspired by Pitau, a kōwhaiwhai pattern resembling a tightly furled fern frond full of potential, the design reflects our vision for an industry that nurtures new growth, fosters authentic and meaningful connections, and creates spaces where Māori ideas, creativity, and thought processes can thrive.” – Ira Team

Coming up over the next few weeks, stay tuned for:

Interview with Rachel Knight on the path that led to design & reconnecting with her whakapapa ( Kāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha, and Pākehā )
‘The Power of Te Taiao (Nature) as a Metaphor for Design’ by Ashleigh Summerville (Ngāi Tahu, Ngāti Whatua, and Ngāpuhi )
‘Māori trouble-makers disrupting design for good’ by Karl Wixon (Ngāi Tahu, Kāti Māmoe, Waitaha, Moriori, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Pākehā.)
20 June Workshop: Redesigning Aotearoa. DA Friends save $200 per ticket
17 July Online Webinar: Under the Hood | Design & Te Ao Māori. Free for DA Friends to attend
Alongside additional interviews and project features from the community!

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