2025 Hot New Things: Benjamin Walsham, Media Design School
Each summer Design Assembly profiles a selection of the top graduates from the best Art and Design Schools in Aotearoa New Zealand. We welcome these talented emerging professionals to our industry, learn about their passions, final projects, developing creative confidence and ambitions for the future.
Today we speak with Benjamin Walsham who recently graduated with a Bachelor of Media Design from Media Design School. Find out more about undergraduate and postgraduate study options in art and design by visiting our Design Schools page.
Tell us a bit about yourself:
Hey there! I’m Benjamin (or Ben, for short), a recent Interactive Design Graduate from Media Design School. I was born and raised in Pukekohe, all the way down by the border of the Auckland district. I remember my first venture into the creative industry had me, at 5 years old, sitting on the side of the road handing out little illustrations I had put together the night prior. In a way you could call it the initial rendition of my portfolio!
At high school I started exploring photography and digital design, which have translated all the way through my time in the tertiary world. This has led me through a journey of experiential design mediums such as web design, installation and activation work, and all the other pieces that fit in-between.
I love exploring the balance between different mediums, aiming to create value both in the narratives, and for the user — so not only is each element in my portfolio carefully crafted, it gives me endless opportunity to talk my head off for hours!
What was the focus of your graduating project?
“Manifesto” is an interactive, empathy-led campaign designed to capture the emotional landscape of tertiary students across Aotearoa. Here, “Manifesto” is not a fixed statement, but a living, evolving expression shaped by the student culture. The project is built around the uncertainty that comes alongside navigation of the tertiary experience, creating a simple environment where thought can be openly expressed, acknowledged, and reciprocated.
Unadorned activations; ‘tapestries,’ ask the simple open-ended question, “What’s on your mind,” and are placed on campuses throughout Aotearoa as a place for organic expression between tertiary students. Charcoal was used as a simple touch-point to illustrate thought and emotion, a fairly messy, yet tangible medium, representing themes of impermanence amongst the ever-changing landscapes of emotion. Standing alongside these activations, the web experience is a complimentary piece that introduces narration, communicating the story behind Manifesto through scroll-telling, and containing a digital version of the activations, a permanent touch-point of expression.
Manifesto emerged from a mid-way pivot in my graduating project—a tough but rewarding decision. Feeling overwhelmed, I explored emotional expression with my peers, which inspired the shift. My goal was to visualise a hidden network of emotional interconnection, and I’m excited with how it all came together!
An excerpt of interaction from the physical activations:
Why did you choose to study design at Media Design School?
I vividly remember looking through some prospectus booklets that were handed to us during year 13, and amongst the pile sat the 2021 Media Design School prospectus. At the time they were featuring a project titled “Pick,” by graduate Mona Gabr, an interactive-focused design outcome that blended both visual design and functionality through a Raspberry Pi, and other circuitry. While in High School, I’d never really seen, nor considered how design could sort-of weave its way through such a broad range of technologies, so I went down a rabbit-hole checking out work from other alumni. The rest explains itself, we’re here now!
The creative vigour that is demonstrated each year, not just from the Bachelor of Media Design, but campus wide is beyond inspiring. Being immersed in a community of such brilliant creative minds, and guided by lecturers with profound experience really pushes the boundaries of the academic scope. The freedom to express, and find comfort beyond the limit is truly the hallmark of Media Design School — What I’d imagined the environment to be like, all the way back in Year 13, went well beyond my hopes. And so I hold massive gratitude to every member of the faculty, my lecturers, and of course the student culture for upholding such a dynamic spirit over the journey!
What did you enjoy most about the design programme?
The list of enjoyable moments is endless. I mean, there’s those moments of trial, tribulations, as all tertiary experiences have. But in retrospective, the personal, professional, and creative growth is absolutely immense. Media Design School was the place to explore passion while still conforming with the structure, and the safety of the educative blanket. I’ve never felt more comfortable expressing myself creatively, getting the opportunity to spread my wings out wide, in an attempt to find my place amongst the broad practice of visual design. And it wasn’t all about ‘making things that look gorgeous’ either. I was continuously exploring, researching, gaining insight beyond just a Pinterest board — this really invigorated my process. I’ve found passion in the meaning, the craft, the reasoning behind a final outcome, and that’s what really excites me! It was a discovery of my creative spirit, realising where I want to be positioned in the field of creativity.
What was your biggest challenge while studying?
Getting comfortable with discomfort. It’s like trying to hold a flame without getting burned. In every project, there’s always this lingering sense of uncertainty. I’ve learned to adapt, but that little voice that says ‘it could be better’ or ‘there’s a better idea out there’ never really fades.
Back in my second year at Media Design School, one of my lecturers mentioned this subject, the idea of feeling confident when things may not be working as foreseen — and it’s turned into the cornerstone quote that drives me against challenge. It’s all about enjoying the process! The design process is purely iterative, both in the moment, and iterative to every subsequent project that follows. Rather than feeling uncomfortable in the uncertainty, it’s a chance to expand horizons and push the boundaries even further. The uncertainty signifies personal progression!
What inspired you to pick design as a career path?
Since creativity has always been in the back of my mind since I was much younger, the progression from hobby to a prospective career seemed like a solid move. Especially after my experience with digital design within High School, it was apparent to me that it was a passion, and so I pursued it. I can’t say I ever had a singular ‘figure of inspiration’ before pursuing design on a tertiary level, other than those who surrounded me. I’d have to refer to my Mum and Dad, monumental figures of support throughout the journey. Mum always being there to push my process steadily, and Dad to show me the reigns of physical craft — something that’s correlated into some of my recent work! The support is everything, and it has truly embedded the drive for creativity into my heart.
Who is your favourite designer/artist/creative?
What a big question, there’s too many! But to put a singular name out there, Alistair McCready. One aspect of creativity I’ve come to value profoundly is the intrinsic value of craft, which drives narrative, core messaging, and genuine resonance with those who see it. Alistair’s work reflects this practice with such root, and intention, something that I aspire to integrate into my work more and more.
What piece in your portfolio are you most proud of?
At the beginning of 2024, I worked alongside some of my peers to create the project “Sanctuary,” and that probably stands as my proudest piece of work. My graduating project “Manifesto” is something I’m extremely proud of, but Sanctuary is filled to the brim with those gorgeous moments of collaboration, energy, and collective growth. We surmounted so many technical challenges, working with Arduinos, interfacing them with web servers, and refining tangible forms of communication in ways none of us had ever really seen. A monumental stride in my confidence for acting outside of the box, connecting back to the whole paragraph I wrote prior, regarding the “comfort in discomfort.”
The team and I always talk about the project in retrospect, mostly dialogue like “Huh?” “How did that happen?” — we’re all still quite shellshocked!
What’s next for you?
A nice sleep of course, but after that probably (another) revision of the portfolio. There’s always space to tweak and polish, and sometimes it’s an interesting experience to pull out the older projects for a nice refurbish — sometimes equally as bothersome too.
And when it comes to moving from studies to the industry, we’ll have to wait and see what happens!
Where can we see more of your work?
Selected works, and a whole glossary of archived content can be found on my portfolio or find me on Linkedin
