2025 Hot New Things: Issie Cassidy, Whitecliffe
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 Issie Cassidy who recently graduated with a Bachelor Design and Digital Media from Whitecliffe College. 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:
Growing up I was always very interested in art, finding that I was most happy when I was creating. After high school, I pursued a career in contemporary dance and studied and received my degree from Unitec. During this time I continued to paint and even exhibited my work in the MAGS Art Show. After COVID hit, I was able to dedicate more time to painting and I realised that I wanted to expand my skill set to be more proficient with the digital side of art. This brought me to Whitecliffe, where I was able to do a certificate in Digital Media and Design. This little taste of design wasn’t enough for me and it became very apparent that this was the career path for me. I joined in with the bachelors program and my love for design has only grown!
What was the focus of your graduating project?
“Dionysia” centers around Greek mythology, inspired by my lifelong fascination with how ancient cultures interpreted the world. The Percy Jackson series first introduced me to mythology when I was a kid, making these ancient stories accessible and engaging. Over time, my passion for ancient Greek history deepened as I studied Classics, read widely, listened to podcasts, and explored art in museums. Dionysia is a winery/restaurant that creates a unique dining experience inspired by Dionysus, the Greek God of Wine. By combining food, drink, and storytelling, Dionysia provides an immersive setting for young people to engage in meaningful conversations, exploring these myths together. With thoughtful branding, packaging and menu designs, I hope to spark curiosity around the topic and bring the captivating stories of Greek mythology into a contemporary, social context.
Why did you choose to study design at Whitecliffe?
I chose to study at Whitecliffe thanks to the recommendation of a co-worker who was about to finish studying her fine arts degree there. She told me about the certificate program and I was intrigued by the option to study design without committing to a whole 3 year degree. What appealed to me most about the programme was the array of digital skills that they taught which would help me to be a versatile designer, prepared to enter the workforce.
What did you enjoy most about the design programme?
I really loved being able to see my ideas visualised on a screen or as a tangible object. I had always struggled with this before I started my degree – I had all these ideas but I didn’t have the skillset to bring them to life. I think it’s really awesome to be able to see my growth from when I was purely a physical artist, working with paint and canvas and being too intimidated to use illustrator, to now, where the thought of not knowing how to use the pen tool seems crazy. It’s also surprising to me that I actually ended up enjoying the research side of design as I always used to want to skip ahead to the “fun designing part” before I actually understood the why behind my work. I think it’s really cool that I am now able to effectively use design thinking to solve problems with my designs, rather than my work just being a pretty picture with no reasoning behind anything.
What was your biggest challenge while studying?
Probably not one a lot of people will be able to relate to, it’s actually from receiving multiple concussions. I received my first concussion while dancing, and since then I’ve been able to get them really easily and have had to deal with a lot of persisting post concussion symptoms. I found it really difficult trying to keep up with the course load, particularly at the beginning of my third year, as I was struggling with fatigue, looking at screens, concentration and headaches/migraines. As someone who puts a lot of pressure on myself to achieve high standards of work, it was hard to take a step back and put my health first. The experience really taught me to have more compassion for myself but also showed me how resilient I am as I was still able to achieve work that I was proud of despite feeling like I would never be able to overcome this hurdle and feel normal again.
What inspired you to pick design as a career path?
Design was actually a career path that I had considered since I was little, which seems strange as most children dream of becoming a zoo-keeper or a ballerina (both career paths that I had also dreamt of being). I remember doing a business project at primary school, where we were split in to groups, allocated roles and told to create something to sell at a market day. We were told all the roles and I immediately knew I wanted to be the marketer (as this was the person who got to create all the posters for the group). I was very upset when I was told I had to be a CEO. Because of this experience, I always had this job in the back of my mind. When I was leaving high school though, I knew I had to pursue dance first as my body wouldn’t be young forever. Unfortunately my body failed me a lot sooner than expected and due to injuries and other circumstances, a career change seemed like the right course of action. I wanted a career that would allow me to express my creativity and artistic side while providing a little more financial stability than dance could provide, and design seemed like the perfect fit. I think I was always bound to end up in this industry, whether it had been straight out of high school or 10 years down the line, but I am very grateful for the journey that I’ve been on to get here and am excited to see where design will lead me in the future.
Who with your favourite designer/artist/creative?
Lulu Qiu and Grace Popplewell who are actually both friends of mine. They both have very different styles, Lulu works primarily in collage while Grace does a lot of illustration work, but both artists produce work that is so creative and uniquely them. Seeing the beautiful work they were able to create digitally is actually a huge inspiration for pushing me to study design. They don’t know this but I actually look up to them hugely (despite them being younger than me) and was always so jealous of the fact that they were able to whip up these epic designs on the computer so easily. They’re a definitely a couple of up and coming creatives to look out for!
What piece in your portfolio are you most proud of?
A piece from my second year as it has the most personal meaning. The project focused on bringing awareness and support to women suffering with Endometriosis, a condition that I have spent majority of my life struggling with. I put a lot of myself in to the project, thinking about what would have helped me when I was beginning my endometriosis journey. The outcome is a digital platform that I feel really encapsulates the safe space and sense of community that I was striving for, while making a serious and often intimidating topic, not so scary.
What’s next for you?
I don’t like to look too far in to the future as it is always unpredictable and I like to be open to grabbing any opportunity that comes my way. That being said, I would like to work for a design studio that specialises in packaging and branding design – this is the area I was most drawn to while studying. I hope to gain a bit of experience in Aotearoa New Zealand, but I’m also very keen to do some travelling and work overseas at some point in my career. Australia is calling to me right now, but who knows, I may end up settling somewhere else like Bali, or Amsterdam. For now, my biggest goal is to land a full-time job so I can keep learning from industry professionals and hopefully work my way up the career ladder.
Where can we see more of your work?
My portfolio website, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Or email me at issiecassidy@yahoo.co.nz
