Women in Design . . . Alice Murray
In the lead up to Women in Design Day 2025: Moments of Change—an annual event dedicated to fostering community, celebration, and education among women in the design industry in Aotearoa New Zealand—we’ll be releasing interviews with each of our speakers to give you a sense of their career journeys and the types of conversations we’ll be diving into at the live event.
Today we are chatting with Alice Murray, an award-winning graphic designer and creative director from Aotearoa New Zealand.
Who/what were your early creative influences?
It’s hard to recall who any early influencers were in my life, none of my family were in design but I recall always drawing what was around me and this was a creative outlet or response for me. My Nan painted and I always loved digging my way through her paintings in the school holidays.
Who/what inspires you creatively now?
The people I work with are hugely influential to me now. Working with individuals from all different backgrounds and cultures helps create a variety of perspectives, and this dialogue is very inspiring in striving towards good work.
Can you describe your career path?
I studied graphic design at Massey before interning with Vince Frost in Sydney and then working at Studio Alexander in Aotearoa New Zealand.
After that I left for London with no job prospects – but a few emails to old Vince Frost colleagues led me to a meeting with a Partner at Pentagram where I landed a six month gig. Petrified but in a good way, I remember my first day at Pentagram because my boss, Angus Hyland, said something like ‘Well, you’ll either sink or you’ll swim’ – I worked with Angus and the team for seven years.
After just having my second son, it’s given me a bit of a pause to consider what’s next…yet to be determined!
What does your typical workday look like?
I’m currently on maternity leave with my second son, who’s 5 months old, so life is a bit different right now. I take calls while out walking, or with the baby on my hip, and I work when he naps or in the evenings on freelance projects when my other son is at daycare. It’s definitely a balancing act, but I know this phase will change before I know it.
In my previous role at Pentagram (pre baby no.2), my days looked a bit different. I’d start with early calls to my team in London, where we’d discuss the day’s work. Client meetings were often in the late evening, NZ time. After that, I’d continue with conversations to pick up on the UK team’s progress, then jump on the tools. My tasks varied depending on the needs of the day—helping with proposals, managing multiple projects, and focusing on brand identities. Our work ranged from small startups to large corporate projects.
Tell us about a project, made memorable because it challenged you. What did you learn from that work?
One of my first projects at Pentagram was some wayfinding for an overseas company where we partnered with an Architect. To cut a long story short, we had to part ways with the client. It was shocking because I was emotionally invested in the creative work. But following the act learnt that it is okay to say no and step away from a project if that is the necessary course of action.
How do you foster innovation in your work?
Innovation, in terms of ideas, is fostered by working with a very diverse team and consistently trying to connect with new people. This helps introduce new perspectives and approaches which drive alternative ways to approach creative solutions.
Our work is often shaped by the challenges our clients bring to us, and since clients are always innovating, we learn and evolve alongside them driving our own innovation.
What do you think career/creative success looks like?
I think producing work you are proud of looks like success to me.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve received?
Clients are a walking advert for you, so work hard and treat them well.
What barriers have you come up against (or seen) in the design industry throughout your career? How have they affected your work?
One barrier I’m currently facing is balancing family and work. Finding a way to ensure both areas work simultaneously has been a challenge, and it’s something I’m still navigating. I know flexible working can be a challenge in some studios. However, I’ve been lucky in my recent roles, as the flexibility to work remotely since COVID has been groundbreaking for me to have been able to continue my role at Pentagram while making the move back to Aotearoa New Zealand. I think if fathers were also given more leave or flexibility that in turn would help the balancing act between genders in the early years looking after our children.
What do you hope for the future of design in Aotearoa New Zealand?
I hope that through design, the world can learn more about Aotearoa New Zealand’s history and culture and bring it to the global stage, I know I still have a lot to learn.
Alice Murray | Creative Director, Freelance
A graphic designer passionate about visual communication, Alice was an Associate Partner at Pentagram London for the last seven years. She is now freelancing in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Alice ran the ‘Lost Time project’ a project that brought to life the gender pay gap. She also runs ’Little People Prints,’ a venture born out of her search for clear, educational prints for her son’s room. She loves using graphic design to create bold, learning-focused art for kids, brightening up their spaces.
Women in Design Day 2025— taking place on 21 March in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.
This is your opportunity to unplug and reconnect with your practice. An annual event dedicated to fostering community, celebration, and education among women in the design industry in Aotearoa New Zealand. Through out the day you’ll be able to enjoy hands-on activities, time in nature, and hear the inspiring stories from our speakers – enjoying shared experiences and validating experiences as women navigating a career in design.
*Design Assembly Friends use your discount codes to access our discounted ticket options.
