Creative Journeys: Design Academy with PHQ
Creative Journeys powered by Squarespace is a series of free, in-person and online events taking place across Aotearoa New Zealand for 2025. Coming up on 20 August in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland our featured creative studio, PHQ, will be showcasing how high-end web experiences, often seen as complex and expensive, can be approached and achieved within a platform like Squarespace through innovative tools and techniques. Register here for your free ticket.
Can you introduce us to PHQ and the type of digital work you typically do?
PHQ is a digitally-led creative technology agency based in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. We originally grew out of the independent Phantom studio in London, which was founded by a group of Kiwis overseas – and we’ve carried that same spirit of creativity and adaptability with us.
We often describe ourselves as ‘creative shapeshifters.’ What we mean by that is we’re constantly evolving by tailoring our approach to meet the needs of every project or client. At our core, we combine creative thinking with technical skillsets to create digital experiences that spark curiosity, invite interaction, and leave a lasting impression, all while delivering real-world results.
Our work spans a wide range of digital services, from rich web experiences, interactive installations, global product launches, and digital-first campaigns. We’ve had the privilege of working with local organisations like Auckland Museum and doing a lot of international work in the APAC region for Google.
We believe high-end digital design shouldn’t be out of reach. That’s why we’re excited to be part of Creative Journeys, to show how platforms like Squarespace, when paired with smart creative thinking and new tools, can unlock some seriously boundary pushing work that is accessible to everyone.
Can you quickly walk us through the brief behind the project you’ll be sharing at the Tāmaki Makaurau Creative Journeys event?
This project kicked off with a conversation about something that feels more relevant than ever – the rapid spread of misinformation and how hard it’s becoming to spot what’s real. From fake volcano eruptions to newly discovered sea creatures, the internet is full of content that looks convincing, especially as tools like AI make it easier to create and share. It’s getting trickier for people to tell what they can trust.
So, we decided to flip that challenge into a creative opportunity. We knew storytelling had a role to play in helping people think more critically, so we came up with a fictional product – something that feels totally believable at first, but slowly reveals itself to be fake as you move through the journey.
The site itself is a rich, immersive 3D experience – the kind of thing you might expect from a big-budget tech launch. But here’s the twist: it was built by just two designers using widely available tools. It’s playful and polished, but also designed to make you pause and think about trust, perception, and how powerful digital storytelling can be.
Have there been any moments of unexpected learnings during this project so far that have surprised you?
Exploring the underused potential of Squarespace for building custom, interactive, and polished experiences made us rethink what was possible – especially in-browser and with limited resources. With the rise of real-time 3D on the web, we experimented with a popular tool: Spline. We weren’t sure how far we could go, but using Spline’s built-in editor tools, we achieved visuals that would’ve been out of reach for a small team just a few years ago. So if you’re starting with Squarespace, don’t underestimate what’s possible. With a bit of custom code and available tools, you can push your creative ideas much further.
What’s one thing you thought couldn’t be done on Squarespace, but found a way to make it happen?
At first, we honestly didn’t think we could pull off a fully interactive 3D scroll experience on Squarespace. It felt like something you’d need a custom-coded site for. But we love a challenge. By tapping into the flexibility of custom CSS and JavaScript within Squarespace’s editor, we found a way to seamlessly integrate the platform with Spline. It’s a good reminder that even tools known for simplicity can surprise you when paired with a good creative challenge.
What do you hope people will walk away with after seeing the work and attending this Creative Journeys event?
We hope people leave feeling energised, empowered, and to want to challenge the norm. There’s often a perception that beautiful, high-end web experiences are out of reach, but that’s just not the case anymore. So much is now possible when you combine platforms like Squarespace with the new wave of creative tools out there. It’s less about big budgets, and more about having the curiosity, and willingness to experiment. If we can inspire even one person to push their next project further, we’ll be stoked.
Lastly, where can people find PHQ online?
You can find us at https://phq.nz/ or https://www.instagram.com/phqakl/
Register here for your FREE ticket to Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland Creative Journeys event.
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