Five Minutes with Tanya Smith
Members of Design Assembly make up a network of Friends working together to build a thriving design scene in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our ‘Five Minutes’ series profiles the breadth and depth of design practice in our network.
Hi Tanya, tell us about your career background:
I began my career as a graphic designer, before moving into client service roles where I discovered I could blend creativity with strategy, people, and business. Over the last two decades I’ve worked in many of New Zealand’s leading brand and design agencies, from boutique studios to global networks, building deep experience in packaging, FMCG, digital, and brand strategy. Today I work as an Account Director at Onfire Design, combining my design background with client leadership to deliver work that ignites brave brands and creates tangible impact.
Tell us about the studio you work in:
Onfire Design is a specialist packaging and brand design studio based in Auckland. We work across FMCG, retail, and product-driven businesses to create identities and packaging that stand out on shelf and in the world. My role focuses on building strong client relationships, leading strategic thinking, and ensuring our creative output is bold, crafted, and commercially effective. What I enjoy most is being at the intersection of creativity and business. Helping clients bring products to life and seeing design you can literally hold in your hands.
What does your design process and philosophy look like?
My process is collaborative and grounded in strategy. I always start with understanding the brief, the category, the consumer, and the client’s ambitions. From there, I work with the team to explore bold creative territories that balance distinctiveness with relevance. My philosophy is that great design doesn’t just look good; it solves business challenges, builds emotional connection, and inspires action.
Where do you draw inspiration from?
From everywhere. Local and global design, conversations with clients, my team, art and culture, and even everyday experiences in a supermarket aisle. I’m also inspired by strong voices in business and wellbeing, from Petra Bagust to Seth Godin, and by seeing how creativity can truly shift behaviour.
What does a typical day in your studio look like?
No two days are the same! A typical day might include a client workshop in the morning, a team WIP to set intentions for the week, reviewing creative concepts with our designers, and writing a strategic brief or proposal. I also carve out time for mentoring, relationship building, and keeping across industry insights. There is also a high chance there are some dogs running around and keeping the team grounded.
What’s one thing that you would like all of your clients to know?
A good brief is gold. The clearer and more thoughtful the brief, the more likely the work will exceed expectations. Respecting timelines and investing in partnership, not just transactions, leads to stronger, braver outcomes.
What are your favourite types of projects to work on?
I love working with start-ups and building their brand from the ground up. Then from that their product packaging. It’s design you can hold, share with friends and family, see in the supermarket, and watch consumers interact with. There’s something satisfying about balancing creativity, craft, and the realities of production to create something that lives in people’s everyday lives.
What project are you most proud of?
When you have been lucky enough to be working in the creative industry for close to 20 years there are so many projects I am proud of from helping businesses like Trade Aid Chocolate build brand awareness, to launching the rebrand of Pacific Blue to Virgin Australia in the NZ market to being a part of the massive team that brought the revised inflight entertainment system to life at Air NZ and helping make our biggest company Fonterra tell their story to the world. There are too many to list.
Do you have any advice about our industry for emerging designers or career changers?
Be curious, build relationships, and don’t be afraid of unconventional paths. I started as a designer and now work in client service, both roles fuel each other and give me a unique perspective. The creative industry is about people and ideas; invest in both and you’ll go far. Plus I have a list of the ten things I wish I was told going into the industry:
1. All roads lead to money
2. Relationships are gold
3. Embrace Powerpoint
4. Creative roles have many job titles
5. To be the best design needs to be the wife not the mistress
6. Everything outside of your contracted responsibilities is a gift and be grateful for them
7. Personal branding counts
8. Preparation + Consistency + Authenticity = Trust
9. No one helps Eeyore succeed
10. Ask for mentoring and hang out with the oldies.
If you want to know what I mean by any reach out on Linkedin
