Meet our Friends … Digitas NZ
Members of Design Assembly make up a network of Friends working together to build a thriving design scene in Aotearoa New Zealand. Our ‘Meet our Friends’ series celebrates our members by profiling their team, culture and work.
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Today we speak with our Friends at Digitas NZ a At Digitas New Zealand, we’re all about making connections that count. We bring creativity and strategy together to create digital experiences that resonate.
Based in the heart of Auckland on Sales St, we offer a mix of services – from experience design to content design and crafting what we call ‘Signature Experiences’ for brands. Our design focus is all about creating exceptional customer experiences that get results through connection, craft, and emotional resonance.
We like to go beyond campaigns to create connected experiences that give customer relationships momentum. Ultimately, we’re here to help brands connect with people in meaningful ways.
They have become a member because Being part of this vibrant design community means we get to connect with some of the brightest minds in the industry. It keeps us on our toes with the latest trends and gives us the chance to collaborate and learn from other creatives.
Tell us about your studio:
At Digitas New Zealand, we’re all about making connections that count. We bring creativity and strategy together to create digital experiences that resonate.
Based in the heart of Auckland on Sales St, we offer a mix of services – from experience design to content design and crafting what we call ‘Signature Experiences’ for brands. Our design focus is all about creating exceptional customer experiences that get results through connection, craft, and emotional resonance.
We like to go beyond campaigns to create connected experiences that give customer relationships momentum. Ultimately, we’re here to help brands connect with people in meaningful ways.
Tell us about your team:
We combine experience strategists, visual and UX design, and content design to create meaningful experiences.
Our visual and UX design team is made up of Senior Digital Designer, Oliver Bills-Strange and Intermediate Designer, Zhanna Ten. They craft experiences with Senior Content Designer, Nia Atta and Copywriter, Johnny Smith and are led by Chris Brunner, our Head of Creative.
This team works closely with our experience strategists, Head of Strategy, Meredyth Dale-Gandar and Principal Strategist, Eliza Ferguson.
What does your design process and philosophy look like?
We start with understanding the customer, leaning on content design practices to lead our experiential output. We believe customer experiences needs emotional resonance to be successful and sticky.
What’s one thing that you would like all your clients to know?
We like to get under the skin of the problem to be solved. We’re not here to make pretty things. We make things that work by meeting both the rational and emotional needs of your customer. So, we love to get to know your customers and your business as best we can. We’re endlessly curious and hungry for context. Give us your origin story, your pet peeves, your 14-page brief, your hopes and dreams – we’re here for it all, and it all helps us get a clearer picture of how we can best support you.
What are your favourite tools in the studio to help your team manage the day-to-day?
We love Figma for its ability to scale design systems, work as a coloration and feedback tool, and its wide array of plugins. Miro ‘beautiful mind’ brainstorming and thought forming. MS Teams for endless chats and back-to-backs. We’re going deeper on AI tools too and integrating them into our practice. We’d also like to shout out the free coffee, soda, beer and wine at the office; they’re not technically tools, but they absolutely do help!
What projects have you been working on recently?
We’ve helped bring Westpac’s Sooner Home Loans, Fear Free Credit, and Closer Business platforms to life for customers. Reinvented Toyota’s Let’s Go Places platform online, launched Samsung’s S25, Flip & Fold phones, and Tablet S11 in NZ. And we’ve even been building an immersive website experience for one of Waiheke’s most exclusive wineries.
What recent achievements or projects are you most proud of?
We recently picked up a 2025 Marketing Award for Westpac’s Black Friday Hangovers.
Where can people connect with you?
You can find us on LinkedIn and drop us a line at any time – we keep a pretty close eye on our messages there!
Website: https://www.digitas.com/en-anz/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/digitas-nz/
We love celebrating our DA Friends! If you would like to be showcased too like we have done for Digitas NZ, fill out the form and let us shine a light on your creative journey. You can find the form here.
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Members of Design Assembly are a network of Friends working together to build a thriving design scene in Aotearoa New Zealand.
We celebrate our members, their creative processes and design projects, by hosting events, workshops, webinars and publishing interviews, case studies, podcasts and more.
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