2026 Hot New Things: Fern Bell-Bowers, Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau / AUT
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 Fern Bell-Bowers who recently graduated from the Bachelor of Design / Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa at Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau / AUT. Find out more about tertiary study options across Aotearoa New Zealand on our Design Schools page.
Tell us a bit about yourself
Ko Fern Bell-Bowers ahau, nō Kerikeri ahau, ko Tāmaki Makaurau tōku kāinga noho ināianei.
I have grown up in a household full of (lots of) love, creativity and curiosity. My parents, both teachers, have always encouraged me to be brave, make mistakes, and work hard. Little Fern was ALWAYS making, the earliest memories being cards to sell at the end of my driveway (creative and entrepreneurial!!). Studying design and photography in high school only boosted my love for the game, and inspired me to pursue a Bachelor of Design at AUT.
It wasn’t a straight shot. After high school, I went full-time at my part-time hospo job for a year. It was a much-needed reset, and it reignited my hunger to learn. At 18, I was managing a busy cafe and team, learning heaps about myself — and realising hospitality was not an industry I wanted to be in forever. I was frothing to get back into creative mode, and it shows in the work I have produced at AUT. I have majored in Communication Design, with minors in Photography and In-Print Publishing.
What was the focus of your graduating project?
My project explored how design can respond to Aotearoa’s oral health crisis by engaging tamariki with accessible and effective oral care education. Having grown up in Te Tai Tokerau, where access to dental care is limited and decay rates are the highest in the country, I am aware of the systemic barriers that prevent many from receiving preventative care education. I set out to design a solution that encourages better oral health habits through play and accessibility.
I started with a pretty loaded question: ‘How might a gamified educational app foster engagement and accessibility to support the prevention of dental decay among tamariki aged 5–18?’.
That led to Brush Up, a mobile app that turns brushing and learning into an interactive experience. The design uses playful interaction, character-based learning, brushing timers, and rewards to motivate consistency and confidence. Brush Up shows how design can promote positive behavioural change, reframing oral care from a boring task into an empowering experience for tamariki in Aotearoa.
What did you choose to study Bachelor of Design / Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa at Te Wānanga Aronui o Tāmaki Makau Rau / AUT?
I chose a Bachelor of Design at AUT because it offered me the ideal balance between making, making, making and conceptual thinking. I loved that I could explore two minors, giving me a variety of tools to help me in my major. AUT’s priority for collaboration and real-world projects suited the environment I wanted to be a part of. I needed to be somewhere that I could really challenge myself, learn from some cool people and develop my own personal design practice.
What did you enjoy most about the programme?
Honestly, I never expected to make friends. My high school friends had already been through a year before I even started, and I’d heard classes could be pretty lonely. For me, it was the complete opposite. I was lucky enough to be in a cohort with 100 other students who shared the same passion, something I’d never experienced coming from a small rural town up North.
I met lifelong friends and looked forward to class every week, surrounded by cool, creative, and incredibly talented people. The degree wasn’t easy, I won’t lie — but without my friends, I wouldn’t have thrived half as much. Whether it was keeping each other (kind of) sane during late nights on campus, sharing supplies when someone ran out of paper, or pushing each other to do our best, it was such a supportive environment. Being awarded the Design Assembly Award for contribution to studio culture and community was a huge highlight, and a proud moment recognising the impact I had in the studio.
What was your biggest challenge while studying?
For me, and actually for many of my peers, the biggest challenge was managing the reality of what “full-time” study means in 2025. For graduates before us, full-time study meant just that.
For me, it meant balancing uni with work each week to cover rent and the rising cost of living in Aotearoa. At times, this took a pretty big toll on my mental health. As someone who likes to push myself and strive for perfection, I had to learn that sometimes the best you can do in the moment is enough. Some days were exhausting, switching between work-mode and uni-mode, running on little sleep, and frantically trying to meet deadlines.
As one of the student representatives, I took this issue, which many of us were experiencing to the staff at AUT. What really stood out was how much our lecturers listened and genuinely cared. They worked with us to provide support and practical solutions, helping us navigate challenges that were new for everyone. I’m proud to have had the opportunity to share feedback that can improve the experience for future cohorts, and the process taught me a lot about advocacy and finding balance in tricky situations.
Who (or what) inspired you to pick design as a career path?
Absolutely. The people who raised me!!! My Mum studied Art History at university and now teaches Drama, so creativity has always been part of my world. I spent much of my childhood hanging out in her classroom, watching her come up with ideas, handcrafting props on our dining table, and experimenting with a range of materials. She would frame all of my paintings around the house, get me art supplies for Christmas, and even come into my school to teach my class pottery. My Gran (Mum’s Mum) is a sewer, and visiting her in the school holidays meant her sewing room transformed into my bedroom while I stayed. It was a magical treasure trove of buttons, fabrics, ribbons, and every imaginable craft supply. A majority of my wardrobe growing up was made by her- how cool is that?
I also must acknowledge my Dad. Not the most creative guy, studied Commerce at university, and is now a Principal. However, he has given me so much encouragement to follow this path, and he celebrates all of my wins, whether big or small. I have never felt judged for taking a creative route, only loudly cheered on by my whānau.
Who is your favourite designer?
I can’t just name one. Yayoi Kusama, Marti Friedlander, Virgil Abloh, Frida Kahlo, Gordon Walters. David Byrne!!!!
What is next for you?
I am staying busy over the summer with a research scholarship I have been lucky to be awarded by AUT.
Following that, I am excited to keep experimenting, learning and growing as a designer. I want to work with people who challenge me and inspire me to look at design in new ways. I want to work on projects that allow me to connect with communities and solve real-world problems. I am super passionate about bringing Te ao Māori into my practice. I want my work to be meaningful and use design as the powerful tool that it can be.
Where can we see more of your work?
Find my portfolio https://readymag.website/u2217815134/5737852/2/ (this will probably change, since I finally have time!!)
LinkedIn – Fern Bell-Bowers
Instagram – @fernmayzles
Email – bellbowersfern@gmail.com
Phone – 0274177855
Fern
