Articles

AUT’s Te Āhuru Super Graphics, Jasmax in association with MuirMcNeil

DA spoke with Clem Devine and Jarrad Caine at Jasmax about their incredible environmental graphic work recently installed at AUT. The graphic system is built upon MuirMcNeil‘s intersect type system and richly layered patterns, that speak to place, culture and function with a lens on the future of play. What was the brief for this…

3 days ago by

In Kōrero with… Kātoitoi cofounders, Louise Kellerman and Nicole Arnett Phillips

Growing an archive – by and for the community Louise Kellerman and Nicole Arnett Phillips are the co-founders of Kātoitoi. Having collaborated for a number of years through Design Assembly, both saw a pressing need for Aotearoa to develop its own visual archive. Louise and Nicole did just that, sourcing the funds and gathering together…

3 days ago by

Fresh From the Field — Postcards from Aotearoa, Method

The kaupapa, intelligence and craft of Method’s Postcards from Aotearoa project are phenomenal. The NZ On Air funded game allows 5-9 year old tamariki to create their likeness as a character, pack for a journey, and join their “aunty Tui” on an adventure around Aotearoa’s remarkable landscape. The HTML5 game enables children to see themselves…

5 days ago by

BJ Ball Student Design Competition

BJ Ball Papers dedicated to celebrating graphic design in print right here in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The BJ Ball Student Design Contest is back again – it’s an opportunity for Aotearoa Graphic Design students to showcase their talents and work to the design industry.This is an exceptional opportunity for students follow a project from brief through to print, and to…

1 week ago by

Kaiwhakanikoniko – kōrero with… Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Kātoitoi commissioned a number of Kaiwhakanikoniko (graphic artists) to visually interpret the written essays sitting within the project. We speak to three (of six) contributing illustrators: Bonnie Brown, Isobel Joy Te Aho-White and Joseph Carrington about their vibrant careers so far, where they draw their creative inspiration and some reflections on 2020. Isobel Joy Te…

1 week ago by

Wintec to host change-making creatives at Ramp Festival

Wintec School of Media Arts’ highly anticipated Ramp Festival 2021 is once again bringing creative-based thinkers from across Aotearoa to Kirikiriroa, Hamilton from 4 – 6 August. – https://www.ramp.ac.nz Sarah Smuts-Kennedy is pleased to see regenerative themes being discussed in an academic context. Image: Supplied. This year the Ramp Festival lineup includes New Zealand artist and creator Sarah…

2 weeks ago by

Fresh From the Field — Island Gin by One Design

This Fresh from the Field features One Design’s exceptional craft on Island Gin. The outstanding bottle form and the brand expression draw inspiration from the environment and speak to our coast. Making this global calibre project undeniably local. Island Gin is also a beacon of environmental stewardship and circular thinking, with raw material for the…

2 weeks ago by

Inhouse Luminaries… Karem Ortiz, Heartland bank

This series profiles the best and brightest designers in Aotearoa’s in-house design studios, this week we spoke with Heartland Bank‘s Creative Lead, Karem Ortiz.   Kia ora Karem, can you tell us a bit about your creative background prior to joining Heartland? Growing up, I loved creating at school and at home. Later on, I realised…

2 weeks ago by

Meet our friends… Oscar Thomas, Designworks

We love the opportunity to get to know our DA friends better, so we’re happy to get the chance to speak with Oscar Thomas, designer at Designworks. We spoke to Oscar about his career journey, an interest in motion and film, the Designworks philosophy and culture, the mahi he is proud of, tech he is…

2 weeks ago by

Influencing the bigger picture.

Can design really affect social change? Communication design is just one thread in the complex web of social discourse that helps shape our opinions, beliefs, and actions. Design is pervasive, existing in every nook of our lives, and whilst its effect might seem largely invisible, design holds the power of influence. Creativity has immense potential…

3 weeks ago by

Fresh From the Field — Kāpiti Cheese by unified brands

Kāpiti is a brand that isn’t shy of big, bold flavours, they commissioned Unified Brands to design packaging with the same confidence. The brief: Kāpiti, a brand that sets the bar for cheese – proudly holding the title for New Zealand’s most awarded cheese company. Their product is second to none, but the brand team…

3 weeks ago by

Auckland 2021 DA Pub Quiz Results

What a night we had last week in Auckland at the Ellen Melville Centre! We beat the last pub quiz limit with 19 teams registered and once again, Team NFD/Curative took out the championship, but it was a three-way tie for most of the night, with both Alt teams close on their heels. Thanks to…

3 weeks ago by

Wintec academics light the way with Te Ruru Light Festival Kirikiriroa Hamilton

Te Ruru Light Festival is a one-of-its-kind event, held annually in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton. Inspired by similar light-based festivals around Aotearoa, the festival was conceptualised by Wintec academics and researchers, Luke McConnell and Jason Long, and Wintec graduate and CEO of Creative Waikato, Jeremy Mayall. Wintec School of Media Arts design tutor and founder of Te…

3 weeks ago by

Fresh From the Field — 5 lanes identity Strategy Christchurch

This Fresh from the Field features Strategy Christchurch‘s new identity for a local shopping precinct. Which is both literal and lateral in drawing inspiration from the urban form. The identities expression also took cues from the brand’s vision: ‘A unique, curated shopping experience for the curious, the creative, the explorer and the child within us…

4 weeks ago by

By Day By Night, Emily Russell

By Day By Night is an interview series that profiles graphic design tutors from design schools throughout New Zealand. We learn about their role as a teacher and their own personal design practice. Today we hear from Emily Russell who works at Wintec, School of Media Arts in Hamilton. What is your official title? I’m…

4 weeks ago by

On the Flipside… Sian Thompson, Creative Intern at Seven

The transition from design student to designer can be tricky! Design internships provide an invaluable stepping stone towards professional practice and create continuity within the design profession. On the flip side profiles current design interns and the Aotearoa studios that are hosting them. We learn more about the emerging talents ambitions, the fresh perspectives they…

1 month ago by

Fresh from the Field — As needed, as possible.

The latest edition from Gloria Books As needed, as possible was first brought to life as a series of e-pubs (.pdf), that collected discourse around the role Enjoy—and contemporary art spaces—play within a broader arts ecology and society in Aotearoa. This print publication (designed by Kate Kerr) looks outward, building upon conversations with friends and…

1 month ago by

The redesign of everything… with Louise Nash of Circularity

Today we continue our series profiling the podcasts we love! As a circular design and innovation partner, circularity are on a mission to help us solve the environmental challenges of business as usual. “Together, we’ll shape a future that works with nature, not against it.” Circularity’s podcast; The Redesign of Everything shares the work of…

1 month ago by

Inhouse Luminaries… Renée Norman, KPMG

This series profiles the best and brightest designers in Aotearoa’s in-house design studios, this week we spoke with Renée Norman, at KPMG a global leader in financial services. Kia Ora Renee, can you describe the creative path you took to get where you’re at now? I’ve always had a creative vernacular; the exploratory play was…

1 month ago by

Decolonising Design in Aotearoa: From the Studio to the Archive and back again

This essay by Kerry Ann Lee and accompanying illustration by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White was originally published on katoitoi.nz as part of a commissioned series of essays, interviews and artworks commissioned by Creative New Zealand for our 2020 pilot of the Aotearoa Design Archive. Dear Young Designer, I wonder if what you originally pictured yourself…

1 month ago by

Fresh From the Field — Mac’s Seltzer, Dow Goodfolk

Dynamic and delightful, this Fresh From the Field features Dow Goodfolk‘s work for Mac’s Seltzer, which will have you smile while you sip! The Brief / project Kaupapa: Following seltzer’s runaway success in the USA and building on their reputation for being an imaginative bunch, Mac’s – New Zealand’s number 1 craft beer brand –…

1 month ago by

5 minutes with… Nikki Kennedy of TapuTapu Designs

Design has the potential to affect change, and Waikato-based Nikki Kennedy of TapuTapu Designs (www.taputapu.co.nz) is using her design practice as a tool to revitalise te reo Māori, craft beautiful items for our homes and contribute positively to our national language, culture and taiao (environment).    Kia ora Nikki tell us about your creative background:…

1 month ago by

Women in Design… Julie Bénard, typeface

DA speaks with typeface’s Julie Bénard about language barriers, burnout, her pathway to typeface, we learned about the mahi she is proud of, exceeding client expectations, the skills she is keen to develop, fostering innovation in her work and ambitions for the future.   What led you toward design? From as long as I remember,…

2 months ago by

On Innovation

This article was written by Lee Parkinson, Strategic Director at Strategy Christchurch for Kātoitoi.nz Much has already been said by many (including myself), about 2020, the year that was. In my earlier essay, I spoke about the impact that the year of COVID19 had on design in Aotearoa. We saw a changing of attitudes, cultural…

2 months ago by

Fresh From the Field — Avalanche by Curious

The shape grammar of letterforms provides fertile territory for visual metaphor. The Apex of an A creates a pinnacle, an opportunity embraced by Curious in their revitalisation of the Avalanche brand. This Fresh from the Field showcases a playful approach to typography, fine grain texture, and playful illustrations, immediately reinvigorating this recognised identity. The Brief:…

2 months ago by

 

Older Posts