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5 minutes with… Lee Parkinson

Design Assembly recently got the opportunity to chat with Lee Parkinson Strategic Director at Strategy Creative to learn more about his diverse career, audacious attention-grabbing campaigns, how to draw inspiration from everywhere, what biomimcry can teach designers (& why we need to learn fast!) and his side kick Bamm the strategy dog. Can you tell…

5 days ago by

5 minutes with… Siobhon Joe

Siobhon Joe is a designer who aspires to deliver high-quality thoughtful experiences that reach beyond aesthetics across digital and print platforms. We caught up with her to learn more about her creative journey, processes, and project outcomes. What is your background and how did you get into design? I was born in West Auckland and…

4 weeks ago by

5 mins with… Melissa Jenner – Founder, START Now

Melissa Jenner, founder of START Now a human innovation company which focuses on helping people and businesses forge meaningful, purposeful and sustainable careers will be running a workshop with Design Assembly on how to apply the toolbox of design to create multiple possible futures for yourself. Ahead of Melissa’s workshop we caught up with her…

1 month ago by

Design is good business

Design is a service – our practice is transactional, we need to provide the customer greater value than their investment in our fee. Our clients’ business strategies form the framework for our design strategies. We need to get better about discussing the business of creative business. DA caught up with Sam Southwell (Founder and Creative…

1 month ago by

5 mins with…Paul Russell — Speaker at Spring Conversations, CHC 2019

Ahead of Design Assembly’s Spring Conversations Christchurch Event, we spend 5 Mins With… Paul Russell from Kallan & Co Pacific.  Tickets still available here Thursday 19th September 6 – 8pm XCHC, 376 Wilsons Rd, Waltham, Christchurch   What’s your background and how did you get into working in design? Design has been a 15 year…

1 month ago by

5 minutes with… Imogen Zino

In July DA spoke with the multidisciplinary team behind Good Health Design, about their research initiatives and how visual design can support our communities wellbeing. Today (ahead of their upcoming symposium) we spoke with masters student Imogen Zino about her research for this project and the event.   What is your background and how did…

1 month ago by

5 minutes with… Natasha Vermeulen

It has been two years since we last spoke to designer/illustrator Natasha Vermeulen. After spotting Natasha’s bold campaign illustrations for Bonds in our instagram feed, we wanted to learn more about these vibrant images that celebrate body diversity, and how her career journey and work has evolved since 2017.          People talk a lot…

1 month ago by

5 minutes with… Katie Kerr

Katie Kerr believes design can be more thoughtful by instigating critical research processes; more sustainable by informing aesthetics with best practice rather than trends; and more poetic by applying considered and elegant form. We caught up with this celebrated designer, publisher and craft(wo)man, on the back of her recent PANZ young designer of the year…

2 months ago by

Hometown by Design, with Casie Smith of Design Garage

This series profiles the design talent in our regions and invites them to show us around their towns. This week we meet Casie Smith to learn more about her creative journey, the design studio she founded Design Garage, and living in Taranaki. Where did you grow up & where did you study?  I was born…

2 months ago by

Now and Then — Michael Cannon

Written by Annie McCulloch, Portfolio Recruitment Now and Then is a series where we catch up with designers who’ve been recently placed, via Portfolio Recruitment. We get their thoughts and feedback about their new roles and their work. Our latest Now and Then is with Michael Cannon, a Digital Designer at Gladeye. Thanks for being involved, Michael. We…

2 months ago by

In-house Design Luminaries — Reuben Shalome, from Ravensdown Ltd

This series profiles the best and brightest designers in Aotearoa’s in-house design studios, this week we spoke with Reuben Shalome, from Ravensdown Ltd a large agricultural co-operative. Can you describe the creative path you took to get where you’re at now? Too much dawdling! I’ve always enjoyed the arts but was never the best student.…

2 months ago by

In-house Design Luminaries — Katharina Di Lena at The Wairoa District Council

This series profiles the best and brightest designers in Aotearoa’s in-house design studios, this week we spoke with Katharina Di Lena at The Wairoa District Council. Katharina’s work (and her admirable hobbies) serve her community and is scaffolded by the New Zealand landscape and culture. Can you describe the creative path you took to get…

2 months ago by

5 minutes with DA’s new Christchurch host… Madeline Laffey

As we have grown over the last ten years, our Auckland-based founder Louise Kellerman has relied on local hosts to be ambassadors and fly the Design Assembly flag in their region. The newest addition to our host team is Christchurch based Madeline Laffey, and we wanted to take 5 minutes to introduce her to you…

2 months ago by

5 minutes with… Nick Kapica

We chatted with Nick Kapica, Principal at Isthmus Group ltd, about working at the interface between visual and urban design. What is your background and how did you get into design? I studied Visual Communication at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication. I originally wanted to study filmmaking but saw a type class taking place…

3 months ago by

5 minutes with… Keely O’shannessy

The PANZ Book Design Awards were established by the Publishers Association of New Zealand (PANZ) to promote excellence in, and provide recognition for, the best book design in New Zealand. Innovative design combined with impeccable production standards made the task of whittling down a shortlist challenging for this year’s judging panel who spent a day…

3 months ago by

Speaking of fictions, 5 minutes with… Erik Brandt

Ahead of Semi Permanent, 15-17 August 2019, Mike Barrett spoke with celebrated Typographer Erik Brandt about graphic design umami, danger, family legacy, his upcoming book and first trip to Aotearoa. Erik Brandt is a graphic designer and educator who has been active since 1994. He is currently Chair of the Design Department and Professor of…

3 months ago by

Hometown by Design, with Campbell Attwood of Afternoon

This series profiles the design talent in our regions and invites them to show us around their towns. This week we meet Cambell Attwood to learn more about his creative journey, the design studio he founded Afternoon, and living in the Bay of Plenty. Where did you grow up, Where did you study? Home for…

3 months ago by

5 minutes with… Richard Shed

Ahead of his upcoming UX gym workshops on Design Thinking and Service Design, we spoke with facilitator Richard Shed. Richard is a design lead with over 18 years of experience in the fields of product, service and interaction design across both Europe and New Zealand. Richard currently works with Thoughtfull Design Auckland where he has…

3 months ago by

Ramp Festival internship gives Wintec student real world experience and creative connections

Third-year Wintec design student Courtney Cavanagh was selected to be an intern at Area Design to work on Wintec’s Ramp Festival campaign and rebrand under the guidance of the design agency. What has been valuable from this experience, what have you learnt, what have been the highlights? This placement has been really valuable as I…

3 months ago by

5 minutes with… Good Health Design

Design Assembly recently got the opportunity to chat with AUT’s embedded multidisciplinary Good Health Design Team, about their research initiatives and how visual design can support our communities wellbeing. What is your background and how did you get into design? We are currently made up of designers (e.g. communication, product, digital, media), but also have…

3 months ago by

5 minutes with… Raul Sarrot

Ahead of DA’s Beyond Design Thinking: Game-changing co-creation techniques to work with your clients workshop in Auckland this month we spoke with facilitator, Raul Sarrot a multi-disciplinary designer, strategist, design thinking coach, educator and researcher. His international experience has been forged over 25 years working alongside a wide range of commercial and not-for-profit enterprises in…

4 months ago by

Between the lines: a conversation with Shantell Martin

Some artists prefer anonymity; letting their work, and only their work, do the talking. Shantell Martin is not that kind of artist. Visit Martin’s YouTube channel and you’ll find plenty of evidence of her motivation to “make and share”. She is prolific. Her medium is the pen and the world, or, as she puts it:…

4 months ago by

5 minutes with… Rupert de Paula

Design Assembly recently got the opportunity to chat with Rupert de Paula, Creative Partner at Strategy Creative to learn more about his ‘falling-in’ to the creative industires, creating positive change through design, transitioning from UK agencies to being ‘fresh-off-the-boat’ in the Christchurch design scene. Can you tell us a little bit about who you are,…

4 months ago by

Melbourne Calling — Ryan Romanes

  Design Assembly supports Aotearoa’s Designers at home and abroad. We love to celebrate our home grown talent doing well overseas and this series gives us the opportunity not only to profile these designers but also to learn more about the cities they now call home. Today we spoke to Ryan Romanes Ryan’s portrait was…

4 months ago by

Meet our Friends… Fraser Chatham

Design Assembly has become the home of New Zealand visual design –providing a collaborative digital and physical platform for kiwi visual designers to learn, keep up-to-date and be inspired. We couldn’t do that without the support of our Friends. This series profiles some of the studios and individuals who have shown their love and support…

4 months ago by

 

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