Articles

Little by little we go big

I get a few invitations to speak to people about what I do. It’s something I enjoy and never take too seriously. I’m prone to digression and often go off down unplanned paths. But there are a couple of messages I always try to push. The first (which can sit uncomfortably with some people) is…

2 months 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…

2 months 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…

3 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…

3 months ago by

Preserving a cultural moment in time

Seen through design artefacts and the kōrero around them, Kātoitoi preserves the collective feelings of Aotearoa in the year 2020 and brings other people into that space to experience it. Designers have an innate ability to capture feeling, and this archive will forever preserve our collective feelings in 2020. Kātoitoi sits as a repository of…

4 months ago by

Follow the paper trail: publications in the archive

What does it mean to be ‘bookish’ in these days of Hypertext? I think of ancient stories carefully transcribed as words and images onto vellum. Bound into a unique volume, they survive the ages by bunking with other rare and antiquarian books inside a climate-controlled library somewhere. I also think of our World Wide Web,…

4 months ago by

Our Impact

This essay by Lee Parkinson and illustration by Isobel Joy Te Aho-White is part of a commissioned series of essays, interviews and artworks commissioned by Creative New Zealand for our 2020 pilot of the Aotearoa Design Archive. 2020 was by many measures, a terrible year. It was a year of upheaval, a year of social…

5 months ago by

Growing through Covid: what 2020 taught me as an agency owner

By Vaughn Davis, Creative Director and Owner – The Goat Farm Ltd It’s been a year or so, Facebook Memories tells me, since we stopped going out for a beer, became obsessed with making our own bread and started pinning posters of Doctors Ashley Bloomfield and Siouxsie Wiles over the pop stars and All Blacks…

6 months ago by

Free Dumb Sessions, Lee Parkinson (Strategy Creative)

Looking for something to expand your mind this long weekend? Tune into Lee Parkinson’s Free Dumb Sessions podcast. Lee is the strategic director of Strategy Christchurch and describes himself as relentlessly curious, and fascinated with human behaviour “by what we actually do, not just what we say, think, or feel.” The DA team have been…

6 months ago by

Holiday Reading

Summer is here and the holidays are approaching with some pace, which for Aotearoa design means time away from the mac! Wherever you recharge over the festive season we hope there is time to relax and unwind. Many of our DA friends and partners are prolific readers so we asked a few to share their…

9 months ago by

Field Guide 2020: All together now

This Field Guide article sits within a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and challenges…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Towards Openness

This Field Guide article is part of a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Workplace revolution

This Field Guide article sits within a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and challenges…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Speak, friend and enter.

This Field Guide article sits within a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and challenges…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: A Daring & Caring Re-imagining

This Field Guide article is part of a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Navigating new realities

This Field Guide article sits within a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and challenges…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Speaking with your ears

This Field Guide article sits within a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and challenges…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Designing a new Aotearoa

This Field Guide article sits within a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and challenges…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Our Opportunity

This Field Guide article is part of a series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures and…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Be Kind Re:design

This Field Guide article is the third in this series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures…

1 year ago by

Field Guide 2020: Growing the future designer

This Field Guide article is the second in this series of commissioned essays, interviews, podcasts and artworks to be published over 16 weeks on designassembly.org.nz and culminate in a downloadable PDF publication which will be distributed nationally.  We are incredibly grateful to Creative New Zealand who funded this 2020 Field Guide, which actively investigates, celebrates, nurtures…

1 year ago by

In conversation with you…

How are you doing? In order for the DA to advocate on your behalf and offer our community valuable relevant support, we want to better understand your current situation and what is important to you. Please answer the following questions to assist us in making a plan of action to support the Aotearoa NZ Design…

1 year ago by

Design Assembly Community Survey 2019

Aotearoa Design, the Design Assembly 2019 survey is live and we would love to hear from you.To understand where we are going, we must have a deep understanding of practice today.The survey will take 5-7 minutes to complete and we will use your responses to ensure we continue to grow, celebrate and serve our visual…

2 years ago by

Tips for breaking into Industry.

There is no doubt landing your first design job can be difficult – no matter how rigorous your rationales, polished your portfolio and enthusiastic you are – there is a tonne of other design students vying for the same roles as you. A lot of advice design graduates receive is cliched ‘Believe in yourself’, ‘Think…

2 years ago by

Field Guide — Authors and thinkers By Alistair McCready

Design is a term used in such a broad sense. For example; an engineer and a typographer are both considered designers. The word encompasses many outlooks, many outcomes, and many opinions throughout the developing world. Its intention, or meaning, often changes from conversation to conversation, and is unique to the individual. Over the years we’ve…

2 years ago by

 

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