Articles

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

Place: Osborne Shiwan 19 Oct–30 Nov 2019

The spaces we inhabit provide fertile ground for creative exploration and the DA team were excited to see Objectspace is set to exhibit Place: Osborne Shiwan from the 19 Oct–30 Nov 2019. This exhibition acts as a love letter to the city Lloyd Osborne and Shabnam Shiwan reside in. Tāmaki Makaurau is our home, an…

1 week ago by

5 minutes with… Ross Murray

Ross Murray‘s iconic illustrative work masterfully captures place and time. We spoke with him about creative representation, his early artistic influences, finding inspiration (& energy) in the landscape, dream projects, and remembering to breathe.   Can you tell us about any milestones in your creative journey from when you started out to today?  Leaving my…

2 weeks ago by

Aotearoa Photography: David St George

Design Assembly recently got the opportunity to chat with photographer David St George to learn more about his life behind the lens, design-led photography and the role his shots play in shaping his clients work. This article is proudly brought to you by mychillybin.   Auckland Art Gallery How did you initially get started in the…

3 weeks 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

Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa / Britomart Works on Paper

Poster call and exhibition hīkoi gathers and champions Aotearoa New Zealand women* designers   Silk-screen posters, RAMP Gallery, May 2019 / Photo: Jinki Cambronero Present Tense : Wāhine Toi Aotearoa Britomart Works on Paper, Tāmaki Makaurau/Auckland 18 September – 16 October, 2019 Opening hui Tuesday 24 September 2019, 18h00 Gather at corner of Customs St…

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 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

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

Recto Verso: Ella Sutherland 10 Aug–6 Oct 2019

Ella Sutherland is a Sydney-based, New Zealand artist and graphic designer, with an upcoming exhibition Recto Verso at Objectspace which examines how text and image are used to transmit information and ideas. Recto Verso takes its starting point from Sutherland’s recent work as part of the Gwangju Biennale which sought to examine the printed matter…

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

Seeing the invisible: a conversation with Refik Anadol

It’s 10 a.m. in Auckland, 5 p.m. in Los Angeles. Refik Anadol has just stepped out of a meeting, blinking into the California sun, and out onto a terrace for a quick Skype call. We’ve had a timing mix-up (iCal time-zone fails). While nominally I’m a day ahead, when Anadol starts describing his work I…

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

Thievery — Culture, Turbulence and Chasing Light

I am perched above St Kevin’s Arcade in Revolver (a K’rd icon), with Garth Badger and Caitlin Mackenzie-Powell from another iconic K’rd institution Thievery Studio. Over an early morning, caffeine fix Garth riffs on his business journey — which he likens to being an unexpected (but very much loved) pregnancy. Although he didn’t set out…

4 months ago by

 

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