Articles

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…

6 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…

6 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…

6 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…

6 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…

6 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…

6 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…

6 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…

6 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…

6 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…

7 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…

7 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…

7 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…

7 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:…

7 months ago by

Shabnam Shiwan will represent Aotearoa on The One Club’s Global Young Guns 17 jury

The One Club for Creativity, recognises creative excellence in advertising and design. They recently announced a gender-balanced Jury for the 17th Young Guns Program, the industry’s only global, cross-disciplinary, portfolio-based awards competition that identifies and celebrates today’s vanguard of young creatives. DA was proud to see our New Zealand Design Leadership represented on the panel…

7 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,…

7 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…

7 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…

8 months ago by

Postgraduate Design Research – Tori Mok, AUT

Welcome to Postgraduate Design Research – an opportunity to profile a selection of current design postgraduate students and their projects across our tertiary institutions. This week, to coincide with the launch of AUT’s MATARIKI POSTGRADUATE EXHIBITION we speak with Tori Mok from AUT. What is your background and how did you get into design? I’m…

8 months ago by

Postgraduate Design Research – Ellie Crowe, AUT

Welcome to Postgraduate Design Research – an opportunity to profile a selection of current design postgraduate students and their projects across our tertiary institutions. This week, to coincide with the launch of AUT’s MATARIKI POSTGRADUATE EXHIBITION we speak with Ellie Crowe from AUT. What is your background and how did you get into design? I…

8 months ago by

Aotearoa Photography: Kirsty Griffin

Design Assembly recently got the opportunity to chat with photographer Kirsty Griffin to learn more about her life behind the lens, living in and capturing moments, working on iconic New Zealand films and her internationally celebrated documentary work. This article is proudly brought to you by mychillybin.   How did you get started in the photographic…

8 months ago by

In-house Design Luminaries — Oscar Thomas with The New Zealand Police Force

This series profiles the best and brightest designers in Aotearoa’s in-house design studios, this week we spoke with Oscar Thomas at The New Zealand Police. Oscar is (compulsively) hardworking, generous with advice and has fantastic (& furry) in studio benefits in his role with this critical and visible brand!   Can you describe the creative…

8 months ago by

Meet our Friends… RUN

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 already shown their love and…

8 months ago by

By Day By Night – An interview with Laura Yilmaz, Victoria University

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 Laura Yilmaz who works at Victoria University in Wellington.     What is your official title at work?…

9 months ago by

5 minutes with… Michaela Webb

The Ramp Festival of Music, Media, Arts and Design (formerly Spark) is in their 21st year. Ahead of the 2019 event we spoke with Creative Director (and Ramp speaker!) Michaela Webb about her career development, taking risks, the importance of collaboration, challenges in creative practice and what we can expect this July 23rd-26th at Ramp.…

9 months ago by

 

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