Christchurch Archives - Design Assembly

DA Autumn Conversations is all about connecting people to people and people to ideas.

We will explore this year’s theme of “Design and Planet” through discussions around planet-centered design and educating clients about sustainable practices.

The format for the evening will include talks from our 3 featured speakers followed by a Q&A with all of the speakers.

Featured Speakers:

• Raul Sarrot | Raul is a multi-disciplinary designer, strategist, educator and design coach who specialises in helping enterprises incorporate meaningful design into all areas of their organisations. His international experience has been forged over 30 years working alongside a wide range of commercial and not-for-profit clients in South America, Europe and the Pacific. Raul is the Founder and Director of Freshfish, a boutique studio specialising in strategy, branding and innovation and is a part-time Senior Lecturer in a varietyof design-related papers at AUT. After hours, Raul is a multi-instrumentalist musician, an experimental pizzaiolo chef and a proud father of three ‘wild on Waiheke’ grown-up teenagers!
• Miranda Brown | Title: The Benefits of Biophilic Design | Miranda Brown has been a leader in the sustainable design movement for the past
  two decades and is driven by regenerative principles that look after nature and all life.“ Essentially my practice is all about connecting people to the beauty of nature to enhance wellbeing and to inspire people to look after our natural world. Research shows us that when people are connected to their place they look after that place. Our role is to be the Kaitiaki, guardians of the creatures, the air, earth, water and life force – the mauri ” Miranda’s unique art and biophilic design work is integrated into projects and the built environment where she connects people to nature through creative community engagement, site specific art commissions, biophilic consultation and her interiors range of textiles and wallpapers. Her portfolio includes commercial and residential projects, workplace, health and hospitals, aged care, hotels and public spaces. View www.mirandabrown.co.nz
  
• Welma Sykes | Talk Title: How can I design a campaign that encourages consumers to participate in waste minimisation? | Welma is a creative and information designer who will complete her Master’s in Creative Practice at ARA in April 2024. Her field of study looks at how graphic designers can raise awareness of the environmental issues of overconsumption, as evidenced by the plastic pollution in the oceans and ever-growing landfills, to encourage consumers to participate in waste minimisation.Originally from South Africa with a BA Information Design Degree from the University of Pretoria (2014) she has gained valuable experience by both owning her own small studio and working with large corporate brands to understand the influence graphic designers have to make an idea come to life. Now in her studies she has the opportunity to challenge her own field, rooted in commercial arts and redirect it towards benefitting the environment.
  

Event Schedule:

• 5:30pm – Doors open
• 6.00pm – Talks start followed by Q&A session
• 7.30pm – event concludes

Join us to be inspired, learn new things and be challenged by fresh ideas.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Ticket Costs

DA Friends | $20+gst+fees

Non-members | $40+gst+fees

Not a DA Friend? Sign-up to help DA help you! We’ve got options for everyone.

If you’re a DA Friend and would like to attend this event, email info@designassembly.org.nz for your access code.

Thanks to BJ Ball for keeping everyone fed!

Welcome to Design Assembly’s Spring Conversations 2023!

This time we will be exploring the role that design plays in creating a sense of place.

Tickets are FREE for DA Friends – Access tickets with your special code

Placemaking is an approach where people work together to make places better, not only for themselves but for others and for the place itself. For this event we have three speakers with a wealth of experience in different aspects of placemaking who will talk about their approaches to a variety of key projects undertaken in Aotearoa.

Featured Speakers

• Nik Kneale | Isthmus
• Richard Burson | McCarthy
• Hori Mataki | Ariki Creative 
• Carl Pavletich | Ara Institute

After the talks, there will be a Q&A session where you can ask the speakers your burning questions and engage in a lively discussion with fellow attendees. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting out, this event is a unique opportunity to learn from practitioners in the field and gain valuable insights into the impact of design on placemaking in Aotearoa and beyond.
Join us for an engaging and informative event that will inspire and enlighten you.

Tickets are FREE for DA Friends – Access tickets with your special code

P.S: If you’re a DA Friend and haven’t received your ticket access code, contact us!

Thanks to our Design Assembly Partners BookPrint, mychillybin, Portfolio, Rocketspark and Streamtime and Hnry

We are delighted that Grater Goods have kindly offered to sponsor a beautiful grazing board at our conversations event….thank you team!

Grater Goods | premium, artisan products that are 100% plant based

Welcome to Design Assembly New Zealand Autumn Conversations. In this event, we’ll be exploring the fascinating intersection of design and artificial intelligence. Our theme is “Design and AI: How to use AI in your design process.”

The world of design is constantly evolving, and AI is one of the most exciting developments of recent years. From generating design ideas to automating repetitive tasks, AI has the potential to revolutionise the way we approach design. But how can we harness this technology to its full potential?

To answer this question, we have speakers who will share their insights, experiences, and ideas on how to incorporate AI into your design process. They’ll discuss the benefits and challenges of using AI, showcase real-life examples, and provide practical tips for integrating AI into your workflow.

Giselle Scott, Digital Product Designer, Rush Digital 

Giselle is an experienced digital product designer with a deep passion for AI, accessibility and digital inclusion. With industry experience in healthcare and technology, Giselle leads both RUSH’s Accessibility and AI Guilds and spearheads change, from internal functions within her design team to the products RUSH creates for their customers. Giselle’s focus on designing beautiful, intuitive and accessible products, including leading the design on multi-platform digital experiences and design systems, has led to true impact and improvement in the lives of New Zealanders.

James Mumby-Croft, Creative Lead, Plato Creative

James has a broad creative skillset that has seen him move through several roles with the Plato team over the last 9 years before taking on the position of Creative Lead. Starting his career as a photographer in the UK, James quickly branched out into production, graphic design, and brand development. His range of experience allows him to strike the perfect balance between artistic expression, technical design, and the big picture of brand development to create truly exceptional work. James has continued to expand his skillset and grow the creative team’s capabilities across the areas of motion, video, and motion design. James truly fizzes on visual storytelling and what it can accomplish for a brand.

After the talks, there will be a Q&A session where you can ask the speakers your burning questions and engage in a lively discussion with fellow attendees. Whether you’re a seasoned designer or just starting out, this event is a unique opportunity to learn from leading experts in the field and gain valuable insights into the future of design.

Join us for an engaging and informative event that will expand your knowledge of design and AI, and inspire you to integrate AI into your creative process.

Tickets are FREE for DA Friends – Access tickets with your special code

P.S: If you’re a DA Friend and haven’t received your ticket access code, contact us!

Venue:
Plato Creative
63 Manchester Street, Christchurch

Design Assembly was born out of the desire to see more representation and participation for women in the creative industry in Aotearoa—all this time later, we are still fostering this mission. We’re celebrating International Womens Day (everyday) with a private lunch our female-identifying Design Assembly Friends at Orphan’s Kitchen.

A private event for our female identifying DA Friends.

This event will be held at Botanic, 126 Oxford Terrace, Christchurch Central City, Christchurch 8013

Register in Humanitix with your DA Friend CODE (emailed out to our friends, please get in touch if you have not received it)

Design Assembly is delighted to present our Spring Conversations panel discussion series for September 2022.
Design For Everybody will invite 3 local creatives, (or creative adjacent individuals) to engage in an authentic discussion and Q&A about inclusion in the creative industry;

• What does it mean to be inclusive in design?
• What is ‘lived experience’ and how does it affect our work?
• How can we collectively make better design for everyone?

Tickets:

$30+gst Professional | FREE for Design Assembly Friends
Not a DA Friend? Sign-up to help DA help you! We’ve got options for everyone.

Our Ōtautahi (Christchurch) panellists:

Johnson Mckay — Ira

Johnson is the Kaiwhakahaere Matua of Ira, a strategic and creative agency that specialises in helping Aotearoa thrive through authentic, creative work that inspires and connects us all to this whenua and to each other. He works with government, business and diverse communities to design creative solutions for a thriving Aotearoa. Johnson is passionate advocate for inclusive practises that bring together all New Zealanders to design an authentic Aotearoa together, where everyone has a voice and te reo Māori and Māori cultural perspectives enrich us all.

Sarai Mckay — Ira

The best from the East and West, Sarai descends from a line of chiefs through Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Rongomaiwahine, Taranaki and Tainui. Sarai brings her experience in strategy, communications, cultural advisory and Iwi engagement to the Ira team where she is a Pou Rautaki — Cultural Strategist. She is passionate about Māori social, spiritual and economic development and loves the opportunities she has to make an impact on the future climate of Tangata Whenua, Tangata Tiriti relationships.

Matt Kito — McCarthy

Matt joined McCarthy in Otautahi, Christchurch as Creative Director in 2018 following stints at Strategy Creative and Studio South in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. McCarthy are a full-service design studio who specialise in brand identity, campaign and digital. They create meaningful work that comes from an understanding of our clients and their audience.

Kelly Lovelock — Plato Creative

Kelly Lovelock is an award winning, multi-skilled creative with over 18 years’ experience. Initially a professional surfer from Raglan, Lovelock moved into advertising after his creative talents were noticed by one of his sponsors – surf brand Volcom. From there Lovelock’s advertising career took off as his work was noticed and he worked his way through some of the top agencies in Australia and New Zealand, including Publicis Mojo (Sydney) and FCB (Auckland) earning numerous accolades along the way. For the last four years Lovelock has been working as a creative consultant for a raft of NZ owned companies while working out of Wanaka and embracing life in the mountain town. Kelly has recently taken up the position of Executive Creative Director at Plato Creative to significantly boost their creative fire-power and take their integrated thinking to another level.

Thanks to our Design Assembly Partners BookPrint, mychillybin, Portfolio, Rocketspark and Streamtime
Event artwork by Lindsay Yee and Abhi Topiwala

Not in Auckland? Check out our Auckland and Wellington Spring Conversations.