DA Workshop | Life-Centred Design with Raul Sarrot | Pōneke Wellington
Life-Centred Design: A sustainable approach to human-centred design
Building on the previous success of Raul Sarrot’s strategy and design-thinking workshops, this 3-hour hands-on session offers a deeper dive into the world of purposeful innovation, focusing specifically on how to bring a life-centred, sustainable lens to creative problem-solving
What will you learn?
You will get the chance to work alongside others on a wicked challenge….instead of using the traditional human-centred design mindset – you will take it further… to a life-centred approach that will help you gain a deeper understanding of the surrounding ecosystems. Mixing creativity, strategy and heart, this workshop will help you to connect more deeply and become more aware when working on your next design or problem-solving challenge.
Who is this workshop for?
If you are a Designer, an entrepreneur, an innovation enthusiast and/or if you work as part of a larger team working towards having a positive impact on wider ecosystems, then this workshop is for you. ‘Life-Centred Design’ takes human-centred design-thinking deeper and wider, offering a holistic lens that incorporates ‘systems thinking’ with a single-minded purpose: caring not only about humans but also the environment we live in. In other words, creating sustainable solutions for current and future generations.
What should you bring with you?
A marker pen, a block of post-it notes, a piece of nature of your choice, your curiosity and lots of enthusiasm. We’ll provide the rest!
About the Facilitator
Raul Sarrot 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 variety of 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!
Costs for the workshop
DA PLUS Friends | FREE
DA Friends | $350+gst+fees
Non-members | $450+gst+fees
DA Friends receive a discount on this workshop…please see your email for the access code or email kate@designassembly.org.nz
DA Workshop | PŌNEKE WELLINGTON | Welcome to Te Ao Māori with Johnson McKay
Design Assembly, in partnership with Ira, is delighted to announce a ‘Welcome to Te Ao Māori’ workshop in Pōneke Wellington on Thursday 21 September 2023.
This workshop is a full-day, immersive experience dedicated to developing cultural intelligence and creative solutions through a Te Ao Māori worldview.
The only cultural workshop created specifically for those who work with brand, internal culture development and creative services, the workshop will support participants to engage with Tikanga Māori and understand how culture can be a superpower in designing uniquely Aotearoa brands and businesses, products and experiences.
“Te Ao Māori is not just for Māori. It’s a way of seeing the world that can enrich all New Zealanders – culturally, socially, environmentally and economically.”
Johnson McKay, Head of Strategy & Culture, Ira.
This workshop was created by Johnson McKay and Sarai Morris of Ira – a Māori-led strategic and creative agency. Ira brings Te Ao Māori approaches to co-design inspirational brands, products, and experiences from diverse perspectives.
“We no longer live in a one size fits all world. It takes cultural intelligence to bring diverse perspectives together to co-design transformative solutions.”
Sarai Morris, Cultural Strategy & Engagement, Ira
To find out more about the presenters click here https://ira.nz/whanau
There is also a second workshop called ‘Redesigning Aotearoa’ on the following day Friday 22 September 2023.
To find out about the subsequent workshop ‘Redesigning Aotearoa’ on 22 September click here
Tickets are strictly limited and will sell out fast, so book today to secure your place.
Welcome to Te Ao Māori | Outline of Workshop Programme
Mā te rongo ka mōhio | By listening comes knowledge
Mā te mōhio ka mārama | From knowledge comes understanding
Mā te mārama ka mātau | From understanding comes wisdom
Mā te mātau ka ora ai | From wisdom comes life
Mātauranga is knowledge. It is spiritual, scientific, cultural and creative experiences passed down inter-generationally. It informs the priorities in Te Ao Māori – the Māori world view and shapes Tikanga Māori – cultural process.
Our purpose for developing this workshop is to ensure that the principles and perspectives of Te Ao Māori continue to inspire the communities of Aotearoa.
The workshop is a safe space to gain cultural understanding and the support of experts to help embed your learning into how you deliver and design culturally authentic outcomes.
Participate in learning sessions, break-out group work and personalise the principles to suit your own context and needs.
Explore solutions to questions like:
- How do we define organisational strategy that aligns to Treaty commitments and aspirations to remove inequitable barriers to Māori self-determination?
- How do we shape organisational culture to value Māori cultural values?
- How do we communicate brands, products and services in a way that engages Māori whānau and communities?
- How do we represent Māori voices and values visually and in design, photography and video?
Workshop Schedule:
‘Welcome to Te Ao Māori’
8.15am | Arrive at Out of Office venue
Be welcomed by your presenters with a whakatau.
8.30am | Wahanga 1: Te Ao Māori | World View
Understand what informs a Māori cultural identity and world view. The importance of maintaining cultural, environmental and community balance through the principle of tapu and mana.
- Wairuatanga: The spiritual foundations for te ao Māori
- Tapu and Mana: Critical concepts that govern all aspects of te ao Māori
- Tūranga: Community roles and responsibilities that shape how te ao Māori operates daily in Māori contexts.
Wahanga 2: Tikanga Māori – Cultural Processes
How does the Te ao Māori view inform Tikanga Māori – processes that bring diverse people together to co-design outcomes together?
- Pono, tika, aroha: three balancing factors in developing and applying Tikanga Māori
- Specific Examples of Tikanga Māori
- Pōwhiri: gender based roles and are they changing
- Rāhui: restoring environments and people
- Mātauranga: protecting and valuing knowledge in a digital era
- Hohou Te Rongo: inclusive practises to resolve disputes
- Tangihanga – death and transition into the next life
- Matariki – environmental and community balance
Wahanga 3: Evolving Tikanga
How is Tikanga Māori changing? What are the positive and negative influences on that change? How can we support an indigenous culture to be revived to retain its unique way of seeing the world?
- Balancing individual liberties and collective responsibility
- Gender identity and cultural roles within te ao Māori
- Evolving use of te reo Māori and how knowledge is shared
- Cross cultural collaboration for new and exciting outcomes
Whakamutunga
3.00pm – Closing karakia and waiata to settle the learning before going home for the day
Costs for the Workshop
Non-member | $650+gst
DA Member | $450+gst
Student | $100+gst
To secure your tickets for ‘Welcome to Te Ao Māori’ on 21 September please click on BUY TICKETS above
To find out about the subsequent workshop ‘Redesigning Aotearoa’ on 22 September click here
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions by emailing events@designassembly.org.nz
DA Workshop | PŌNEKE WELLINGTON | Redesigning Aotearoa with Johnson McKay
Redesigning Aotearoa
Design Assembly in partnership with Ira is delighted to announce ‘Redesigning Aotearoa’ a workshop in Pōneke Wellington on Friday 22 September 2023.
This workshop is a full-day, immersive experience dedicated to developing cultural intelligence and creative solutions through a Te Ao Māori worldview.
The only cultural workshop created specifically for those who work with brand, internal culture development and creative services, the workshop will support participants to engage with Tikanga Māori and understand how culture can be a superpower in designing uniquely Aotearoa brands and businesses, products and experiences.
“Te Ao Māori is not just for Māori. It’s a way of seeing the world that can enrich all New Zealanders – culturally, socially, environmentally and economically.”
Johnson McKay, Head of Strategy & Culture, Ira.
This workshop was created by Johnson McKay and Sarai Morris of Ira – a Māori-led strategic and creative agency. Ira brings Te Ao Māori approaches to co-design inspirational brands, products, and experiences from diverse perspectives.
“We no longer live in a one size fits all world. It takes cultural intelligence to bring diverse perspectives together to co-design transformative solutions.”
Sarai Morris, Cultural Strategy & Engagement, Ira
To find out more about the presenters click here https://ira.nz/whanau
There is also an introductory workshop in the series called; ‘Welcome to Te Ao Māori’ on the preceding day Thursday 21 September 2023. To find out more about this workshop click here.
Tickets are strictly limited and will sell out fast, so book today to secure your place!
Redesigning Aotearoa | Outline of Workshop Programme
Mā te rongo ka mōhio | By listening comes knowledge
Mā te mōhio ka mārama | From knowledge comes understanding
Mā te mārama ka mātau | From understanding comes wisdom
Mā te mātau ka ora ai | From wisdom comes life
Mātauranga is knowledge. It is spiritual, scientific, cultural and creative experiences passed down inter-generationally. It informs the priorities in Te Ao Māori – the Māori world view and shapes Tikanga Māori – cultural process.
Our purpose for developing these workshops is to ensure that the principles and perspectives of Te Ao Māori continue to inspire the communities of Aotearoa.
These workshops are a safe space to gain cultural understanding and the support of experts to help embed your learning into how you deliver and design culturally authentic outcomes.
Participate in learning sessions, break-out group work and personalise the principles to suit your own context and needs.
Explore solutions to questions like:
How do we define organisational strategy that aligns to Treaty commitments and aspirations to remove inequitable barriers to Māori self-determination?
How do we shape organisational culture to value Māori cultural values?
How do we communicate brands, products and services in a way that engages Māori whānau and communities?
How do we represent Māori voices and values visually and in design, photography and video?
Redesigning Aotearoa | Workshop Schedule
Whakatau
8.30am
We start our day with karakia and waiata to kick in the positive vibes.
Wahanga 1
Te Tiriti-centric solutions
Understand the history and context of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, how it’s been misunderstood and how it can shape the future of Aotearoa, if we value the commitments made to Māori in it.
Understanding the history and relevance of Te Tiriti O Waitangi
Breaches of Te Tiriti O Waitangi historical and present impacts
Māori aspirations for self-determination
Examples of Treaty strategies that can transform Aotearoa
Wahanga 2
Elevating Cultural Creativity
Explore the beauty of Māori creative expression and how to elevate not appropriate culture.
Cultural appropriation versus cultural elevation
Rautaki – Strategy: How to bring Te Tiriti and cultural values into developing strategy for brands and businesses.
Ahurea – Culture – How to bring te reo Māori and culture into your organisational culture
Auaha – Creative – How to bring culture into your brand, campaigns and visual language.
Wahanga 3
Continuing Beyond The Workshops
Open discussion about the things learned, what’s been challenging, how do we resolve those questions and continue to learn beyond the workshop?
Whakamutunga
3pm | Closing karakia and waiata
To secure your tickets for ‘Redesigning Aotearoa’ on 22 September please click on BUY TICKETS above
To see information about ‘Welcome to Te Ao Māori’ on 21 September please click here
Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions by emailing events@designassembly.org.nz
‘Type as Monument’: a talk by Alistair McCready (Monolith)
Alistair McCready’s Type as Monument returns, this time in Te Whanganui-a-Tara on 11 May 2023
The Aotearoa chapter of the Society of Experiential Graphic Design (SEGD) and Design Assembly invite you to an evening exploring typographic design and its history with Alistair McCready from Monolith.
Meet at the Isthmus Te Whanganui-a-Tara studio on Victoria Street for drinks and nibbles from 5:00pm, with Alistair’s talk starting at 5:30pm. Social mixer afterwards.
This event is free to attend but please register to attend. We encourage and support mask-wearing.
WELLINGTON PŌNEKE DA Event: Spring Conversations | Design & Placemaking
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.
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.
Featured Speakers
Iris Gramegna | Isthmus
Hannah Hopewell | Victoria University & TOA Architects
Nick Kapica | DotDash
WELLINGTON DA Workshop: Writing & Presenting for Designers with Mark Easterbrook
A deep dive into the art of writing and presenting, to help you support your design work.
In the first half of the day, we’ll step above the nuts and bolts of grammar and spelling and look at what makes good writing good, so you can develop your confidence with the written word. In the second half, we’ll look at how to present the story of your work in a compelling way and equip your client with reasons to say yes, so you can do more of the work you want to do.
Who is the workshop for?
Designers who want to develop the written language and presentation skills to support their talents with visual language. Anyone working in design who wants to improve their ability to communicate ideas through words, and brush up on their presentation skills.
What will you learn?
Writing for Designers
– What makes good writing good
– Writing before the work – how to establish tone and style
– Writing in the work
– crafting good copy
– Writing around the work
– how to pitch your work persuasively
– Writing about the work
– how to reflect on the work for awards and PR
Presenting for Designers
– Ways to structure a presentation
– How to make the best use of the client’s time
– How to strike a balance between emotion and reason
– How to manage tricky questions
– How to project confidence
– What to do with disruptive personalities
What to bring with you:
Your interest, enthusiasm and your burning writing questions. If you can, think of one positive and one negative writing and/or presentation experience to share.
Workshop Costs:
Our DA Friends receive savings of $200 per ticket. Be a DA Friend.
– Non-DA Friend, $650+gst
– DA Friend, $450+gst
– DA Student Friend, $100+gst
About the facilitator
Mark Easterbrook is a freelance copywriter and creative director with 20 years experience in the communications and creative industries. He has written and presented everything from hardcore retail advertising to poetic brand films to culturally sensitive government communications. He has an MA in Film, TV & Media Studies and has been a radio host, copywriter, bouncer, gravedigger, gas station attendant, charity board member and Programme Director of the Going West Writers Festival.
WELLINGTON DA Event: EOY Social
More details to be announced in the coming weeks. Check back soon!
WELLINGTON DA Events: Autumn Conversations – Design & AI
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.”
Tickets are FREE for DA Friends – Access tickets with your special code
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 three 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.
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.
Featured Speakers:
Rodrigo (Rod) Acevedo, Product Design Lead | Strategist | Google RARE delegate, Rush Digital
Rod is a passionate and award-winning strategist, product designer and creative thinker. A native of Chile, he has dedicated most of his career to decolonising design practices which foster inclusion and prioritise empathetic, human-centred thinking. Over the last few years, Rod has worked on a wide range of problems across many industries including healthcare, insurance and day-to-day services, with a particular emphasis on unpacking complex design challenges.
Rod is part of the Rare with Google program and a design mentor in ADPList.
-Taking advantage of AI to elevate your design practice. Over the past year, we’ve been experimenting with incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) into our design practice and let me tell you, it’s been one wild ride! But don’t worry, it won’t just be about boring technical details – we’ll discuss the transformative role of the designer in conducting research, exploration, and fostering creativity while optimising internal processes.
Tom White, Senior Lecturer in Media Design Creative Coding at Victoria University Wellington – Te Herenga Waka
Lauren Skogstad | Ngāti Raukawa | Head of Experience at Springload
Lauren leads the strategy, research, design and content practice and methodology at Springload. Lauren has a passion for creating meaningful and culturally authentic experiences that enrich people’s everyday lives. She believes in the power of strong partnerships, collaborative design and people based problem solving. Lauren has 16 + years experience across Wellington, London and Melbourne. She’s worked with ANZ, Adairs, Jetstar, RMIT, Holden and Wesley College to create beautiful digital experiences. For Springload, she’s worked on projects for the Ministry for Social Development, Tertiary Education Commission, New Zealand Customs Service, Engineering New Zealand, ACC, and Department of Internal Affairs.
– Whose artificial intelligence? Reflecting on the intersection of AI and Te Ao Māori. In the race to adopt new technologies that could transform everything from how we communicate to our everyday jobs, this talk offers a moment to pause and reflect on the ethical and cultural implications of these tools. We need to ask how these products were made; how they trained the model, what specific sources feed it, who made them and what bias they bring. Is it possible that AI is yet another episode in the great story of colonisation? What measures do we need to protect the taonga of Aotearoa?
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
Drinks Partners: Major Major & Karma Drinks
WELLINGTON DA Event: DA Women In Design Lunch
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 for our female-identifying Design Assembly Friends.
Max 2 tickets per studio or 1 per individual friend.
At Whistling Sisters, 100 Taranaki Street, Te Aro, Wellington, 6011
This is a private event for Design Assembly members only—Access tickets with your special code
P.S: If you’re a DA Friend and haven’t received your ticket access code, contact us! Email louise@designassembly.org.nz or jess@designassembly.org.nz
WELLINGTON DA Workshop: Discover Your Designer DNA with Jason Biggs
**Ticket sales close 27 Feb
What would happen if we could finally put a name to the things we do best – our innate personality strengths – and access them on the daily to help achieve our personal and career goals?
We all have talents; naturally recurring ways of thinking, feeling, or behaving that can be productively applied. We use them every day to achieve what we are responsible for. The challenge is that talents are innate. We just “do them” without thinking. So it can be difficult for us to describe them to others and even see the value in them ourselves. An example of this is think about the question, “What is one positive word people used to describe you?” Many of us find this difficult to quickly answer.
The truth is in any work we do the HOW’s (thoughts, feelings, behaviours) always come before the WHAT’s (the priorities and delivery of the work). What if we were able to accurately describe our talents so that it:
- Short circuits how your boss, team, and clients can get the best from you
- Supports how you best work together, to make the process of design much simpler
- Be able to ask the right questions to get the best from others
What will I learn?
We all love a personality test. We start by completing a CliftonStrengths profile which helps to identify and describe your talents. The trick with any profile is that it is most powerful when you understand how to apply them uniquely to you. This three hour workshop is designed to help you discover:
- How to get the best out of you Understand your 1 in 33 million point of difference. Be able to confidently voice the unique way you approach your work. What you are good at and why (something that can help boost your portfolio)
- How to get the best out of others Increase empathy for others, how we all do things differently and that through intentional partnerships you can make our work more impactful
- Tools to get right information from those you work with through adapting your style, by leveraging your talents and most importantly by asking the right questions
Who is this for?
- Creative Directors
- Design Directors
- Account Mangers
- Design Studio Owners
- People moving into managing leadership roles which manage teams
- Employees across all functions and roles; whether it be designers or the teams and roles that support them
- Freelance or contractor designers looking to unlock natural strengths and turn them into their unique point of difference.
- Consider more than one person attending from your team to improve the collaboration between you
What will I walk away with?
- A Gallup CliftonStrengths profile and CliftonStrengths Theme Report and CliftonStrengths Insight Guide
- A pre work quick course to debrief the results
- A detailed and personalised reference guide with insights including what you contribute, what you need, how you are best managed
- Debrief with a group of individuals with a process designed to create new connections
- A follow-up programme with additional resources and reminders to apply what was covered in the workshop
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Meet your facilitator: Jason Biggs — The Strengths Collective
Jason helps workplaces and their people hum through coaching, workshops and self-sustaining tools that help you short circuit the process and DIY. His method helps to identify and play to yours, your teams’ and your organisation’s strengths, have better, regular and more impactful coaching conversations, and focus on the important stuff. Jason has worked in the corporate sector for over 20 years, marketing brands like NESCAFE, KLEENEX and HUGGIES. He thrives helping people understand why they do what they do and to leverage this to get what they want. He’s a commercial guy at heart so that means delivering good business outcomes. In the last ten years he’s coached hundreds of people either as individuals or teams and worked with organisations such as Spark, Nestle, Freightways, New Zealand Blood Service, Chapman Tripp, Downer, Fonterra, Kiwicare, The Tile Depot.
Thanks to our Design Assembly Partners BookPrint, mychillybin, Portfolio, Rocketspark and Streamtime.
Not a DA Friend? Sign-up to help DA help you! We’ve got options for everyone.
If you’re a DA PLUS friend and would like to attend this workshop, email us for your free access code.
WELLINGTON DA Event: EOY Wrap Party 2022
Join your fellow designers and creatives to share our experiences of this year and celebrate the start of summer! This is a low-key networking event for members of our Design Assembly community and beyond, hosted by our good Design Assembly Friends at Isthmus. Your ticket will gain you entry into Isthmus, nibbles and a couple of drinks for the evening.
More details to come.
Tickets are FREE for our Design Assembly friends of all tiers. You can sign up to be a DA Friend anytime—and there’s no time like the present. Check out our membership options here. Not in Wellington? Check out our Auckland and Christchurch equivalent events.
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Thanks to our Design Assembly Partners BookPrint, mychillybin, Portfolio, Rocketspark and Streamtime and to Lindsay Yee and Abhi Topiwala for the incredible and inflatable event artwork.
Wellington Grad Show: Victoria University EOYE 2022
Te Wāhanga Waihanga-Hoahoa celebrates the mahi of Architecture and Design Innovation students in the annual End of Year Exhibition.
Our students are constantly exploring their auahatanga — creativity, to develop and produce works engaging with concepts of Architecture and Design Innovation. The End of Year Exhibition is a showcase of the mahi, skill and talent that goes into creating these works.
Te Wāhanga Waihanga-Hoahoa—Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation invites you to join us in celebrating our students and their accomplishments, and to shine a light on the future Designers, Architects and creatives of Aotearoa.
Come along for drinks and nibbles at the Opening Night Celebration, Friday November 4, 5.30–7.30 pm. RSVP here!
Weekdays: 9 am– 5 pm
Weekends: 5th and 6th 9 am–5 pm, 11th and 12th 9 am–5 pm, 19th and 20th 3 pm – 5pm — Final Weekend, limited viewing!
WELLINGTON DA Event: Spring Conversations — Design For Everybody
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 Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) panellists:
Raymond Tiong — Xero
Ray is a designer-turned-researcher based in Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland). After experimenting with graphic design, art history, and innovation strategy, he discovered his calling in UX research – where he uses evidence, logic, and intuition to influence digital product experiences. When he’s not giving unsolicited work advice as the de facto career counsellor for his friends, he’s maintaining his creative edge by curating the perfect set of memes and GIFs for every occasion.
Q Walker — Paperkite
Q Walker (they/them) is the Experience Lead at PaperKite, a digital product / tech agency based in Wellington. Q passionately specialises in UX research and strategy, and has never quite let go of their graphic design roots – which is a good thing, because they also lead a cross-disciplinary team of researchers, designers, and marketers. Q is also a musician, actor, public speaker, horror movie aficionado, tightwire walker, and avid gardener, and has been described as a walking exclamation point.
Tamsin Ewing — Department of Internal Affairs
Tamsin is a Content Designer with a passion for web accessibility at Te Tari Taiwhenua, the Department of Internal Affairs, where she works in the Digital Public Service branch. She has over 10 years’ experience delivering digital projects in the public sector. Her mahi is informed by principles in design thinking methodology, design facilitation, service design, UX research, and digital accessibility. Tamsin is committed to improving the experience of web content for disabled people, and delivering clear, useful online information and services that are accessible to all.
Kelsey Thomson — Optimal Workshop
Kia ora! Ko Kelsey ahau. I’m a researcher, people person and connector of ideas. By day I’m the Head of Research at Optimal Workshop, and by night you can find me with a good book, playing video games, or wandering around forests admiring the beauty that is Aotearoa.
Ash Prier — Wrestler
Ash Prier leads creative direction across the diverse range of global and local clients and projects at Wellington agency, Wrestler. Ash’s multidisciplinary approach leverages her art direction background with a strong strategic mind, to create narratives and meaningful experiences that connect humans with brands, and help to challenge perspectives, empower audiences and create fans. With a drive to incorporate social and environmental responsibility into her work, Ash loves now being in a position to bring her international experience in design and direction to contribute to and collaborate with the community in Pōneke with the impact of creativity.
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 Christchurch Spring Conversations.
UX for Government Morning Coffee Series
*7:30 to 8:30 every morning from 5 Sept – 9 Sept
Better UX for Government. A Free Morning Workshop Series (with coffee, of course). A series of free ‘before work’ UX workshops for people who work in public service and want to build their expertise in a human centred approach to user experience design.
UX Gym is hosting a series of one-hour workshops free for anyone who works for a government organisation. Each session covers a different stage of a human centred user experience design process including practical methods you can use immediately. These sessions are based on our popular UX Gym one-day design courses. Attendees get access to full course notes and the UX Gym Slack community.
Attendees will get to:
- Learn best practice principles and processes
- Experience practical methods you can use immediately.
- Gain access to full course notes and the UX Gym Slack community.
Who is it for?
This course is free for anyone who works for a government organisation. No previous experience is necessary, but people who have experience of UX design are more than welcome to come along and brush up.
We designed it for:
- People working directly on user experience, customer experience, and service design projects. This series focuses on digital UX projects, but the general principles are applicable to any experience design work.
- People who manage, commission, or liaise with people working on UX design projects.
- Product owners, designers, developers and BAs interested in UX or human-centred design generally.
What will you learn?
Introduction to UX and Planning UX Work: the fundamental concepts behind human-centred design and identifying the activities required for a successful UX project.
Customer / User Research: replacing speculation about the people you are designing for with facts in order to make more successful strategic and granular design decisions.
Information Architecture: the basic concepts behind organising the content and functionality of a website or app, so that it is findable and usable to your audience.
UI Design: basic concepts behind making good design decisions when designing user interfaces for screens.
Usability Testing: how to make sure your design actually works.
What will you need?
Just your brain! We provide all materials required for each session.
Pricing
Free for anyone who works for a government organisation. If you are not sure if you qualify, register with your work email address and we will let you know if you aren’t eligible.