Now and Then with Sam Harris of Hula

Written by Annie McCulloch and brought to you by Portfolio Recruitment Now and Then is a series where we catch up with designers who have been recently placed, via Portfolio Recruitment, to get their thoughts and feedback about their roles and their work. This time we’re catching up with Sam, who is a junior designer […]

3 years ago by

Fresh from the Field – One Design’s Astrolabe Identity and packaging

The Fresh from the Field features ONE Design’s work for Astrolabe, who proudly celebrate their pastoral, unpretentious surroundings, this landscape drives the brand expression. The Brief: Astrolabe is a family owned wine company based in Marlborough, New Zealand. They grow their own grapes and also source from a tight-knit group of local growers who live on […]

3 years ago by

Spring Conversations – Introducing the Auckland Panel

Design Assembly is delighted to present our DA Spring Conversations series taking place in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch in September. Living a life well in design – let’s talk about culture, mental health and values in the Aotearoa NZ design community. Join us for a conversation that will take a look into what it means to […]

3 years ago by

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 […]

3 years ago by

Aotearoa NZ Photographers – Melissa Walter

This article is proudly brought to you by mychillybin. How did you initially get started in the photographic industry? My Dad was a wedding photographer actually! When I was about 11 he let me join him on a wedding job to carry his gear for him and from that day I became obsessed with the idea […]

3 years ago by

Fresh From the Field — A1 Property Managers by Strategy

Strategy are kindly hosting our CHRISTCHURCH DA Annual Pub Quiz 2021 on August 10 @ 6:00 pm – get your tickets below, or find more details on the event page here. Register now   This Fresh from the Field features Strategy Creative Christchurch‘s reinvented identity for A1 Property Managers. Playing with the concept of ‘To the […]

3 years ago by

AUT’s Te Āhuru Super Graphics, Jasmax in association with MuirMcNeil

DA spoke with Clem Devine and Jarrad Caine at Jasmax about their incredible environmental graphic work recently installed at AUT. The graphic system is built upon MuirMcNeil‘s intersect type system and richly layered patterns, that speak to place, culture and function with a lens on the future of play. What was the brief for this […]

3 years ago by

In Kōrero with… Kātoitoi cofounders, Louise Kellerman and Nicole Arnett Phillips

Growing an archive – by and for the community Louise Kellerman and Nicole Arnett Phillips are the co-founders of Kātoitoi. Having collaborated for a number of years through Design Assembly, both saw a pressing need for Aotearoa to develop its own visual archive. Louise and Nicole did just that, sourcing the funds and gathering together […]

3 years ago by

Fresh From the Field — Postcards from Aotearoa, Method

The kaupapa, intelligence and craft of Method’s Postcards from Aotearoa project are phenomenal. The NZ On Air funded game allows 5-9 year old tamariki to create their likeness as a character, pack for a journey, and join their “aunty Tui” on an adventure around Aotearoa’s remarkable landscape. The HTML5 game enables children to see themselves […]

3 years ago by

BJ Ball Student Design Competition

BJ Ball Papers dedicated to celebrating graphic design in print right here in Aotearoa, New Zealand. The BJ Ball Student Design Contest is back again – it’s an opportunity for Aotearoa Graphic Design students to showcase their talents and work to the design industry.This is an exceptional opportunity for students follow a project from brief through to print, and to […]

3 years ago by

Kaiwhakanikoniko – kōrero with… Isobel Joy Te Aho-White

Kātoitoi commissioned a number of Kaiwhakanikoniko (graphic artists) to visually interpret the written essays sitting within the project. We speak to three (of six) contributing illustrators: Bonnie Brown, Isobel Joy Te Aho-White and Joseph Carrington about their vibrant careers so far, where they draw their creative inspiration and some reflections on 2020. Isobel Joy Te […]

3 years ago by

Wintec to host change-making creatives at Ramp Festival

Wintec School of Media Arts’ highly anticipated Ramp Festival 2021 is once again bringing creative-based thinkers from across Aotearoa to Kirikiriroa, Hamilton from 4 – 6 August. – https://www.ramp.ac.nz Sarah Smuts-Kennedy is pleased to see regenerative themes being discussed in an academic context. Image: Supplied. This year the Ramp Festival lineup includes New Zealand artist and creator Sarah […]

3 years ago by

Fresh From the Field — Island Gin by One Design

This Fresh from the Field features One Design’s exceptional craft on Island Gin. The outstanding bottle form and the brand expression draw inspiration from the environment and speak to our coast. Making this global calibre project undeniably local. Island Gin is also a beacon of environmental stewardship and circular thinking, with raw material for the […]

3 years ago by

Inhouse Luminaries… Karem Ortiz, Heartland bank

This series profiles the best and brightest designers in Aotearoa’s in-house design studios, this week we spoke with Heartland Bank‘s Creative Lead, Karem Ortiz.   Kia ora Karem, can you tell us a bit about your creative background prior to joining Heartland? Growing up, I loved creating at school and at home. Later on, I realised […]

3 years ago by

Meet our friends… Oscar Thomas, Designworks

We love the opportunity to get to know our DA friends better, so we’re happy to get the chance to speak with Oscar Thomas, designer at Designworks. We spoke to Oscar about his career journey, an interest in motion and film, the Designworks philosophy and culture, the mahi he is proud of, tech he is […]

3 years 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 […]

3 years ago by

Fresh From the Field — Kāpiti Cheese by unified brands

Kāpiti is a brand that isn’t shy of big, bold flavours, they commissioned Unified Brands to design packaging with the same confidence. The brief: Kāpiti, a brand that sets the bar for cheese – proudly holding the title for New Zealand’s most awarded cheese company. Their product is second to none, but the brand team […]

4 years ago by

Auckland 2021 DA Pub Quiz Results

What a night we had last week in Auckland at the Ellen Melville Centre! We beat the last pub quiz limit with 19 teams registered and once again, Team NFD/Curative took out the championship, but it was a three-way tie for most of the night, with both Alt teams close on their heels. Thanks to […]

4 years ago by

Wintec academics light the way with Te Ruru Light Festival Kirikiriroa Hamilton

Te Ruru Light Festival is a one-of-its-kind event, held annually in Kirikiriroa, Hamilton. Inspired by similar light-based festivals around Aotearoa, the festival was conceptualised by Wintec academics and researchers, Luke McConnell and Jason Long, and Wintec graduate and CEO of Creative Waikato, Jeremy Mayall. Wintec School of Media Arts design tutor and founder of Te […]

4 years ago by

Fresh From the Field — 5 lanes identity Strategy Christchurch

This Fresh from the Field features Strategy Christchurch‘s new identity for a local shopping precinct. Which is both literal and lateral in drawing inspiration from the urban form. The identities expression also took cues from the brand’s vision: ‘A unique, curated shopping experience for the curious, the creative, the explorer and the child within us […]

4 years ago by

By Day By Night, Emily Russell

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 Emily Russell who works at Wintec, School of Media Arts in Hamilton. What is your official title? I’m […]

4 years ago by

On the Flipside… Sian Thompson, Creative Intern at Seven

The transition from design student to designer can be tricky! Design internships provide an invaluable stepping stone towards professional practice and create continuity within the design profession. On the flip side profiles current design interns and the Aotearoa studios that are hosting them. We learn more about the emerging talents ambitions, the fresh perspectives they […]

4 years ago by

Fresh from the Field — As needed, as possible.

The latest edition from Gloria Books As needed, as possible was first brought to life as a series of e-pubs (.pdf), that collected discourse around the role Enjoy—and contemporary art spaces—play within a broader arts ecology and society in Aotearoa. This print publication (designed by Kate Kerr) looks outward, building upon conversations with friends and […]

4 years ago by

The redesign of everything… with Louise Nash of Circularity

Today we continue our series profiling the podcasts we love! As a circular design and innovation partner, circularity are on a mission to help us solve the environmental challenges of business as usual. “Together, we’ll shape a future that works with nature, not against it.” Circularity’s podcast; The Redesign of Everything shares the work of […]

4 years ago by

Inhouse Luminaries… Renée Norman, KPMG

This series profiles the best and brightest designers in Aotearoa’s in-house design studios, this week we spoke with Renée Norman, at KPMG a global leader in financial services. Kia Ora Renee, can you describe the creative path you took to get where you’re at now?I’ve always had a creative vernacular; the exploratory play was a […]

4 years ago by