2023 Spring Conversations: Featured Speakers

With the Spring Conversations events coming up across all three cities in the next few weeks, we’re taking a moment to shine a light on each city’s featured speakers. This year we will be exploring the role that design plays in creating a sense of place. Join us for an evening of learning and discussion […]

1 year ago by

Fresh From The Field — A project fit for a new king – By Fuller Studio

Fresh from the Field is a weekly article series sharing the fresh and inspiring work of our Aotearoa Design Assembly community. Fuller Studio walk us through their design process for the development of NZ Post Collectables new range of coins to commemorate the pending Coronation of King Charles III. Want to submit your own work to […]

1 year ago by

Welcome to the Freelancing Diaries

This year we’ve teamed up with Hnry to bring you ‘The Freelancing Diaries’, a series helping freelancing creatives navigate self-employed life and find their version of financial success. This quarterly content series is chocka with freelancing business tips to help you navigate running a creative business, as well as de-mystifying some of the barriers for […]

1 year ago by

Wellington Faculty of Architecture and Design Innovation Open Day

Our partner school, Victoria University of Wellington Te Herenga Waka, is having their open day at Te Aro Campus on 25 Aug 2023. The whole Te Aro Campus, home to their Wellington School of Architecture and Design Innovation, will be buzzing with workshops, tours, info lectures, course advice and so much more. There will be […]

1 year ago by

Fresh From The Field — Hidden Honey – By Onfire Design

Fresh from the Field is a weekly article series sharing the fresh and inspiring work of our Aotearoa Design Assembly community. Inspired by the insistence of doing things right and foraging for what was previously Hidden, Onfire Design take us behind their brand strategy and packaging design for Hidden Honey. Want to submit your own work […]

1 year ago by

From the Edges – Qianhui Zhao, Masters in Media Art at Wintec

In our ‘From The Edges’ series we feature Aotearoa NZ Academic Design Projects. Our practice as designers can be seen to be explored, pushed and perhaps become something entirely new where it exists at the edges of our practice in the world of academia. Free from the constraints of commercial outcomes and clients, designers explore […]

1 year ago by

Fresh From The Field — Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa – Cultural Identity – By MSO Design

Fresh from the Field is a weekly article series sharing the fresh and inspiring work of our Aotearoa Design Assembly community. MSO Design take us through their recent work developing the cultural identity for Te Kaunihera Rata o Aotearoa. Want to submit your own work to Fresh From The Field? Fill out the FFTF form here. The […]

1 year ago by

ŌTAUTAHI: Brunch by the Beach for freelance designers

Earlier this year our friends at Rocketspark & Creative Launchpad hosted a community event up in the Bay of Plenty which brought together local freelance designers – from seasoned veterans to fresh grads – and some of the best pastries in the Bay ( no joke! ). The vibe was warm and welcoming, and everyone […]

1 year ago by

Alan Deare from Area Design on all things Ramp.

On the eve of the 25th festival we catch up with Alan Deare to ask to talk all things Ramp. Alan’s studio, Area, has a long-standing, collaborative relationship with Wintec | Te Pūkenga Ramp Festival since 2011 when they began working on the brand identity and over the intervening years have had a design intern work alongside […]

1 year ago by

Meet our friends…Spruik 

‘Meet our Friends’ series is where we take a moment to celebrate and share a little about the diverse studios who make up our DA Friends. Today we spoke to our friends, Spruik, to learn more about their studio team, culture, and design philosophy. Want to be a part of the community? Be a Friend […]

1 year ago by

Fresh From The Field — Te Arotake – By Strategy Creative

Fresh from the Field is a weekly article series sharing the fresh and inspiring work of our Aotearoa Design Assembly community. Using three distinct typefaces to collectively symbolise the value of varied perspectives, Strategy Creative walk us through their branding work for Te Arotake. Want to submit your own work to Fresh From The Field? Fill […]

1 year ago by

Protected: The pursuit of happiness

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1 year ago by

Aotearoa NZ Photographers . . . Michelle Hyslop

In our ‘Aotearoa Photographers’ series we sit down with NZ based photographers to learn more about their photographic practice and how their photography career got started. This week we chat with photographer, Michelle Hyslop who shares a peek into her shoot planning and process along with how she’s able to capture intimacy and vulnerability of […]

1 year ago by

Ramp Festival returns with jam-packed day of kōrero and connection

Celebrating 25 years of creativity through kōrero, workshops, events and exhibitions, Wintec | Te Pukenga Ramp Festival returns from 8 – 10 August 2023. A jam-packed day of kōrero will take place on Tuesday, 8 August featuring speakers from Australasia with the day-long series of speakers and events designed to encourage the audience to attend […]

1 year ago by

Fresh From The Field — Ko Matariki Te Kairuuri – By Ira

Design Assembly loves to profile the breadth and depth of design practice in Aotearoa. For July we’re celebrating Māori design, designers, and illustrators.  Collaborating with Manawa Tapu to create a piece of art that featured a Matariki narrative unique to Tainui Waka, Ira walk us through the Ko Matariki Te Kairuuri experiential campaign for The […]

1 year ago by

5 minutes with Sara Moana, Freelance Illustrator

Design Assembly loves to profile the breadth and depth of design practice in Aotearoa. For July we’re celebrating Māori design, designers, and illustrators.  Ko Taupiri te maunga, ko Te Puehu o Waikato te moana, ko Waikato te awa, ko Tainui te waka, ko Waikato te iwi, ko Ngāti Tamaoho te hapū, ko Mangatangi te marae, […]

1 year ago by

Pohewa Pāhewa: a Māori design kaupapa

Pohewa Pāhewa will be held at Objectspace from 1 Jul – 3 Sep 2023. This article has been re-shared with permission from Objectspace. This article’s header artwork image: Raranga taura kūtai features taura (mussel ropes) woven by Tanya Reihana White with the support of John Kaulima-Panapa and members of Ngāti Whātua Ōrākeiweaving rōpū, Te Puāwai. Photograph by Sam Hartnett. Pohewa Pāhewa celebrates Māori design practice and interrogates Western design practice through […]

1 year ago by

Fresh From The Field — Tirama Mai – By Ariki Creative

Design Assembly loves to profile the breadth and depth of design practice in Aotearoa. For July we’re celebrating Māori design, designers, and illustrators.  Delivering innovative and visually captivating art pieces that celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Māori traditions, Ariki Creative walk us through the Tirama Mai project for Christchurch City Council. The brief The […]

1 year ago by

Under the hood with … Raymond McKay, Chief Creative Officer at Run

Design Assembly loves to profile the breadth and depth of design practice in Aotearoa. For July we’re celebrating Māori design, designers, and illustrators.  In this article series we learn more about our Under the Hood event speakers. Raymond McKay will be one of two featured speakers at the July 2023 Online Under The Hood – Māori […]

1 year ago by

Martina Plantijn is a better Plantin

Named after an indomitable 17th century businesswoman, author, and head of the largest printing business in the world, Martina Plantijn is the newest typeface released from our Friends over at Klim Type Foundry Designed by Klim Type Foundry’s Kris Sowersby, Martina Plantijn is a new type family informed by the workhorse qualities of Frank Hinman […]

1 year ago by

Under the hood with …Nikki Kennedy, Founder of Taputapu

Design Assembly loves to profile the breadth and depth of design practice in Aotearoa. For July we’re celebrating Māori design, designers, and illustrators.  In this article series we learn more about our Under the Hood event speakers. Nikki Kennedy will be one of two featured speakers at the July 2023 Online Under The Hood – Māori […]

1 year ago by

AUT release a collection of commissioned Matariki artworks as a koha to all

This article was reposted with permission from our DA School Partner, AUT. To celebrate the rise of Matariki, Te Tari Takawaenga Māori at AUT has commissioned a collection of artworks by Te Tohu Paetahi mō te Hoahoa – Bachelor of Design in Communication Design and te reo Māori student Hāriata Mann. The works, available to […]

2 years ago by

Fresh From The Field — Your Way | Kia Roha Visual Identity – By Studio Waru

Design Assembly loves to profile the breadth and depth of design practice in Aotearoa. For July we’re celebrating Māori design, designers, and illustrators.  Using Your Way | Kia Roha’s four core mātāpono (values) as their guiding pou— Rangatiratanga (self-leadership), Manawatoa (courageous), Whanaungatanga (connection) and Kotahitanga (inclusion) – Studio Waru developed a visual identity that speaks […]

2 years ago by

Opportunities for High School Students over school holidays

Our partner schools, Media Design School and Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, have these two events running for high school students over the school holiday break. 7 July: Shape Your Future – Celebrate Matariki with the Faculty of Architecture & Design Innovation Shape your future, and celebrate Matariki with architecture and design […]

2 years ago by

Recap: 2023 Pub Quiz in Tāmaki Makaurau

For those of you new to DA or who haven’t had a chance to attend one of our pub quizzes yet – imagine a night of wacky frivolity. Where folks unleash their inner nerd, going all out to win the design trivia and/or the maker’s challenge – and that’s pretty much what you can expect […]

2 years ago by