Client: Koi Tū Trust

The challenge: Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures is n independent think tank established by Professor Sir Peter Gluckman, focused on addressing critical, long-term global and national challenges. They required a comprehensive brand refresh and a scalable communications strategy to elevate their visual presence, ensuring their insights were delivered with authority and distinction across diverse media.

The Outcome: I designed a distinctive mark and visual identity anchored in the centre's name – Koi Tū means the "sharp end of a spear”, a metaphor for sharp, decisive insight. This drove the development of a bold and versatile brand language. The final deliverable provided a comprehensive suite of visual assets alongside modular print and digital templates, equipping the organisation with a robust design system for their ongoing publications.

The brand identity was a finalist in in the NZ Best Design Awards – NFP branding.

Client: University of Wollongong + community partners

The challenge: A University of Wollongong research project, funded by the Australian Research Council and the NSW Office of Emergency Management, had worked with people from refugee backgrounds in the Illawarra on disaster resilience, using a person-centred, co-learning approach. The research team and community partners had drafted a set of tools and needed help converting these into a resource community groups could pick up and use.

The outcome: I took the team's findings and draft tools and developed an easy-to-produce information toolkit, which included: a customised set of icons, activity templates and a 32-page booklet. The designs were tested with community groups during development to help refine them and ensure they worked effectively across a diverse user base. The toolkit was released as a free community toolkit.

Client: The Visible College

The challenge: The VC is an international research network dedicated to cross-disciplinary investigation of edge phenomena. They needed help with brand development. The visual system needed to be bold enough to establish a distinct presence, yet streamlined enough for distributed network members to implement consistently across diverse collateral without requiring ongoing design oversight.

The outcome: I designed a distinctive logo mark and modular identity framework. The work established clear typographic standards, cross-platform visual assets, and adaptable templates for both print and digital touchpoints – equipping the collective with an bold, self-sustaining brand system.

Client: Greenpeace NZ

I have worked with Greenpeace on numerous projects over the years - most recently helping to revise member communications and publication strategy.

The challenge: Greenpeace NZ needed to update and revise a suite of comms. This included a range of core member communications such as their magazine ‘kakariki’, and campaign materials. Core materials needed to follow the global Greenpeace brand, while others required infusion of a ‘local’ feel.

The outcome: I worked with comms and campaigns managers to develop each item. The aim was to create clear branded communications, using GP’s high-quality images. I developed a versatile publication template for ongoing use, and I worked closely with the print supplier to test sustainable papers and inks, and deliver excellent print outcomes.

Client: NZ Government / MBIE / MoE

The challenge: The NZ Government initiated a review of two key sectors: the national science system and university sector. They required assistance developing online engagement platforms to capture public input, and then produce reports summarising the feedback and outlining system proposals.

The outcome: I developed a slick design approach for the projects, which ran across both web and reports. I produced two secure web platforms for public engagement, managed them over a 12-month timeframe allowing for multiple input stages. I produced multiple summary reports for public feedback.

Client: Global Climate Change Week

The challenge: GCCW was an Australian-led campaign encouraging academics globally to support the movement for stronger action on climate change. The campaign was minimally funded, and I volunteered my time to support it, helping to develop the campaign strategy, branding, and engagement platform.

The outcome: I developed simple but bold visual branding. The website functioned as a vital information portal where participants could learn more about the initiative and sign on to be involved. The interactive map enabled users to easily browse and connect with activities and participants in their local area.

The campaign mobilised over 300 initiatives in 51 countries around the world in it’s first year, and continue to run for the next 6 years.

Client: Brain Research NZ

The challenge: Being Brainy was an education programme intended to help students understand how the brain works. Developed by Brain Research NZ it comprised four sets of teaching resources, which included teacher files, presentation PowerPoints, and student activities. The client needed help both designing the toolkit and developing a web platform for user sign-up and delivery.

The outcome: I worked closely with the client to design the resources which were trialled through in-classroom testing before finalisation. A simple brand style was developed, incorporating a friendly brain character, who was employed to narrate aspects of the teaching resources. The toolkit and resources worked very effectively.

Client: NZUni Talent

NZ Uni Talent is nationwide careers service operated collaboratively by seven of the country’s eight universities. The service was rebooting and needed revised branding. We worked worked with the client to develop simple, bold and flexible branding system that can be effectively applied both online and across marketing material.

Client: Centre for Societal Resilience – Te Toka Rinohea (NZ)

Te Toka is a proposed Centre of Research Excellence focused on enhancing Aotearoa-New Zealand’s resilience in the face of ongoing and rapid environmental, economic, technological and societal change.

Te Toka’s identity needed to align with it’s mission values, work effectively in local and international social and research contexts, and be visibly distinctive.

Client: Early Start Research Institute / University of Wollongong

Lead my Learning is an Australian-based campaign focused on early-childhood learning, inviting parents and caregivers to become more active in turning everyday activities into learning opportunities. The campaign was a research project of the Early Start Research Institute, University of Wollongong, and was trialled in NSW, and developed using a participatory design process with local communities.

We assisted with the development of the campaign branding – taking the logo concept from artwork supplied by indigenous artist Johnno Johnson. This involved developing the visual branding strategy, and applying this across a range of collateral templates.

We worked with the Society to develop modern styling for its promotional collateral, and helped produce display items for the 90-year celebratory event. This included large-format banners and informational material.

Client: Te Pūnaha Matatini

Te Pūnaha Matatini is a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence which uses complex data to develop new knowledge and insights about New Zealand’s environment, economy, and society.
We worked with them to extend their visual branding and develop a range communications items, including their annual reports. These key documents provide a compelling summary the centre’s research activity and impact.

Client: 360 International / University of Auckland

360 is the university’s international exchange programme. We worked with them to develop creative collateral for a key promotions event, including display and digital formats.

Client: University of Auckland

The University signage required updating to bring it in line with revised branding. We were contracted as lead design consultancy on the project, working with University stakeholders as well as external fabricators to develop an effective solution. The signage update also included developing criteria for bilingual language application, reflecting the University’s committment to cultural diversity.

The project covered both internal and external wayfinding, resulting in the development of detailed application guidelines for the revised system.

Client: Papakura District Council / Papakura Museum

Papakura, a district just south of Auckland, played an important role in the history of New Zealand acting as a gateway to the rest of the country. The local district museum received funding to be relocated and redesigned, which involved a complete overhaul of the public exhibition.

The project involved developing an interpretive display style sympathetic to the interactive nature of the collection, as well as being easily accessible to museum audiences – largely young and the elderly. We worked closely with museum curators, the exhibition designer and council staff to develop almost 100 meters of exhibition display. This involved the scanning and retouching of approximately 100 historic images and documents. Managing the production involved working with the signage fabricator to deliver and install the display to an extremely tight deadline.

The internal building refit undertaken by Jasmax Architects, and including the internal museum exhibition, received a Bronze Award at the NZ Best Awards.

Love: Art, ideas, music, politics (Australia)

The ‘Love’ project is community-based collective exploring philosophical, creative, and political themes of love. Activities included an open reading group and multiple community-focused events which culminated in multi-day festivals. These comprised varied workshops, which included group discussion, shared activities, and performance.
Justin served as a collaborator, working with the organising committee and helping with communications.
The ‘Love’ book documents outcomes of the project, housing a compilation of essays, songs, poems, and activities, for which we provided design and production expertise.

Client: New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists

NZAP’s identity and website needed modernising. We lead them through a consultative process, refreshing their existing logo while retaining core legacy symbolism. At the same time we worked with the Waka Oranga Maori psychotherapists grouping to develop aligned branding that allowed the two identities to work together.

The member website was fully redesigned and restructured. Using a combination of WordPress and Wild Apricot, we expanded the site’s functionality and enhanced user experience, making it a much more useful and friendly site to use.

Centre for High Value Nutrition

HVN is a multi-million dollar government-funded research grouping (NZ National Science Challenge) with a focus on nutritional health. The centre required visual brand development, as well as production of basic communications collateral. We developed a simple modular style that could be easily templated and subsequently managed by the comms officer.

Client: Te Pūnaha Matatini

Te Pūnaha Matatini is a New Zealand Centre of Research Excellence which uses complex data to develop new knowledge and insights about New Zealand’s environment, economy, and society.

We have worked with them to extend their visual branding and develop a range communications items, including their annual reports. These key documents provide a compelling summary the centre’s research activity and impact.

Client: Liggins Institute

The Liggins Institute is a leading research centre based at the University of Auckland, which focuses on improving health through research into early-life events. We worked with them to produce promotional collateral aimed at attracting post-graduate researchers.

Client: Connected Media Trust

Connected Media’s mission was promoting awareness of sustainability through media. We helped the revise their branding, develop a web portal for their media products, as well as develop creative for the ‘outlook for someday’ youth media project.

Client: Papakura District Council

Papakura Arts was a council service promoting community arts and events. We developed visual branding which worked across a website portal and quarterly arts calendars.

Client: Auckland Regional Transport Authority

ARTA worked with The University of Auckland and AUT University to develop a campaign promoting sustainable transport use. Student participation was invited in its development, for creative ideas and installing ambient advertising. Promotions were run at key moments on campus – posters, display advertising, ambient street chalking as well as social media.

We coordinated the project: creative development, working with students to develop ideas and create final imagery; plan and manage the media run; coordinate the installation of ambient advertising; manage social media; produce an animated spot for the student television networks.

Client: Diabetes Projects Trust

Diabetes is a growing issue within Maori, Pacifica and immigrant populations. DPT works at a community level through a range of initiatives to promote more health-oriented lifestyle choices.

We’ve worked with the client over a number of years to develop resources for some of their initiatives. A series of posters were developed to promote health-positive behaviour for kids and work alongside engagement campaigns within schools. A short tv-gameshow drama was translated into a mini-comic to help kids learn about healthy eating. It was produced in multiple languages: English, Maori, Samoan and Tongan. Information leaflets were designed through community consultation and translated into languages such as Maori, Somali, Dari and Arabic.