Exploring Design Assembly’s Design & Te Ao Māori

AUCKLAND, Today: Design Assembly is Aotearoa New Zealand’s hub for designers, offering a collaborative digital and physical platform for Kiwi designers to learn, stay updated, and find inspiration.

Starting in 2024, Design Assembly launched the Design &… series, highlighting different design sub-tribes and relevant societal topics. These themes spark conversations, bring people together, and share knowledge.

So far, the series has explored Design & Women, Design & Planet, Design & Business, and now Design & Te Ao Māori, focusing on Aotearoa NZ’s Indigenous Design community.

This series includes interviews like “The path that led to design & reconnecting with whakapapa” with Rachel Knight, and thought-provoking articles like Karl Wixon’s “Māori troublemakers disrupting design for good.”

“Our ampersand symbolises the connection between two worlds: Design Assembly, represented by the top circle, and Te Ao Māori, represented by the base circle.” – Ira

The design for the Design & Te Ao Māori series was created with cultural and creative agency Ira. “Our ampersand symbolises the connection between two worlds: Design Assembly, represented by the top circle, and Te Ao Māori, represented by the base circle. Inspired by Pitau, a kōwhaiwhai pattern resembling a tightly furled fern frond full of potential, the design reflects our vision for an industry that nurtures new growth, fosters authentic and meaningful connections, and creates spaces where Māori ideas, creativity, and thought processes can thrive.” – Ira

To wrap up this series, Design Assembly will host the ‘Under the Hood: Design & Te Ao Māori’ webinar on July 17 (NZST). Jade Kake, Founder of Matakohe Architecture & Urbanism, and Te Kani Price, Creative Director at Huia Publishers, will present recent design projects.

Jade and Te Kani will discuss their project briefs, their approach, feedback loops, and achieving client success. Expect a quick conversational talk and a live Q&A session.

Event Details

• Date: July 17
• Time: 12:15pm-1:15pm NZST
• Platform: Register your ticket here. All registered attendees will receive a link to rewatch the event on demand if they can’t make the live time.

Design Assembly invites all designers to join this event and explore the connection between Design and Te Ao Māori.

• More info here