Rebecca Burt

I didn’t always want to be a designer – I took art at school but I didn’t know much about the design industry when I was a teenager and it wasn’t discussed as a career option at school. I was always creative but my interests were diverse. I thought I may like to be a Wildlife Photographer, work with horses or animals or be an Aircraft Engineer. In my earlier years I made and sold jewellery as a side-line business for a while, to raise money for a classic car restoration I was doing. I found it very satisfying to get paid for something I enjoyed creating. Later on I became involved in the graphic design industry which became my happy place. I did a basic design course and then I worked from the ground up. I do not have a design degree. I gained valuable knowledge and experience from many years of full-time employment in top-end design agencies. Eleven of those years was continuously at one agency, working closely with the Creative Director and learning from all the really talented designers in the team.

Kotare was formed in 2012. I work for myself but I have a really great network of talented folks I can pull together for larger projects. The main focus of the work is strategic brand identity design and packaging design for smaller and medium sized businesses. I am also an experienced retoucher and I really enjoy this side of the practice. I’ve had over 20 years experience in FMCG markets so this is where Kotare focus generally. Retouching is very specialised and not often required by my business clients, so I sometimes worth with other design agencies if they need that service.

Good design brings value to peoples lives, it helps us navigate our way. Good design adds functionality, helps us to communicate effectively and solve problems.

I love packaging design because it’s tactile. Any project that focuses on messages of environmental protection and animal welfare are very satisfying because i’m passionate about these causes.

I don’t have a favourite, but I am fond of the Passion of the Card - Lead light Series I entered in the awards, because the beauty of this project is in the story. At the time of the creation of these products I was involved in a business with my then partner Evan Reiman. The design series was a range of self-promotional business cards and memorial to Evan’s father, who was the last person in New Zealand to complete an apprenticeship in creating lead light windows. Evan’s father was an important role model in his life and taught him everything he knew about the screen printing trade. The business Flexicon is no longer in existence and I am no longer involved in these products. Sadly, Evan has now also passed – so they have now become a double memorial and tribute. Not everything we create as designers is about the hard-sell or work we can even charge for. Some are just for passion and good design is timeless.

There are no particular times I feel the most creative. Going out in nature will help me to feel inspired.

The idea behind the work. I spend a lot of time thinking and getting the strategy right first.

It always feels really satisfying when a design project is realised. It feels good to see a client happy and rewarding to know I have created something useful for them.

It just works. Take a brand identity for example – It’s really clear and simple and you quickly understand what it’s trying to communicate. Information has been cleverly distilled down to the essence. A clear and effective wayfinding design can be the difference between getting lost or getting to your destination on time.

Do I understand clearly what it’s communicating? Has it solved a problem or delivered a solution? Is it aesthetically balanced and pleasing?

Very important. It’s not just about aesthetics, how will the design influence the audience? Be sensitive to cultures and ethical practices – do your research. Environmental protection is everyone’s responsibility. Clients usually give the briefs and have a lot of influence in the final outcome of a project, so discussions of sustainability are important conversations they should be having with their designers.

I think Augmented reality will offer more opportunities for the design industry to expand into. Traditional packaging will hopefully continue to develop new environmentally sound solutions and minimise waste.

I get inspired by walking in nature and around the neighbourhood or city - this is where I try to get ideas flowing first and inspiration comes out of left field.

I don’t really know how to describe it – I think it’s quite structured and simplified.

I was born and live in New Zealand. It is very beautiful and we have a rich cultural heritage. I have had briefs where clients have specifically wanted to incorporate or represent an aspect of our culture or landscape beauty into the work. It’s a special place and they wanted that to resonate. The level of design talent here is very high and we have a lot of amazing design studios and incredibly talented people, and this is definitely a positive environment for any designer working here. New Zealand is a long way from a lot of other countries – in a positive way this has created a culture where we are creative, resourceful and problem solvers, but the opportunity to travel to other places for design inspiration and exploring can be limiting - this would be the only disadvantage.

I always listen and ask lots of questions first. They know their business better than I do. If it is appropriate, don’t just take a brief and charge for work done – first find out what problems they are trying to solve and have discussions around that. They may have assumed that refreshing their brand or even overhauling it could fix lagging sales, but that may not solve their problem and their money may be better spent in other areas such as their online purchasing experience. A design partner isn’t just about creating visual assets - it’s about providing effective solutions for their business.

A good designer will listen, question, challenge & solve. You’re paying for their intellectual creativity and ability to create effective solutions in a timely manner. I think It’s important for the designer to be empathetic during the design process and open minded. Be wary of any designer who claims to know ‘exactly what your new logo will look like’ after the first meeting. The work is about your company - not how it will look in their portfolio.

My 1962 Ford Consul Capri would have to be my favourite item, and I do love my mac.

Being paid to do what I love and making a positive difference to my clients businesses is very satisfying. It can be frustrating if you engage a new client who doesn’t want to prepare a proper brief for a project and has a ‘just do it’ attitude - you can’t come up with solutions if you don’t know the problems, or even know the story behind it.

Creativity, communication, listening, typography, colour theory, composition.

Nature and the outdoor environment to think - this can include gallery visits or anywhere i’m drawn to. Web to search information. Pen and paper to sketch ideas and create. Photoshop and Illustrator for building.

Eleven years at the same agency, learning from the best and how all the processes worked. This gave me a solid foundation to move forward.

Mainly small and medium sized businesses. I can also work with other agencies when I do retouching projects.

I love packaging design because it’s tactile. Any project that focuses on messages of environmental protection and animal welfare are very satisfying because i’m passionate about these causes.

Keep on designing and broaden my horizons. I would like to travel to Scandinavia one day. Some of my ancestors are from Norway – a book was written about their migration to New Zealand in 1873, so i’m really interested in learning more about this part of the world and their design culture – some beautiful graphic design has come from Denmark, so I would like to visit there.

I work on my own. I can organise a team for larger projects if needed.

I did a basic design course and then I worked hard from the ground up. I gained valuable knowledge and experience from many years of full-time employment in top-end design agencies. Eleven of those years was continuously at one agency, working closely with the Creative Director and learning from all the really talented designers in the team. I do not have a design degree. I have also spent time working in the screen printing industry.

I’ve always enjoyed being creative. I made and sold jewellery as a side-line business for a while, to raise money for a classic car restoration I was doing. I found it very satisfying to get paid for something I enjoyed creating. Later on I became involved in the graphic design industry which became my happy place. I find the process of creative problem solving motivating and finding creative solutions to help others rewarding.

I focus on strategic brand design and packaging design. I’m also a retoucher.

I’m not a design legend. Listen and never stop learning, questioning and discovering.

Great designers are good listeners ask questions and are empathetic during the design process. They think more and simplify everything.

It just works. It’s really clear and simple and you quickly understand what it’s trying to communicate. Information has been cleverly distilled down to the essence. A great design execution will make me smile.

Good design brings value to peoples lives. For example, a clear and effective wayfinding design can be the difference between getting lost or getting to your destination on time. Our everyday lives and experiences are positively enhanced with good design.

Posters or anything really for the protection and conversation of wildlife and the environment, for an organisation like National Geographic.

I don’t have a secret recipe. I think being a good listener is really important and to be empathetic. Be open minded and don’t take constructive criticism personally. Always try new angles and don’t fall into the trap of ‘same old’ approach.

I don’t have a greatest design, but I am fond of the Passion of the Card - Lead light Series I entered in the awards, because the beauty of this project and what makes it great is in the story. At the time of the creation of these products I was involved in a business with my then partner Evan Reiman. The design series was a range of self-promotional business cards and a memorial to Evan’s father, who was the last person in New Zealand to complete an apprenticeship in creating lead light windows. Evan’s father was an important role model in his life and taught him everything he knew about the screen printing trade. The business Flexicon is no longer in existence and I am no longer involved in these products. Sadly, Evan has now also passed – so they have now become a double memorial and tribute. Not everything we create as designers is about the hard-sell or work we can even charge for. Some are just for passion and good design is timeless.

Never stop learning and keep discovering. Be open to new ways of doing things.

Design is here to add value, functionality, communicate effectively and solve problems.