I have always loved the arts, enjoyed artistic pursuits and am by nature a creative thinker and maker. However, in my era becoming a 'designer' wasn't an established career path so I had my sights set on becoming an Architect when I was growing up.
Threaded was born off the backbone of Threaded magazine in 2007. We are a small, independent award-winning design studio based in Aotearoa, New Zealand. Our studio has a focus on client-based projects, as well as our ongoing international design project, Threaded magazine.
We enjoy working closely with multi-stakeholder organisations (including NFP’s, SME’s, iwi and hapū) looking to activate and engage with local communities to create positive change.
The very first 'thing' I designed was not for a company but for a large collective of people. It was a logo, for my hapu 'Ngāti Hau' (a hapu is subtribe within Māori society who are all connected/ related through whakapapa/geneology.)
Well this depends if you are in an industry where you can make decisions on better outcomes for people and planet (i.e. for us in print - we ensure we select more sustainable inks, papers and embellishments, and are conscious of our carbon footprint when distributing our publication).
My children, environment and imagination. Although I find inspiration in creative blogs, books and magazines, I often find that inspiration doesn't occur 'on queue' so you need to save the things you find that excite ideas (as you find them) as one day they may fuel a creative project you never knew was coming your way.
I live in Aotearoa, New Zealand. My Māori culture and identity has had immense influence and impact on the way I approach design and also the types of clients I do design for.
Collaboration is the key ingredient in our design process; clients actively participate and interact with our creative team through each design phase to ensure we understand and meet their creative needs.
A carved bone broach (gifted to me by Master Carver Bernard Makoare), a kauri carved key (gifted to me on my 21st birthday by my whānau/family), a carved stone necklace (gifted to me by my whanaunga/cousin), an empty kauri snail shell (found in my ngahere/bush by my children) and my Dad's drawings/ artwork (he passed away when I was 8yrs old from cancer).
I was working at an Architecture firm and was involved in a logo design project. That was it for me! I applied to study Graphic Design at University and the rest is hostory.
Brand identities, publications, frameworks, websites. I do love designing for print. Especially specially printed collateral. I am a very tactile person so bringing designed things to life is quite an obsession of mine.
To me the secret ingredient is always the people involved, they bring something unique to the project - whether it is ideas, skills or context. If you can harness this the project will always succeed.
I have a mix of artists and designers. An artist I recently discovered from NZ during the 60's-80's whose style is so timeless and evoking is Cliff Whiting (his piece Tangaroa) feels so modern, yet was done 42yrs ago (my whole lifetime ago!). Other design masters/Tohunga from here I draw inspiration from are Rangi Kipa, Carin Wilson & Bernard Makoare.
I have found myself gravitating towards Māori and indigenous designers more in these past 10 years. I find their story-telling techniques through motif and form so powerful, like an inherited super power passed down to them by their ancestors.
At this moment I feel like Threaded Ed.21, the Te Pō and Tē Ao Mārama Issue is (https://www.threaded.co.nz/threaded-ed21). It incorporates visual, augmented, and sonic design queues to communicate very complex cultural narratives as holistic and integrated systems.
If you fail, learn from those failings. Surround yourself with talented people. Share your creative challenges - we develop creative ideas better when not working in silos.