Designing a New China has been created for designers, communication professionals and strategists. With a focus on effective strategies used by brands for market integration, it will be of relevance not just for those with an interest in China, but for all creative professionals who aim to be responsive to rapid aesthetic change in a globalising environment.

A collection of process images taken during Catherine Griffiths workshop with Design Assembly in June 2011.

Please note: RSVPs for this event are now closed as we have reached capacity.

I am looking for one person to work on the big picture side of Design Assembly and on the Auckland event ideas, preparation and execution of them. I think it would take a max of four hours per week average across the year. This role could develop into a long-term partnership with the right person.

Following a successful series of workshops in 2011, we are looking for new people to develop workshops for Graphic Designers in 2012.

The workshops are based in Auckland and contributors are remunerated.

Groups work differently to individuals. Some people are better suited to Idea Generation, whilst others work best as Problem Spotters.
This workshop provides access to specific groupworking techniques to optimise creative output.

Wednesday, September 28, 2011, Room WE336, Art and Design Faculty, AUT St Pauls Street, Auckland CBD
Entry by koha donation.

The Brand Shift seminar, aimed at practicing designers, strategists and communication professionals, will explore creative strategies and offer tactics and techniques to make brands connect and stay relevant in this ever changing landscape.

Over the next few days while the main event is on, we’ll use this post to create a collective review of the speakers and side events, WCC in general… Feel free to add your thoughts as the event unfolds!

Design Assembly is proud to offer its first Wellington based workshop: Colour Management with Jessica Mills.
Wednesday 10th August, 6pm – 9pm and Thursday 11th August, 2pm – 5pm.
At The Biz Dojo Wellington, 38 Vivian Street, Te Aro, Wellington.

Workshop #1
Big VOICE story telling/filmmaking workshop: Saturday 6 August, from 9am – 12pm
Workshop #2
Big VOICE Basic documenting skills: Sunday 7 August, from 12pm – 3pm

A masterclass workshop with Catherine Griffiths.
Design a large format poster using the letterform as the primary tool with which to improvise and construct meaning, whether social, political or cultural, with attention to detail, composition and aesthetic form.

Wednesday 22 June from 6pm – 8pm, ARTSPACE Gallery, K Road, Auckland.
Featuring: Graphic Tactility (Anzac Tasker), A Type of Improvisation (Catherine Griffiths) and How did I get myself into this (Nick Fracture)

Last Thursday night at the media launch in Auckland, We Can Create released the details of ten of their twelve speakers.
So what do you get for your $320 or $250 early bird ticket from the ingural We Can Create event?

In what is one of most publicly visible rebrands of 2011, over 200 Shell petrol stations throughout New Zealand will become ‘Z’ (pronounced Zed) from June onwards. The new Z logo will see the removal of the classic Raymond Loewy Shell logo replaced with a symbol that ‘is for New Zealand’

A masterclass workshop with Peter Gilderdale. Niels Shoe Meulman’s has made calligraphy current. This workshop looks at the calligraphy side of this partnership and introduces participants to the principles and tools of calligraphy.

Design Assembly presents the first of it’s 2011 workshop series. The full workshop calendar will be announced next Friday 8 April.

Back in 2011 due to popular demand Design Assembly is proud to offer two opportunities to attend a three hour [...]

The Church is proud to announce a completely New Zealand-owned show We Can Create – August 26 and 27 2011.

If you have space for people to relocate from Christchurch on a temporary basis please list the information below. (Comment back if your space gets taken and we will remove the listing).

Wednesday 23rd February from 6pm
NEW VENUE – Level 1, ARTSPACE, 300 Karangahape Road, Auckland City.
Featuring Bevan Tonks & Tana Mitchell, www.makesomething.co.nz Philip Kelly, www.pkwycreative.com and Joanna Alpe, www.weloveinc.com

Join us on Wednesday 17th November from 6.30pm – 9.30pm
The Lounge Bar, Galatos, 17 Galatos Street, Auckland City.
www.galatos.co.nz

A three hour hands-on workshop covering the basics of of Colour Management Theory, Tools, and Implementation.

Thursday 28th October, 2pm – 5pm, The Biz Dojo, Suite 201, Level 2, Ironbank, 150 K Road, Auckland City.

Conversations on September 29th 2010

The theory of Colour Management – Jessica Mills
A journey of research– David Sinfield
Walk the line – Ross Liew/TrustMe

The best Semi-P yet? Share your highlights: Who were your fav speakers? Why? and who else would you like to see next year or what else? What theme did you notice?

Lindsay emailed me yesterday with this piece of New Zealand typography that he likes – the logo for this year’s New Zealand International Film Festival. It was created by Ocean Design. What do you like?

Email me louise@designassembly.org.nz with an image of NZ typography that you like (500 pixels wide) and your name.

This week I thought I would share a piece of New Zealand design and advertising that I have seen recently and liked.
What do you like?
Email me louise@designassembly.org.nz with an image of NZ design that you like (500 pixels wide) and your name.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Designer by day, designer by night – Zoe Ikin
How to design and not commit suicide– Daniel Gordon
Vinyl Flashbacks – Peter McLennan

Share your colour palette of the moment – What informs your colour choices from the world around you?

Email me with your image, colour palette, your name and studio.

louise@designassembly.org.nz

The winner of the Auckland Council logo competition was revealed today. It takes the form of a stylised pohutukawa designed by retired commercial artist Jim Dean, of Manukau City.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Design Assembly kicks off for 2010.

Come along from 6pm to mix and mingle with your fellow graphic designers.
Speakers will start at 6.30pm.

This beautiful book contains a collection of essays about aspects of New Zealand Type Designer Joseph Churchward’s practice and is interspersed with examples of his hand-designed work from a total of 604 typefaces he has created over a period of 40 years

Join us to celebrate the end of the year and start of summer!

In April of 2009, ANZ chose Indonesia as the first market within which to officially launch it’s new brand to the world.

Telecom New Zealand revealed its new logo on Friday night with a light show at Auckland’s ferry building. Designed by Designworks, this is the first time Telecom has refreshed it’s identity in eight years.

Design Assembly is celebrating it’s first birthday on September 30th!

The Curvy Series has been around since 2003 and each year features the latest in female artists, designers and illustrators. The 2009 edition saw 1600 entries from which 120 were chosen and six artists were featured.

The Type Directors Club Annual is one of those weighty graphic design books that I’ve gotten into the habit of buying each year.

A billboard campaign launched last week over 50 sites in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch that was commissioned by The Breast Cancer Research Trust and created by Saatchi and Saatchi has caused somewhat of a public uproar.

Semi Permanent 2009 is happening on Friday 14 and Saturday 15 August at THE EDGE’s Aotea Centre.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Welcome to 2009! I hope you all had a relaxing break over the Christmas / New Year period and have arrived back somewhat refreshed and excited about what the year may hold.

Design Assembly last night was awesome, I had a great time meeting some new designers, managed to relax more this time and we had three great conversations.

I think there a a few going on. I always go to “Checkout”, the AUT Bachelor of Graphic Design exhibition. It is on at 5.30, at the Aotea Centre on the 19th of Nov.

I thought you may be interested in the national design conference dinz is holding this Friday 10th October in Auckland with the theme of Sustainability and Imminent Change.

Hope you’re enjoying the sunny weather we’ve had lately and are still feeling charged from Design Assembly – I’d had lots of great feedback and encouragement from all of you to keep me really excited about the future possibilities for Design Assembly.

THANK YOU – To everyone that came along last night and to our awesome sponsors!