I wrote the cover story for Homestyle’s September 2022 issue, describing the amazing detail and craft within an Auckland renovation led by award-winning architects Bureaux.

Here’s a link to the full story.

Images by Sam Hartnett.

The Warehouse, New Zealand's largest retailer, tasked Auckland-based agency Special with an ambitious goal: to develop an affordable yet appealing health and beauty product range that Kiwis would proudly showcase in their homes.

With a tight deadline, I helped craft the strategy for this private label initiative. Simultaneously, I explored potential brand names that aligned with The Warehouse's vision.

Staying true to The Warehouse's ethos of inclusivity and kindness, our strategy culminated in the concept: 'We’re for Every Body'. This idea emphasises The Warehouse's commitment to offering Kiwis exceptional value without compromising on variety, quality or design.

The chosen name, Good One, epitomises this ethos, establishing a brand that is approachable, non-judgmental and accessible to all. A welcoming, friendly logo and distinctive color palette further distinguish Good One within its category.

Since its launch, Good One has achieved record-breaking sales, outperforming expectations and solidifying its place in the market, underscoring our team's ability to create a brand that resonates deeply with consumers, reflecting The Warehouse's core values and commitment to New Zealanders.

Design: Special Design

Regrettably, anxiety and increased stress is on the up and up the world over, especially among young people. Research has found that many people are after a natural, effective aid to assist them, day to day. This suite of products is designed to do just that - providing an accessible, safe alternative to prescribed pharmaceuticals.

Working with Special Group, I was charged with the initial naming and then strategic positioning of the brand. The name BraveFace was born from early exploration - the brand’s name needed to speak clearly to the core consumer, boldly engaging and empowering them to take positive action over their wellbeing.

The brand also needed to be a catalyst for candid conversations about mental health - to educate and empower people to not let worry and stress limit their potential. Avoiding the tone of self-help, I worked with the team’s copywriter to develop powerful language to engage everyday people to overcome and live to their true potential, applying it to packaging, web and social.

The bespoke product design is centred around simple core geometric forms and soft satin finishes. With its honest palette and clear product architecture, BraveFace provides an experience that is always calm and informative, bold and confident, but never shouting. Something you’d be proud to have on your bedside table, desk or bathroom vanity.

Ashley & Co. is a modern-day scent company. After over a decade in business and a recent bout of growth overseas, it was time to fine-tune their message.

I’ve had the pleasure of working directly with the founders for several years, helping to refine and maintain Ashley & Co’s comms, keeping their growth trajectory both up and interesting.

I’ve developed copy for the brand ranging from new product naming, on-pack, website, social and regular eDMs. The focus is always on finding and celebrating their unique proposition in a way that will engage new audiences and delight their existing, loyal following.

As always, a pleasure to work with innovative businesses that are not afraid to be bold and brave and, as a result, redefine their markets as they progress.

For more, see: ashleyandco.co.nz

The Resene Architecture & Design Film Festival is an annual festival that runs in key cities across the country.

For 5 years, I co-curated and single-handedly curated the festival. This has allowed me to further engage my interests in not only architecture and design but also planning, environmental activism and social change.

Set with the task of researching, sourcing and selecting the finest architecture and design films on the planet, many a warm summer hour was spent viewing screeners, eventually whittling down to the top 18-20 films.

I oversaw the budget, managed the design of the festival posters and programme (including a significant re-brand in our second year), wrote the festival programme content and managed much of the PR for the event Aotearoa-wide.

Artemis is a Dunedin based company specialising in traditional plant based medicine developed by Swiss Medical Herbalist Sandra Clair.

With a name borrowed from the Greek deity, goddess of the wilderness, protector of women and children, Artemis' premise is to unlock the healing properties of plants. For consumers, this means preventing illness through a regimen of self care using their carefully developed natural remedies. 

Engaged by Special Group, I worked to develop the design strategy for Artemis' newly refreshed brand. Much of the direction derived from the bookish qualities of the Materia Medica, a rare renaissance medical book written by German pharmacist and medical doctor Jacobus Theodorus Tabernaemontanus in the 16th century. Sandra Clair has this book in her possession, and I was lucky enough to see it in person.

Text was broken up by beautiful illustration and warm photography to create a positive, personal and engaging insight into the brand. With stories to educate and inspire, it encourages people to treat their bodies well everyday, not just when they are sick. 

For more, see: artemis.co.nz

It was a pleasure to collaborate on my friend Akiko Kurematsu’s first cookbook, Mother Tongue - a project exploring generations of Japanese families and home cooking.

As an avid cook and cookbook reader (and purchaser), I was only too happy to edit Akiko’s thoughtful copy and delicious recipes.

Mother Tongue is inspired by generations of Japanese family cooking, beginning with a book Akiko’s mother, Kozue, first wrote outlining her grandmother Fusae’s recipes.

The book was written in 2020 during the global pandemic when Akiko cooked and adapted her mother's recipes using the produce, ingredients and tools that she could find in her new home of New Zealand. She also updated the recipes for how this generation eats - more local, sustainable, and aware.

The book contains nostalgic childhood memories of meals with family, and around 50 recipes from how to cook perfectly fluffy rice in a pot, staples like miso-soup and salads, to stand-alone dishes like okonomiyaki and soba. Everything in the cookbook is made simply, without fancy equipment or ingredients.

Mother Tongue is available to buy here (and I highly recommend you do).

I developed and launched the City Farmers' Market with business partner Melissa Bayer in November 2006. At the time, it was one of the first central markets in Auckland and one of the first 'happenings' in Britomart, which was still a neighbourhood in the early stages of regeneration.

After just returning to NZ from almost 10 years in Europe (Paris and Amsterdam, mainly), I saw the opportunity to create a relaxed inner city market where local and regional farmers and makers could share their bounty. Market shopping is a cultural past-time in many countries, a way to socialise and connect with where food comes from and how our cities and towns are nourished. It seemed natural that Aucklanders' be able to do this too.

We went to the Farmers' Market NZ Conference, did all our research, presented a pitch and were accepted by Britomart to host on one of their carparks. Then the hard work started! 

While we developed the brand identity, we worked with local farmers and coerced them to come to the city. We recruited musicians to entertain and initiated special seasonal events.
We developed all our creative through seasonal campaigns working with local designers at Special Group; wild posting, radio, email and word out mouth.

After 4 years of growth, the market was sold to Britomart Group (who were from the very outset a fantastic and supportive team) and is still running successfully today.

OOB Organics had a delicious product, but their brand needed a refresh. 

Working with the team at Special Group, I developed the design strategy. We chose to re-engergise the promise of taste and extol the virtues of good health (blueberries / organic ingredients and values). With their core consumer being very mindful of what they ate, we also sought to bring the playfulness back into food through design — no guilt, just blissful goodness from the people that do it best. 

The colour palette resonates with this idea of fun and closer-to-fashion shades which really stand apart in the supermarket freezer.

The re-design won a gold pin at the Best Awards. 

Hammerfoce is a New Zealand brand that’s delivering revolutionary, pneumatic technology to some of the world’s leading industries. Seeking out partner companies, they collaborate by using their technology and expertise to develop new products. Simply put, Hammerforce is the power of air, revolutionised.

I worked with Special Group to help develop the creative direction for the brand. What appears complicated from the outset is simplified. We focussed on using plain language and expressing the technology in a visually compellingly way to attract a broad and varied group of potential partner opportunities.

While working as the PR & Marketing Manager for Stephen Marr, one of the projects I found most fun and satisfying was Marr Factory: A super lively, eclectic week of fashion hosted by Stephen Marr at The Golden Dawn.

With a range of five designers including Karen Walker, Kate Sylvester, Zambesi and Nom-D, I worked closely with Murray Bevan at Fashion PR house Showroom 22 to manage the event. Our team was tasked with the hair design as well as the hosting; I was primary contact between key sponsors and media throughout.

With sell out crowds every night, and a range of excellent collaborators, Marr Factory remains part of New Zealand Fashions' most successful events. 

For more, see: stephenmarr.co.nz

It was a pleasure to work with good friend and collaborator Katie Lockhart on the development of her retail project, Everyday Needs. 

Everyday Needs launched in 2010 initially as an online store selling the very best of homewares and design, hand-selected by Katie.

I worked with Katie in brand development, helping to source and acquire products as well as budgeting the initial, curated collection of wares.

The online store was very successful and eventually moved to its own bricks and mortar location in Ponsonby, where it still remains. From this point I have done semi-regular pieces of writing for the store to describe products or Katie's own interior design projects.

For more see: everyday-needs.com

The New Zealand Institute of Architects commissioned Jamie McLellan to design and develop a new awards system for their much revered annual New Zealand Architecture Awards. 

Working with Jamie, I was involved in the design development process, arriving at Jamie’s very clever and architectural solution. As the primary contact for the client, I also managed the budget and production of the three different awards across several suppliers.

The team at InHouse developed the graphic treatment and the exceptional packaging solutions with Matt Bogust from Think Packaging. 

Smales Farm is a family owned precinct in Auckland's North Shore. Dating back to the late 1920s, the Smale family have been leading property developers; this particular tract of land has had multiple uses the most recent as an 'office park'. However, things have changed considerably in the workplace in recent years and it was time that the land, and the way it is used and communicated, be updated.

Engaged by Special Group, I developed a strategy to re-introduce the Smales Farm's offering to a modern market. The key idea that links the origins of The Farm to its future is the notion of growth. 

The strategy played off key research that proves that a healthy work place increases productivity and assists talent retention. The Smale family were very keen from the outset to do all they could to make a sustainable, open, healthy and engaging workplace. We fine-tuned the details, and highlighted the aspects of The Farm that supported this inherent belief in a healthy workplace contributing to growth (in all of its forms and certainly not just economic). 

A good part of this strategy included the naming, branding and communications platform for brand new fit-for-purpose building, the B:hive.  Comms included signage and way finding, web and print. I developed several presentations to communicate this building's merits and the success of the work done was qualified when Vodafone decided to move its premises from the city to Smales Farm. 

For more, see: Smalesfarm.co.nz