Ariki Creative - Digital Native Solutions

Something for the People ✊

Arataua Media's weekly podcast puts Māori perspectives at the centre of the kōrero, covering current affairs, politics, pop culture, and everything in between.

The final tohu is an ode to Te Ao Mārama on our haki, with manaia interwoven and engaged in conversation, protecting our reo and many kaupapa.

Ngā mihi nui ki a Anipātene, Chey, and the whole Arataua whānau for trusting us with this mahi.

The University of Otago, Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, has officially opened Wai Ora, its new six-storey health research and education building in Ōtautahi. Ngāi Tūāhuriri gifted the name and the cultural narrative behind the designs throughout the building.

It starts at the entrance, where the paving moves from dark to light: Te Kore and Te Pō through to Te Ao Mārama. Inside, a feature wall shows the separation of Ranginui and Papatūānuku. The pou outside stand like Tānemahuta, Takaroa flows around and throughout the building, and Tāwhirimātea climbs the floors towards Ranginui. The artforms honour our traditions of tāniko, tukutuku and whakairo, and blend them with contemporary science through geometry, molecules and cells.

A key feature of the building is the water droplet on the window manifestations, which comes from the name Wai Ora. Two mirrored pieces form a single waka mōkihi, a metaphor for balance, collaboration, reflection, adaptability and innovation. It speaks to the students and their journey, the purpose of their work and the community they do it for.

Massive mihi to Faculty of Medicine Dean Professor Suzanne Pitama, Matapopore, Ngāi Tūāhuriri, the University of Otago, Warren and Mahoney and Leighs Construction for the opportunity to be part of this kaupapa.

Toi Māori team: Hori Te Ariki Mataki, Te Aotahi Rice Edwards and Eli Taueki

Ngā mihi nui ki te kura o Whītau

We're proud to share the tomokanga and pou we designed for the kura.

The tomokanga takes the form of a waka mōkihi, carrying everyone who passes beneath it. At its centre, tāniko speaks to whakapapa and whenua. Puhoro trace the Ōtākaro awa as it winds through the city to Te Ihutai, like our tamariki on their journey through the kura. Harakeke rises up each post as a symbol of whānau and community.

We acknowledge Ngāi Tūāhuriri and Maaka Tau for his blessing, to Aleisha Blackler for guiding this kaupapa, and to the Board and Principal Shane Buckner for the opportunity.

Fabrication: Art Fetiche
Designed by our Toi Māori team, Te Aotahi Rice-Edwards and Eli Taueki.

Our third entry in this years Best Awards was the lookbook we always wanted to make, a celebration of our studio and a year of toi Māori, te
reo and tikanga Māori at the heart of every project.

We made it to capture the genuine nature of the studio a taonga to share with the clients we hope to work in the future.

Inside contains a bit about what we do: digital, print, motion and spatial design. Work delivered around the motu and around the world. From the Ōtautahi Christchurch city; Te Tini o Porou for Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou; Tirama Mai Matariki light festival for Christchurch City Council; spatial design for Callaghan Innovation; the Te Hāpori Matihiko awards. And the Waitangi Day Doodle for Google.

It was a great privilege for our team to partner with March and Tahu Robinson on creating the Ōtautahi Christchurch brand, now a finalist in the Best Awards 2026, Large Brand Identity.

The haehae acknowledge the Ōtākaro River, mahinga kai, traditional carving as well as the stone masons of the early settlers who build the city, connecting to our iwi and the people who call it home.

Mikael Tuhaka provided the mark as part of our team who created a bunch of concepts in this post.

Ngā mihi nui ki te tīma
Ariki Creative: Mikael Tuhaka, Taane Flanagan, Tuha Tuimaka, Te Aotahi Rice-Edwards

March: Matt Kitto, Richard Burson, Joel Kitto, Josiah Rees
Ian Sweeney, Simon Waterhouse

Ngāi Tahu artist: Tahu Robinson
And to ChristchurchNZ for bringing us all together.

https://bestawards.co.nz/graphic/large-brand-identity/march/otautahi-christchurch/

He mihi maioha, he mihi manahau!

Kōawa Studios - the University of Canterbury's new home for digital screen has been named a Best Design Awards 2026 Finalist!!!

From a single droplet to a braided river to the sea, from a single pixel to a vivid image, telling the stories of the past, present and future.

Huge mihi to everyone who carried this kaupapa:

For the cultural narrative that grounded every design decision, endorsed by Dr Te Maire Tau, Pou Whakarae.

Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury — Sam Witters and the Kōawa Studios team for trusting us with this kaupapa.

Warren and Mahoney and Ignite Architects, precinct and interior architects, co-authors of the Cultural Narrative Implementation Guidelines that carried the wai principles into every building.

Ngā mihi to the Designers Institute of NZ and the Best Design Awards for the recognition.

Read the finalist entry.
https://bestawards.co.nz/graphic/small-brand-identity/ariki-creative-ltd/koawa-studios/

A real privilege to share that our team has been working alongside Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha University of Canterbury on the brand identity for Kōawa Studios - the first commercial studio of its kind in Te Waipounamu, where storytelling, creative technology, education and industry come together.

Our part of the kaupapa: creating the brand and a set of culturally grounded design assets that the architects, landscape architects, designers and wider creative team could carry through the facilities.

A visual language grounded in te ao Māori, from a single droplet to create the braided rivers of the region, inspired by a single pixels to tell stories around the world. each element woven into the building itself - so that every rangatahi, kaimahi and creative professional who steps inside is met with the narrative that grounds the space.

www.koawa.co.nz