Established in 1984, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa (TWoA) provides holistic education opportunities in a uniquely Māori learning environment, for everyone. Today it is New Zealand’s second largest tertiary education provider.

Working alongside the TWoA in-house team, we collaborated to create a refreshed tohu (logo symbol) — refined by progressing the existing design into a stylised aerial view of the waka, giving viewers a new perspective.

Along with the logo and wordmark, we created a bespoke typeface Uhi which mimics the chiseled angles of the mark-making process of tā moko (tattoo), and speaks of the history, culture and sacred identity of the Māori people.

Following the completion of the identity, we created a vast array of collateral for TWoA, from corporate documents through to design for the website, and a nationwide signage system. This project was highly engaging and uniquely collaborative, and all parties involved shared in its success.