mikadesign

Graphic Design
Design

Hello Kiwi

2013/2016

www.kiwiti.com

Hello Kiwi is a brand created for Aotea Souvenirs, a New Zealand chain of souvenir stores. It was aimed at tourists and kids. Its main character is Kiwiti, a white kiwi. Kiwiti has a group of friends, all native New Zealand birds. Together they live in an enchanting colorful world.

The brand includes a variety of gifts and a series of children books that never got published .

 


New Zealand Symphonic Orchestra

2004

Wellington.

This year’s campaign was inspired by the 30’s: constructivism, clean and classy layout. I loved working with those principles.

On the programs, the paragraphs are up and down, simulating notes of music on paper.

 

Medecins Sans Frontiere

2002, 2003

France.

I worked as a freelance for TC Graphite, who handles the publications of MSF.
The range of work was very wide, from mac operating to creation within the existing identity..

Unlike other humanitarian agencies, MSF makes a point to respect people’s dignity in pictures. They stress the medical care provided rather than exploiting human misery. I found working for a humanitarian purpose very motivating.

 

La Cita, Film Festival

2002
Design realised for TC Graphite, France.

A 120 pages catalogue teaches you how to handle the production of a big publication.

I learned exactitude and appreciated collaborating with the editor.

 

Mer Amitie

2003

France.

Objective:
Identify the Club to the sailing world rather than a friendship association. Design a logo which can be sewn on clothes.

 

A Blast from the past

2002

France.

It’s always nice to see that one’s design is still in use! Thalamag and Uromil are still using my packaging design.

Sensodyne, on the other hand, didn’t chose the proposal I worked on…

 

Humpridge Track

2010
Wanaka.

www.humpridgetrack.co.nz

Humpridge Track is a private walking track that has nothing to envy to Routeburn Track! It’s scenery are stunning and varied, from the beach to Tors and Tarns straight out of the Lord of The Ring, it is New Zealand at its best! It has been created by the community of Tuatapere, and you definitely feel the family vibe.
They wanted to revamp the website and the elevation map, without changing the logo. I though of using photos of the track as backgrounds so that the visitor has the feeling he is walking through the track as he navigate through the website. The rest of the design is as light, discrete and elegant as possible.
See photos of the track on the landscape section of the photo page.

 

 

 

 

Active Travel

2010

Wanaka.

Active Travel is a travel agency in Cromwell that take people on the road less travelled. They step away from main touristic trails, and offer authentic adventures.

The crafted feel of the brochure and leaflets reflect their very hand on, tailor made tours.
The Otago tours have a rough and tough spirit!

 

 

 

Affordable dream

2010

 

Echo is the response to the kiwi dream of having a DIY affordable home.

 

I can’t really say much as I don’t know if the product is out yet or not…

I wanted to convey those concepts: clean, simple and efficient.

 

Gelganyem and Kilkayi Trust

2006

Visual Identity for Gelganyem and Kilkayi Trust, Western Australia.

• Logo   • Slogan   • Folder   • Booklet   • Project Sheets

Argyle Mine is a open cut diamond mine in the Kimberley’s, Western Australia, who has been digging since the 70’s over a underground Sacred Aboriginal  Women Site, named the Barramundi Gap.
In 1999 they found out they could dig underground, directly into the Sacred Site. In order to convince the Traditional Owner to let them do that, they promised generous financial compensation in order to help them reach a sustainable economy after the mine would have close, in 20 years time.
Two Trust were created to handle the repartition of the money: Gelganyem Trust and Kilkayi Trust. Each Trust is using an Aboriginal Painting of the Barramindi Dreaming as a logo, painted by two Women Elder who belong to the two main local communities.

Barramindi Dreaming

Tree women went to the river to go fishing. They put their traditional  trap into the water and wait for the fish. A big Barramindi  fall into the trap but manged to escape it by jumping over it, over a big hill off to another river.  The gap in the hill is now named Barramundi Gap. It’s a sacred site for aboriginal women and they do their initiation ceremony somewhere inside the hill.
In the Gidga Dreaming, the  the 3 women are changed into special rocks that we can still see today over the water.

Objective:
Create a visual identity that uses element from both paintings and gives the feeling it represents aboriginal interests.

 

On the Kilkayi trust page, you can see the blue river from the painting and 3 rocks, which are the 3 old women who turned into stone in the Gidga Dreaming.

The jumping fish represent the essence of this trust. First degree of lecture, is the barramundi from the Dreaming story, jumping over two hills, through a gap. So it’s an animal who gets out of its normal way, which is swimming, to jump in the air and save itself from being caught and killed.

That’s story teaches us to be creative, and go out of ones ways to avoid destruction and get out of a trap. That the very problematic of the aboriginal communities nowadays. That’s why the fish as to be jumping. It represent aboriginal people in action, traditional in the design but dynamic.The slogan, Jumping the gap: the fish is jumping over the Garramundi Gap, but it means jumping the gap between black and white, poverty and wealth, depression and pro-activity, past and future.Underneath, the diamonds are a promise of wealth for descendants.

 

Munget Aboriginal Corporation

2006
Broome, Australia.

– Logo
– Business Plan

Objective:
Giving an aboriginal feeling the Business Plan  yet showing great professionalism.

Response:
This aboriginal family wanted to create a Camel Tour, along with an Art Gallery, on Pender Bay, which is famous for its whales. To show the agreement between the project and mother nature, I made the camel kiss the whale. Aboriginal dots beams out of this encounter.

The business plan shows bold colors, typical of Aboriginal Art, yet the information are organised  in a professional way.

 

 

Kai Whaka Pai

2009

Wanaka.

Kai Whaka Pai is one of the rare coffee place that stay open late at night and turn into a bar.

The logo reflect this transformation, from coffee cup, to glass of wine and beer.

 

New Zealand Water Safety Conference

2008

Water Safety.

This design didn’t get used because if was considered to conceptual… How ironic, I find it just cool.

 

Duraban

2009

Wanaka.

Duraban is a molecule that shape itself in a sword on which the bacteria, mold, virus and algae impale themselves.

I thought using a bionic hedgehog as a mascot for the brand would be a good idea, alas, the American associate weren’t amused… Oh well, cool illustration though.

 

Smart melody

2010

Australia.

Objective:
Commercial Music Production produces music for advertising and other purposes, so the music has to serve a purpose, as well as being ok to listen to.

Response:
The cogs/turning plates represent the producer’s intelligence.

 

Swim for Life

2008

Water Safety, Wellington.

The idea was representing learning to swim as an exciting survival skill. A lot of New Zealander die drowning every year, and Water Safety try to educate people about the danger of water, either it’s learning to swim, wearing safety jacket, or watching kids at the pool.

Saturated colors and zoom in effect are emulating action movies, to get the kids excited about learning to swim.

 

Margaret River Food Trail

2005

Australia.

• Logo
• Website

Food Trail is a website about restaurants and wineries in Margaret River Region which is famous for its top wine, cheese and sea food..

 

Paper Doll

2006

Australia.

Paper Doll is a Wedding and Events Organizer.

Objective:
Margaret River, Western Australia, is well know for its world class wine.  It’s romantic vineyards, set in a lush county side makes it a perfect place for Weddings.

Response:
I invented a little creature, half woman, half grape, so Margaret River’s identity and Wedding Bride could blend together in a magical way.
White Wine for the romantic, Red Wines for the passionate.

 

Chameleon Sungard Tinting

2007

Australia.

Chameleon is a Window Tinting Business in Darwin.

Objective:
Keeping the chameleon figure which was well know in Darwin, yet giving some nice and slick technological feeling to the logo.

Response:
I used the “bubble” appearance to the chameleon, it gives the impression the animal is made out of glass, which is relevant to the window tinting business..

 

Dragonfly Lodge

2005

Australia.

There were not much of a brief for this project, so I just tried to give a clean and delicate feeling to the logo, because cleanness and good taste is what one would expect from a lodge..

 

Ore-struck

2007

Australia.

Campaign of  The Northern Territory Department of Primary Industry to encourage foreign mining companies to mine some more in the NT.

• Poster  • Folder  • Fact sheet
• Brochure   • Animation
• Website Design  • T-shirt • Promotional Stuff

It’s campaign designed to attract high-end foreign investors in the mining industry in the NT. The Art Director of this campaign wanted to show mining in the NT like an “Indiana Jones” style adventure, as if Uranium was a cultural treasure … Personally I would have down a cutting edge highly technical look in the style of  “Gattaca”, but this Art Director insisted on the Indiana Jones rip-off… So I had to do the visuals of this wonderful idea..

 

Darwin Construction

2007

Proposal of a Logo for Darwin Construction
Australia.

Objective:
This builder is specialized in elevated tropical houses built with louvre windows that  let the air circulate inside the house, keeping it fresh.

Response 1:
Tropical house are all about let the air go through the house, so I used a stamp font that gives the feeling the letters are open. Then I added a symbolic louvre window on the left.

Response 2:
Here a red and orange symbol of hot air come through the word Darwin and comes out refreshed, in green and blue cold colors.

 

Iva Photography

2004

Iva Lennard
Wellington.

Objective:
Iva wanted a distinctive website, something different to stand out of the crowd.

Response:
I came up with this round website, because she makes a point of being a female photographer in this male dominated profession.

 

Absurdity might sell

2008
Logo and art direction of photography for Appendagez, Wellington.
Photography: Gavin Walker.

Objective:
Appendagez are gigantic stuffed claws and paws that you would wear for no other reason than their ridiculousness. They are actually quite funny to wear, and make a good party trick.
The logo and photos had to show the friendliness and funny side of those things.

Response:
The logo is a friendly illustration, no pretense there. For the photos, we went in Cuba Street, Wellington, where nothing can surprise any body anymore, as all sort of weird things are happening there anyway. We got a bunch of people off the street to use the appendagez like they are nothing special, and totally fit in the everyday life, thus increasing the irony of those enormous things.