Te Wiki o te Reo Māori
(Trade Me)
Role Lead Designer
Every year, Trade Me celebrates Te Wiki o te reo Māori with a dedicated creative campaign that honours the language and its cultural significance. It’s a chance to reflect, connect, and bring te reo to life across our platform and brand.
Alphabet Poster – ‘Arapū Māori
Challenge & Approach
Create a cohesive set of assets for Te Wiki o te Reo Māori that aligned with the Trade Me brand while respectfully and meaningfully celebrating the event.
It was essential that the creative approach reflected te ao Māori values, upheld te Tiriti principles, and engaged appropriately with Māori stakeholders at every step.
Throughout the project, I worked closely with cultural advisors at Riki Consultancy to ensure the design thinking, development process, and final outcomes were culturally appropriate and truly representative.
Every creative decision, from early concepts through to finished assets was made in consultation with Riki Consultancy, ensuring authenticity and respect.
Result
By pushing the boundaries of the Trade Me illustration style, we opened new creative territory and gave ourselves permission to be bolder while staying grounded in the kaupapa.
Our early collaboration sessions sparked a flood of ideas and set a strong foundation for the campaign, encouraging a more explorative and inspired creative direction.
Throughout the process, we stayed closely connected to cultural guidance, which meant we could balance vibrant creativity with deep respect and authenticity.
The final work celebrated te reo Māori in a way that felt genuinely connected, thoughtful, and proud.
A daily series of posters, social media updates, and internal communications
Meeting room screens
The Thinking Phase
