NZ designer Matt Hammond

The Black Dog brewery retail space

Turns out that a lot of times I've gone "ooh, that's been well done", I've been talking about something designed by Matt Hammond (NZ). Love his identity and interior work for the Black Dog brew bar in Wellington.

Top Grade work from APlus

APlus are an Auckland-based design studio with work of such serious quality, that I could have grabbed every single image to share with you. Ok, well, so I basically did.

 

 

Everything about this is right with me

APlus have a massive back catalogue of Rakinos event guides

 

Cartel and Civil Unrest - new NZ beer and wine brands

See what I mean?

Who's the BEST at... Graphic Design?

The finalists in New Zealand's Best Design Awards have been announced and I'm going to be picking and sharing my favourites over the next week or so. Who do you think's the best?

The re-branding of New Zealand's RSA by Designworks. I'm not so much a fan of some of the roll-out, but the new logo and identity system is bloody good mate. 

This has already been on Fancy - the Coffee Supreme re-brand by Hardhat Design. 

I have this and it actually does start conversations in the kitchen. Lovely and lovelier. By Alt Group for Fisher & Paykel.

There are a few apothecary dapper-man skin care ranges out there now, but Triumph & Disaster is New Zealand's first. Mind the moisturiser doesn't get trapped in your hipster beard! Jesting aside, this easily makes my favourites from this year. The brand name is taken from a line in Rudyard Kipling's famous poem about being a man ('If'). Speaking of names, I think the designers should also win an award for coolest studio name: DDMMYY. 

Now that logo's what you'd call an instant classic. Yes and yes again. For Auckland University Press by Alt Group.

OK that'll do us for now. More of my favourites soon, or see the Best Awards website.