New Zealand
Design
Research
Design Studio 3 // 3rd Semester // „Cultural Learning“ // Michael Buhr, Christian Riedwyl // 10.03.08

Research
Icons
NZers tend to take a lot of pride in their ‘icons’!
These icons being the Kiwi, silver fern, Sir Edmund Hil-
lary, sheep... etc. These play a huge part of our culture
as they are people/symbols that represent NZ and make
up what NZ is and was. They give us pride, and give out-
siders a bit of an understanding of what makes NZers
NZers.
Multicultural
NZ is quite a young culture, but it has many cultural in-
fluences from settlers colonising, Chinese gumdiggers,
Polynesians immigrating to NZ partially from our political
relationship with many pacific nations, and more recent-
ly there is a sense of ‘globalisation’ in terms of people
immigrating from all corners in the world to live in NZ.
Gave women the vote
...and why is this important? Well because it has chan-
ged the way in which women and men interact at work,
and also socially, because we now share an “equalness”
among society. And this has become part of our culture
because of the way in which some of us stereotype most
women, as having quite dominant roles at work, and their
independence socially and personally.
Design Studio 3 // 3rd Semester // „Cultural Learning“ // Michael Buhr, Christian Riedwyl // 10.03.08

Research
Farming
New Zealand is full of Sheeps and Cows. Because the
immigrants where all Farmers this Farming culture has
also a big impact on New Zealand Design. They used 8
mm Wire for fixing all sort of things. „Do it yourself and
use the things you have around you“ where their motto.
Sport
A lot of extreme sports where invented in New Zealand.
From bungeejumping to riverrafting and surfing they like
dangerous activities. Jogging is also a big Issue as well
as cricket or rugby of course.
Camping
New Zealanders spend a lot of their (summer) time out-
side in the green and do camping and trekking. Meet
friends and do a BBQ and drink beer is also one of their
favorite activities.
Design Studio 3 // 3rd Semester // „Cultural Learning“ // Michael Buhr, Christian Riedwyl // 10.03.08

Outdoor activities Surf Fishing Rugby
Meat Beach
Survey All Blacks
Trees
Sheep
Farms
Sheep products
Greenstone
Haka
Milk Buzzy Bee
Volcanic Weather
Kiwi fruit Maori Nature
Mountains
Clean
Asians drink beer -- ---
Open Minded ? --
Easy going ng ure
Kiwi si Cu
lt
is
Homosexuality
Multicultural
o
BBQ‘s
N
M
t‘s s gy
ls
h a
um nolo
- -- - W tadi
ch a
farming --- ort s
im
fish & chips Te
--- sp
Enjoy leisure time Wannabees -
od uates ife A n
d
o rad
il
g G tl
Isolated ted i gh
W
N
Humor
a len
T
Sleep Design Studio 3 // 3rd Semester // „Cultural Learning“ // Michael Buhr, Christian Riedwyl // 10.03.08

Design Parameters
Recycled materi- NZ is quite a young culture, but it has many cultural influences from settlers colonising,
al came from the Chinese gumdiggers, Polynesians immigrating to NZ partially from our political relation-
idea that ‘NZ isn’t ship with many pacific nations, and more recently there is a sense of ‘globalisation’ in
actually as clean terms of people immigrating from all corners in the world to live in NZ.
as clean as we’re
Multicultu
made out to be’,
s–
and this is because
we still have huge
l ra
amounts of inorga-
ia l
nic waste, and there
is a lot of pollution
r
e
–
caused by cars here
at
Pr
in NZ... correct me The heading, ‘produced in NZ’
Recycled M
if I am wrong but could have various connotations.
?
o du
on average each And so what we mean by this
family own about statement is that we are looking
three cars (stats for at using materials and processes
ce d i n
major cities and for commonly used in NZ and pre-
average family of ferably materials from NZ (not
4). Through using necessarily indigenous materials,
recycled and readily but readily available materials
available materials commonly found in NZ, like pine
we hope to promote for instance).
NZ
our ‘clean’ image,
s–
Decoration allowed! Unlike and move in the
German design, decoration direction of our repu-
–
ic
is allowed in New Zealand. tation. Ex
From „spiritual“ Maori pat-
terns to modern graphic
et po
styles can be found on pro- sth rt
ducts and packages. Don‘t
– NZ Ae
take it to serious and ad a
little fun to your product.
Decorations often have a
handmade, rough and orga-
nic aesthetic. The Product should fulfill the needs to be
The shapes often resemble of things in nature without just coping easily exportable. New Zealanders should
them. sharp edges or ninety degree angels are avoided most. If be proud of the product, while people abroad
natural material is used, for example wood for furniture, then it stays should look at it as a good, innovative and
often in its natural beauty. No need to cover the wood with colors. funny product from New Zealand and not a
Form follows function is not the main goal of New Zealand design. souvenir.
New Zealand products are not just white or black. Often wood is used in its natural color. Warm
colors and pastel colors are used in a very harmonic way. Mostly only two colors are used. The co-
lors used can be found in the nature, they are not synthetic or brilliant colors. warm orange, yellow-
green, different shades of brown and blue are combined in a elegant way.
Design Studio 3 // 3rd Semester // „Cultural Learning“ // Michael Buhr, Christian Riedwyl // 10.03.08

Design Studio 3 // 3rd Semester // „Cultural Learning“ // Michael Buhr, Christian Riedwyl // 10.03.08