Your Way | Kia Roha

We used Your Way | Kia Roha’s four core mātāpono (values) as our guiding pou—all grounded in te reo concepts: Rangatiratanga (self-leadership), Manawatoa (courageous), Whanaungatanga (connection) and Kotahitanga (inclusion). Working within the realms of these words lead us to establishing a guiding whakataukī—this acted as our northern star throughout the duration of the design process.

Ehara! Ko koe te ringa e huti punga!
Yes, yours is the arm best suited to pull up the anchor!

You have it in you! Pulling up the anchor on a waka requires intention, focus and determination. You must trust yourself that you have the physical and mental strength to pull up the anchor and navigate or lead the journey ahead.

It is from here we were able to develop a visual language around the ropes and knots used to anchor the waka. The logo icon, and later the graphic devices and patterns, host details of a stylised woven rope—used to ‘lift the anchor’. Within this design we can see a twisting and a crossing of paths with no clear beginning or end. This lends itself to the idea of a path unwritten. Inspired by the whakataukī, this icon indicates that we are in charge of our own path, whatever that may be, forward moving with twists and turns.

Right from the beginning, research was carried out to establish a clear understanding of what our neurodiverse audience needs were. Some of the many considerations we made during the process included but weren’t limited to; tunnel vision, loss of acuity or blurred vision, colour blindness, low vision or blindness, and visual noise levels. This research resulted in the development and considered use of a monochromatic colour palette, the choice and application of a clear geometric-based typeface and careful rules around layering or using graphic devices, image and videography.