Partners
AUT University

The AUT School of Art and Design sits within the Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies and has over 1300 undergraduate and postgraduate students.
With a focus on integrated cross-disciplinary learning, the School of Design offers degrees in all the main design disciplines. It also offers 18 minor study areas for undergraduate students, ranging from 3D Visualisation, Creative Entrepreneurship, through to Urban Practices and Experimental Textile Design.
The School of Art and Design’s world-class technical and research facilities enable close partnership with industry stakeholders such as Fisher & Paykel Healthcare, Weta Workshop, Auckland Art Gallery and Auckland District Health Board.
Massey University

Massey University’s School of Design sits within the College of Creative Arts Toi Rauwharangi. Over 400 students graduate annually to work in creative industry businesses in New Zealand and internationally.
The Design School’s facilities include two specialist labs. Fab Lab is a digital fabrication laboratory, part of a growing global network of Fab Labs affiliated to MIT Boston. The Lab is an invention playground, an incubator of design ideas, a maker of possibilities, and a creative ecosystem. Open Lab is an enterprise design studio staffed by a mix of professional designers, recent graduates and interns.
Victoria University of Wellington

Victoria’s School of Design is housed with the Faculty of Architecture and Design / Te Wahanga Waihanga-Hoahoa .
Every year over 400 full-time students enroll in the three design programmes comprising the Bachelor of Design Innovation—Industrial, Media, and Culture+Context.
The School of Design also has a growing postgraduate community with more than 30 master and PhD students participating in the Design Research Innovation Labs.
Working in collaboration with research partners, the School has demonstrated leadership in how new technologies - such as 3D scanning, smart sensors and mobile technologies - are influencing a host of industries and practices, from healthcare to gaming and visual effects to high-performance sports wear.
Otago Polytechnic
Otago Polytechnic is a leader in career-focused education. Its School of Design sits alongside the Food Design Institute with 400 full time students across both faculties.
The School of Design offers design qualifications from certificate to postgraduate level as well as the Master of Design Enterprise.
The collaborative, inter-disciplinary environment fosters development of the skills and capabilities required for the 21st century workforce.
During their time at Otago, students gain valuable real world experience through applied projects and internships with industry and community partners such as Otago Museum, Fisher & Paykel, Untouched World, and Otago Polytechnic’s own applied design research and development centre, WorkSpace.
New Zeland Trade & Enterprise
New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) is the Government’s international business development agency, supporting New Zealand companies in 50 locations around the world.
Better by Design is a specialist group within NZTE created to inspire and enable New Zealand businesses to succeed through design. Since its inception in 2004, Better by Design has assisted over 150 companies increase their international competitiveness by integrating design principles right across their business.
Companies are partnered with experts from the private sector and coached to build human centered design capability in their business.
Better by Design also connects ambitious companies with leading international business experts and design practitioners through learning experiences such as the International Study Tours and CEO Summits.
The Designers Institute of New Zealand
The Designers Institute is the professional body of the New Zealand design sector representing over 870 members across graphic design, interactive design, spatial design, product design, design management, service design, and design education.
The Designers Institute focuses on five key goals:
- Bringing the different design disciplines together under a united front
- Improving the standards of professional service
- Increasing demand for design excellence
- Increasing the profile of design o Encouraging the development of professional skills within the membership.
One of the prinicpal initiatives of the Designers Institute is the highly successful Best Design Awards - the annual showcase of best in class across a range of design disciplines.