Ministry for Ethnic Communities
Helping Aotearoa’s newest ministry launch with clarity, purpose, and pride.
Government
Ministry for Ethnic Communities
Helping Aotearoa’s newest ministry launch with clarity, purpose, and pride.
Government
Ministry for Ethnic Communities
Helping Aotearoa’s newest ministry launch with clarity, purpose, and pride.
Government
When the New Zealand Government launched the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, it was responding to a call more than a decade in the making. Representing over 1 million people, 213 ethnicities, and 160 languages, this was New Zealand’s most diverse Ministry and the first of its kind. Our challenge was to build a brand that felt inclusive and human, yet official enough to live within government. One that could unify communities, agencies, and teams under a shared purpose.
From Zero to One @ Motion Sickness:
Research
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Design System
Messaging
Stakeholder Alignment
When the New Zealand Government launched the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, it was responding to a call more than a decade in the making. Representing over 1 million people, 213 ethnicities, and 160 languages, this was New Zealand’s most diverse Ministry and the first of its kind. Our challenge was to build a brand that felt inclusive and human, yet official enough to live within government. One that could unify communities, agencies, and teams under a shared purpose.
From Zero to One @ Motion Sickness:
Research
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Design System
Messaging
Stakeholder Alignment
When the New Zealand Government launched the Ministry for Ethnic Communities, it was responding to a call more than a decade in the making. Representing over 1 million people, 213 ethnicities, and 160 languages, this was New Zealand’s most diverse Ministry and the first of its kind. Our challenge was to build a brand that felt inclusive and human, yet official enough to live within government. One that could unify communities, agencies, and teams under a shared purpose.
From Zero to One @ Motion Sickness:
Research
Brand Strategy
Brand Identity
Design System
Messaging
Stakeholder Alignment
The Challenge
A single identity. A million perspectives.
The challenge was as layered as the communities it aimed to serve. We needed a brand with the authority of government and the warmth of community, one that could flex from parliamentary documents to grassroots outreach. The real tension was creating unity without uniformity: a single identity that could represent many, without erasing what makes each one unique.
The Challenge
A single identity. A million perspectives.
The challenge was as layered as the communities it aimed to serve. We needed a brand with the authority of government and the warmth of community, one that could flex from parliamentary documents to grassroots outreach. The real tension was creating unity without uniformity: a single identity that could represent many, without erasing what makes each one unique.
The Challenge
A single identity. A million perspectives.
The challenge was as layered as the communities it aimed to serve. We needed a brand with the authority of government and the warmth of community, one that could flex from parliamentary documents to grassroots outreach. The real tension was creating unity without uniformity: a single identity that could represent many, without erasing what makes each one unique.
Research
The stories shaped the strategy.
Through nationwide workshops and interviews, we heard lived experiences across ethnicities, generations, and regions. We heard stories of celebration and strength but also isolation. The key insight? Communities didn’t want to be spoken for. They wanted a voice at the table. The brand’s role wasn’t to represent everyone, but to make space for everyone.
Research
The stories shaped the strategy.
Through nationwide workshops and interviews, we heard lived experiences across ethnicities, generations, and regions. We heard stories of celebration and strength but also isolation. The key insight? Communities didn’t want to be spoken for. They wanted a voice at the table. The brand’s role wasn’t to represent everyone, but to make space for everyone.
Research
The stories shaped the strategy.
Through nationwide workshops and interviews, we heard lived experiences across ethnicities, generations, and regions. We heard stories of celebration and strength but also isolation. The key insight? Communities didn’t want to be spoken for. They wanted a voice at the table. The brand’s role wasn’t to represent everyone, but to make space for everyone.
Research
Purpose, not just presence.
We worked closely with early Ministry leaders to define the Ministry’s role and vision. They needed to show that it wasn’t just symbolic but was here to lead and create real change. The brand needed to feel official without being bureaucratic, and carry authority without feeling intimidating. Together, these perspectives shaped the design strategy.
Research
Purpose, not just presence.
We worked closely with early Ministry leaders to define the Ministry’s role and vision. They needed to show that it wasn’t just symbolic but was here to lead and create real change. The brand needed to feel official without being bureaucratic, and carry authority without feeling intimidating. Together, these perspectives shaped the design strategy.
Research
Purpose, not just presence.
We worked closely with early Ministry leaders to define the Ministry’s role and vision. They needed to show that it wasn’t just symbolic but was here to lead and create real change. The brand needed to feel official without being bureaucratic, and carry authority without feeling intimidating. Together, these perspectives shaped the design strategy.
At the intersection of community need and government purpose, we defined a clear positioning:
Enable diversity to thrive.
This became the brand’s strategic anchor. It shifted the Ministry’s role from speaking on behalf of communities to creating space for them to speak for themselves. It marked a move toward active enablement and set a clear intention for how the Ministry would show up, lead, and serve.
At the intersection of community need and government purpose, we defined a clear positioning:
Enable diversity to thrive.
This became the brand’s strategic anchor. It shifted the Ministry’s role from speaking on behalf of communities to creating space for them to speak for themselves. It marked a move toward active enablement and set a clear intention for how the Ministry would show up, lead, and serve.
At the intersection of community need and government purpose, we defined a clear positioning:
Enable diversity to thrive.
This became the brand’s strategic anchor. It shifted the Ministry’s role from speaking on behalf of communities to creating space for them to speak for themselves. It marked a move toward active enablement and set a clear intention for how the Ministry would show up, lead, and serve.
“It represents inclusivity and a celebration of who we are . . . it reflects a sense of purpose.”
- Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Ethnic Communities
“It represents inclusivity and a celebration of who we are . . . it reflects a sense of purpose.”
- Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Ethnic Communities
“It represents inclusivity and a celebration of who we are . . . it reflects a sense of purpose.”
- Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan, Minister for Ethnic Communities
The brand mark was designed to hold many stories. Its interlocking arcs reflect diverse journeys coming together, shaped by what we heard in workshops: a desire for strength, belonging, and recognition without losing individuality. Its distinct form creates space for everyone to find their own meaning in it.
The brand mark was designed to hold many stories. Its interlocking arcs reflect diverse journeys coming together, shaped by what we heard in workshops: a desire for strength, belonging, and recognition without losing individuality. Its distinct form creates space for everyone to find their own meaning in it.
The brand mark was designed to hold many stories. Its interlocking arcs reflect diverse journeys coming together, shaped by what we heard in workshops: a desire for strength, belonging, and recognition without losing individuality. Its distinct form creates space for everyone to find their own meaning in it.
We developed a full visual system that could flex across both government and community contexts. Moving away from the institutional look typical of government brands, the Ministry needed to feel like it belonged to the communities it served. The palette is vibrant yet balanced, bringing energy to grassroots spaces and trust to official settings, while reflecting the diversity of Aotearoa.
We developed a full visual system that could flex across both government and community contexts. Moving away from the institutional look typical of government brands, the Ministry needed to feel like it belonged to the communities it served. The palette is vibrant yet balanced, bringing energy to grassroots spaces and trust to official settings, while reflecting the diversity of Aotearoa.
We developed a full visual system that could flex across both government and community contexts. Moving away from the institutional look typical of government brands, the Ministry needed to feel like it belonged to the communities it served. The palette is vibrant yet balanced, bringing energy to grassroots spaces and trust to official settings, while reflecting the diversity of Aotearoa.
We helped the Ministry find its voice and define an identity that over one million people could see themselves in. That foundation led to real impact, including a Covid-19 vaccination campaign translated into 10+ languages to ensure communities stayed informed and supported when it mattered most.
We helped the Ministry find its voice and define an identity that over one million people could see themselves in. That foundation led to real impact, including a Covid-19 vaccination campaign translated into 10+ languages to ensure communities stayed informed and supported when it mattered most.
We helped the Ministry find its voice and define an identity that over one million people could see themselves in. That foundation led to real impact, including a Covid-19 vaccination campaign translated into 10+ languages to ensure communities stayed informed and supported when it mattered most.
Credits
Team: Sam Stuchbury, Jordan Stent, Nick Jamieson, Hilary Ngan Kee, Jolin Lee
Credits
