Warren and Mahoney
New Zealand
Experience Design
Brand Identity
Spatial Design
Digital Experience
Strategy
A brand transformation that earned global recognition and reshaped how a 400-person Pacific design collective saw itself.
Six years of creative leadership across brand strategy, art direction, design systems, business development, and cultural initiatives. Contributing directly to Warren and Mahoney’s recognition as one of Fast Company’s top 50 Most Innovative Companies and top 10 Most Innovative Architecture Firms in 2023.
Global Brand Identity
An identity built on hope, excellence, Pacific pride, and the power of the collective. From print to digital, physical to event, installation to workplace; the evolving strategy confirmed the brand could afford to loosen its collar. In a market saturated with black, white, and bold all-caps, the resulting design system was simple enough for 400 people to use consistently, and ambitious enough to travel globally. The brand earned attention from industry peers, commissioning clients, and international media alike.
Project Storytelling
Defining how projects and process were seen, heard, and remembered. From art direction and photography to publication design, visualisation and copywriting, a storytelling framework built to travel.
10x10x10
A decade on from the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes, a publication reflecting on how far the city has come, what is still unresolved, and where it goes next. It began as a conversation with ten Canterbury leaders across business, the arts, construction, local government and iwi. Where earlier retrospectives leaned on muted, brutalist greys, blacks and reds, this one drew a vibrant palette from the Memorial Bridge, a symbol of hope, to speak to a city on the rise. A collaborative work, made to be held in print.
Te Matakīrea Design Unit
Cultural intelligence embedded in design from the very start. Te Matakīrea was Warren and Mahoney’s Advanced Indigenous Design Unit. Embedding cultural narrative into built environments and communications through collaboration. Spanning creative strategy, art direction, interior design, and artwork integration, the work ranged from the Matariki celebration Te Iwa o Matariki, to a world-first artwork conceptualised on the convergence of First Nations and Te Ao Māori cultural narratives in the Melbourne studio.
Te Iwa o Matariki
As Matariki became a national holiday in Aotearoa, Te Iwa o Matariki explored what the Māori new year means, how to celebrate it, and how to carry its traditions into everyday studio life. A handbook, maramataka dials, illustration, posters and a light installation, alongside weaving workshops, taonga pūoro wānanga, guest speakers and shared kai across five studios. Recognised at the Australian Graphic Design Awards for its use of black and white, texture and typography in print.
Beyond the Brief
“Justin has made a massive impact on the organisation, through his work, work-ethic and creative outlook. He has achieved a lot! For example, he has helped shape the bold brand expression we enjoy today, has inspired the way we shoot and talk about our projects, has contributed directly to many important project wins, and more recently he has led the development of our brand and experience service offering and the portfolio for this work is impressive! This list doesn’t really scratch the surface, and that is one of Justin’s key strengths, his ability to impact across the organisation.” — Chris Tillman, Group Clients and Markets Director
