Whaitohu is a beginner friendly whakairo learning kit that helps young New Zealanders approach Māori carving with confidence.
Year
2025
Team
Personal
Skills
Brand Identity, Product Design, Packaging design, Website prototype, Photography, Editorial Design
DSGN
PROD
BRA
Context
Participation in traditional craft across Aotearoa is slowly declining, particularly in traditional Māori practices such as whakairo. As fewer young kiwis engage with these crafts, these important forms of cultural knowledge and art are at risk of being lost between generations.
Problem
Many young Kiwis are interested in learning Māori craft, but feel unsure or intimidated about where to begin. This affect both Māori who feel disconnected from their culture and non-Māori who worry they aren’t “Māori enough” to take part, creating this sense of gatekeeping from these crafts due to fear of being judged, doing something wrong, or offensive.
Process
The creation and execution of the whaitohu brand was shaped by the hands-on nature of whakairo. I immersed myself in the production process through various physical prototyping, photography, user testing, feedback, and critique.
This process helped to understand how the Whaitohu brand experience could look and feel like. Each part was tested and refined to make the experience feel approachable. Ongoing feedback throughout the process helped to ensure the project didn’t steer off course
Outcome
Whaitohu is a home ordered whakairo kit brand offering the tools, materials and guidance to help young kiwi’s learn whakairo in their own time, in the safety and security of their own home. It serves as a way to preserve Māori craft and bring it into new audiences. Whaitohu means to make a mark, and thats what we want people to do, make their mark and carve their story through whakairo.
The colour palette was chosen to feel softer and more approachable than the traditional black, white and red often associated with Māori visual culture. This helps Whaitohu feel less intimidating for beginners while still holding a clear connection to Aotearoa. The minimalist wordmark supports this by keeping the brand calm and accessible.
The brand pattern is inspired by poutama, a design connected to growth, and the pursuit of knowledge. For Whaitohu, it acts as a constant reminder of the brand’s purpose, to help share knowledge of whakairo and make Māori craft feel more accessible to young New Zealanders.
3 Different kits were developed ranging in experience. As the level of learning increases, the brand pattern becomes more repeated, visually showing the growth of knowledge across each kit.
The carving manual offers beginner friendly guidance for people taking their first step into whakairo. Whaitohu is not designed to replace the professional teachers, carvers, or learning institutions, but to act as a starting point into the craft.
A hypothetical campaign partnered with Auckland Art Gallery allowed people to try their hand at whakairo and the whaitohu brand for free during self guided workshops.
Impact
Whaitohu encourages personal storytelling and self expression through whakairo for everyday Zew Zealanders who may feel pressure or gate-kept from the craft. The brand gives confidence to these people, and encourages the messaging of Māori craft, and culture as a whole should be shared and celebrated by all.