I recently returned from a holiday in New Zealand. The country is visually stunning! I was overwhelmed by the natural beauty countrywide, and I was also taken by the amount of bold, illustrative graphic design that lives almost everywhere. It was so prolific, it often set the stage, set a mood. If the graphic design in New Zealand could be labeled with an emotion, I would give it “zealous” and “happy” (which I’d also give to the people). That was paired with a sense of fun. Bright colors, positive feelings, very organized and again, almost always supplemented with illustration.

Design trends in New Zealand currently focus on intentional design, Swiss roots, simplicity, and clean graphic illustration and I love it. So much in fact that while my travel partners where clicking away at waterfalls and exotic birds, I was taking pictures of logos, signage, and manhole covers.

Oh, the life of a designer…