In my previous role at the Department of Corrections, I worked on a wide variety of projects, showcasing the vast range of tasks I handled on a daily basis. Each day brought new challenges and opportunities, from designing banners for recruitment events to creating simple design templates in Word or PowerPoint to ensure branding consistency, or developing internal banners for intranet stories.
Each project allowed me to leverage my design skills while adhering to the department’s branding guidelines. The variety of tasks kept my role dynamic and engaging, ensuring that I could contribute to multiple aspects of the Department's communication and promotional efforts.
Through these projects, I demonstrated my ability to adapt to different design needs while maintaining a consistent brand identity. The diversity of my work showcases my versatility as a designer and my commitment to supporting the Department of Corrections' mission through effective visual communication.
Corrections Brand Identity
Brief: Create a brand identity that encompasses all the work we do at Corrections, including links to helpful pages for staff and examples of brand work the design team creates for stakeholders on a regular basis. Ensure every aspect of the brand is covered. This is a guide for designers but also staff members and external agencies can use when creating work in the Department of Correction brand.
The brand guidelines I developed include extensive design examples to illustrate the brand's potential applications in various contexts. These examples cover crucial aspects such as logo usage, typography, brand colours, sub-branding, and photography. By providing clear, detailed guidelines, I ensured that everyone could maintain brand consistency across all design projects.
Maintaining a single, comprehensive reference document has proven invaluable in ensuring the Department's brand consistency. It has facilitated a unified approach to all future design projects, supporting both internal and external communications.
The brand guidelines I developed include extensive design examples to illustrate the brand's potential applications in various contexts. These examples cover crucial aspects such as logo usage, typography, brand colours, sub-branding, and photography. By providing clear, detailed guidelines, I ensured that everyone could maintain brand consistency across all design projects.
Maintaining a single, comprehensive reference document has proven invaluable in ensuring the Department's brand consistency. It has facilitated a unified approach to all future design projects, supporting both internal and external communications.
Corporate pull-up banners
Brief: Create brightly coloured banners in our corporate branding that represent the Department values. No imagery is to be used for these banners as it can date them quickly (due to staff turnover, changes in uniform, etc).
Faced with a tight deadline, I was tasked with creating vibrant banners that needed to be printed the same day. These banners were designed to replace outdated ones and were intended for use at various events, ranging from recruitment fairs to A&P shows in the South.
The main focal point was to highlight our values while clearly representing the Corrections brand. To ensure maximum visibility and brand recognition, I placed the logo prominently at the top of each banner. The value statements were made bold and bright, using icons to draw attention since imagery wasn't an option. This approach allowed the banners to remain timeless and versatile.
The main focal point was to highlight our values while clearly representing the Corrections brand. To ensure maximum visibility and brand recognition, I placed the logo prominently at the top of each banner. The value statements were made bold and bright, using icons to draw attention since imagery wasn't an option. This approach allowed the banners to remain timeless and versatile.
This project required quick thinking and efficient execution to meet the tight deadline. Despite the time constraints, I ensured the banners were eye-catching and true to our brand identity, effectively communicating our values to the public.
By producing these banners under pressure, I demonstrated my ability to deliver high-quality, impactful designs that align with the strategic goals of the Department. These banners not only reinforced our brand at events but also showcased our commitment to clear and consistent communication.
Women's Network pins
Brief: Create a design that represents the Department's "Women's Network" using our brand colours with the official "International Women's Day" purple. These badges are to include two Māori proverbs.
Create a design that represents the Department's "Women's Network" using our brand colours with the official "International Women's Day" purple. These badges are to include two Māori proverbs. The badges were well-received and have become a symbol of the Women's Network within Corrections. They have also been printed on tote bags, further extending the reach and visibility of the network's brand.
This project highlighted my ability to balance creativity with brand consistency, producing designs that are both visually appealing and meaningful. It was rewarding to see the positive response and to contribute to a cause that supports and celebrates women within the Department.
Veteran's Network pins
Brief: The Veteran's Network within Corrections wanted a badge to represent themselves as a group. Badges are great as they can be worn by frontline staff, enabling them to feel part of a community while representing the time they served. The design needed to be similar in size to the "Women's Network" badge but also represent all veteran fields, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.
Designing this badge presented a unique challenge due to the need for detailed illustrations at a small size. Initially, I created a highly detailed design, but it became clear that simplification was necessary to ensure visibility and clarity at badge size. The final design was well-received and successfully met the brief. It allowed veteran staff to proudly display their affiliation and service history, fostering a sense of community and belonging within the Department This project demonstrated my ability to adapt and refine designs to meet specific requirements and constraints, ensuring the final product was both functional and meaningful. The iterative process and attention to detail were crucial in delivering a badge that veterans could wear with pride.
Internal story banners
Brief: Create quick turnaround banners for internal messaging to be displayed on our intranet, aimed at encouraging staff to click through and read more about various stories and important updates within the organisation.
On any given day, my team and I create banners that represent a wide range of stories. These stories cover themes such as IT updates, news, health and safety, COVID-19 guidelines, Mother's Day celebrations, Shake Out drills, form transfers, Christmas events, and office relocations. Each banner needs to be visually engaging and creatively designed to ensure important information reaches staff across the business. These banners play a crucial role in internal communications, ensuring that important stories and updates are effectively conveyed to all staff members. The creative and timely execution of these designs helps keep our workforce informed and engaged.
Example of internal intranet page.
Kia Kaha - Te Reo Cards (internal)
Brief: Create a set of cards for staff to attach to their work ID cards (connected by a key ring) or to leave in meeting rooms, enabling them to attempt basic te reo Māori and become more confident when reciting their pepeha, prayers, and waiata. These cards need to be consistent with our corporate branding, durable, and provide accessibility to our Tihi-o-Manōno application.
To ensure consistency with the corporate office branding, I incorporated our glazing designs into the cards, making them visually cohesive when left in meeting rooms. The design process involved collaboration with key stakeholders to verify that the content was accurate and easy to follow for individuals with limited te reo Māori knowledge. The feedback on these cards has been overwhelmingly positive. Staff have found them to be a practical and encouraging tool, boosting their confidence in using te reo Māori. The simplicity and clarity of the content have made it easier for more people to try out their language skills.
By providing these durable, branded cards, we have not only promoted the use of te reo Māori within our organisation but also supported our staff in their language learning journey, making cultural integration more accessible and engaging.