Nga Pou a Tane was established with the objective to collaborate with the government and advocate for the interests of Maori communities and landowners. The organisation strives to help develop policies that promote Maori aspirations within the forestry value chain and mitigate any potential negative policy impacts, both now and into the future.

They wanted a brand that could convey themes of Maori creation mythology, and symbolism specific to forestry. Our challenge was to integrate these themes into an identity that could be versatile and adaptable across various brand channels - while conveying the organisation’s ambitious goals and the compelling story behind them.

We distilled these intricate mythology themes using a minimalist design approach. The use of simple line art meant that we could visually capture the organisation’s commitment to telling that “deeper story of creation” - Tāne Māhuta, the forest god, holds a prominent role in the creation narrative and serves as the guardian of the forests. Tāne is a key component of the logo, while elements of the “creation story” are woven into the logo and throughout the wider design system.

The final result is a striking brand identity that creates a visual connection to the community it serves, while also projecting credibility and expertise to the agencies it aims to influence.

The initial applications include business cards, email signatures, website UI, signage, and social media branding.