Shaping the Future Look of Manawatū District Council

I led the strategic refresh of the Manawatū District Council (MDC) brand - creating a clear, flexible system that better reflects the Council’s purpose, values and future direction, and gives MDC a consistent voice and look across every touchpoint.

While stakeholders chose to retain the original 1989 community-designed logo, we refined it with a small but meaningful change: adding the macron to Manawatū. A simple correction, but an important one, ensuring the district’s name is represented accurately and respectfully.

Around the logo, we built a contemporary brand framework: a richer colour palette, refreshed typography, and a suite of photography and illustration styles that feel warm, human and grounded. The result captures MDC’s personality - friendly, approachable and dependable, with a progressive edge - and brings its values to life: Professional / Matanga, People / Aroha, Positive / Ngahau and Progressive / Auaha. Deep greens reflect the region’s rivers and farmland giving the brand presence and depth, brighter accents signal optimism and innovation, and hand-drawn textures add warmth and authenticity.

Alongside the brand refresh, I led the redesign of the MDC website. This included wire-framing, migrating to a new CMS template, project-managing an organisation-wide content review, and reshaping the Information Architecture to be more customer-focused. I conducted both internal and external user research and stakeholder workshops to inform the approach, while accessibility (WCAG 2.2) and NZ Government Digital Standards were embedded throughout. Content was refreshed to be accurate, clear and AI-ready - laying the groundwork for browser AI overviews and chatbot integration. I also worked closely with IT to roll out Council-wide branded email signatures, locking in brand consistency across everyday communications.

Combined with authentic storytelling across print and digital, the outcome is a unified, future-ready brand that strengthens recognition, builds trust, and genuinely reflects the character of the Manawatū. Grounded in community values but designed for what’s next, the refresh positions MDC as an organisation that balances heritage with innovation - and people with progress.