Designer for a Day: Te Ara Tukutuku Design Challenge

Role: Organiser and Workshop Facilitator
Collaborators: Auckland Urban Development Office, mana whenua partners, and Media Design School students
Audience: Secondary school students (Years 11–13)

The Designer for a Day: Te Ara Tukutuku Design Challenge is a one-day outreach initiative introducing senior secondary students to design thinking, creative technology, and place-based co-design. Hosted in Media Design School’s Wynyard Quarter campus, the workshop engages participants in a hands-on collaborative design experience focused on Te Ara Tukutuku, the transformation of Wynyard Point into a new waterfront destination for Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland.

As an organiser and facilitator, I led and co-designed the programme by connecting, liaising with partners, and managing event logistics that positioned participants alongside Media Design School students, design faculty, mana whenua representatives, and industry mentors. The workshop invited students to explore how design can reconnect Tangaroa (the ocean) and Papatūānuku (the land) through creative storytelling, visual communication, and prototyping. Participants were guided through phases of brief interpretation, ideation, and concept presentation, applying design thinking and digital tools to develop proposals that honour the cultural, historical, and environmental dimensions of Te Ara Tukutuku.

The event emphasised co-learning and mentorship, reflecting Media Design School’s commitment to community engagement and culturally grounded design education. The challenge concluded with student presentations to a panel of judges, celebrating innovative ideas that envision a more connected, inclusive, and sustainable urban future for Auckland’s waterfront.

Ashley Boyd (co-organiser and workshop facilitator) designed visual direction, workshop slides and activity breakdown.