What Matariki has reminded us
about design

Matariki is the Māori New Year: a time to reflect on the past, recognise the present, and look ahead to the future.

For us at FizzyPop, that feels like the right moment to pause and think about what we have learnt over the past year, particularly through work that connects with Māori kaupapa, Māori clients, and communities across Aotearoa.

A lot of that learning has come through working with Māori organisations and through guidance from Jack Prichard, our cultural advisor.

One of the biggest reminders has been simple: design is never just design.

The words we choose, the images we crop, the colours we use, the patterns we reference, and the people we involve all carry meaning. Sometimes that meaning is obvious. Sometimes it is layered. Sometimes it is not ours to assume.

Respect starts in the details

A practical example is photography.

One thing we have learnt is that, within te ao Māori, the upoko is regarded as tapu. That has changed the way we think about selecting, placing, and cropping photography.

Cropping the side of someone’s head is not automatically inappropriate, but it should be intentional, dignified, and considered. It should never look careless.

That thinking changes how we approach website layouts, image placement, hero banners, and mobile crops. It also reminds us that responsive design is not just a technical exercise. The way an image behaves across screen sizes can affect how respectfully someone is represented.

Symbols are not decoration

The same applies to visual motifs.

One thing we have learnt is that a koru is more than a decorative spiral. It is based on the unfurling fern frond and can carry meaning around creation, movement, growth, renewal, and returning to the point of origin.

That does not mean koru should never be used. It means koru should not be used lazily.

If a Māori design element is included, there should be a reason for it. It should connect to the kaupapa, the story, the place, or the people. Otherwise, it risks becoming decoration without understanding.

Language needs care too

We have also been reminded how much respect sits inside language.

That means using macrons correctly. It means spelling Māori, whānau, kaupapa, tamariki, kaiako, and other kupu properly. It means not relying on Google Translate and assuming the job is done.

Literal translation can miss tone, context, and meaning. Good communication requires people who understand the language, the audience, and the kaupapa.

Māori is not one audience

Another important reminder: Māori organisations are not all the same.

An iwi, hapū, marae, kōhanga reo, trust, health provider, education provider, or community group may all have different expectations, histories, visual identities, priorities, and tikanga.

Good design does not treat “Māori” as a single audience. It asks better questions.

• Who is this for?
• Who does it represent?
• What whakapapa sits behind it?
• What should be protected?
• What should be shared?
• What should not be touched at all?

Guidance matters

One of the best things we can do as designers is know when to ask for guidance.

That is why we work alongside Jack Prichard, our cultural advisor. Jack’s guidance helps us make more informed decisions, avoid lazy assumptions, and approach kaupapa Māori with the care it deserves.

We are not the experts in tikanga Māori. We are designers, strategists, writers, and marketers who want the work to be respectful, useful, and connected to the people it represents.

That distinction matters.

Still learning

Matariki is a good time to look back, but it is also a time to look forward.

For FizzyPop, the lesson is not that we have “finished” learning. It is that better work comes from listening earlier, asking better questions, and building cultural guidance into the process rather than treating it as a final check.

While good design looks right, better design should feel considered, respectful, and connected.