The Mauri in What We Create
She’s the wahine bringing toi Māori design to Māori creatives and organisations. Studio Waru [formerly Studio Acht] is Britt Davies’s Wanaka-based boutique design agency. Specialising in kaupapa Māori design and branding, they were recently commissioned to refresh the Awa Wahine brand with its new earthy colour palette and toi Māori illustrations.
Britt was born in Tauranga and grew up in a generation that did not learn their whakapapa in school. It wasn't until she began learning te reo Māori and her pepeha in high school that she started asking questions about her Māori heritage. She then moved to Pōneke to study visual communications design at Massey University. There, she began exploring Māori art papers, leading her to realise how Western culture influenced her other university papers.
Britt recalls the feeling of being between the Māori and Pākehā worlds. "I'd always felt this pull between both and that I didn't belong in either. Now I'm at the point where I'm comfortable with having every right to exist in both."
After graduation, Britt worked as a graphic designer for a design studio and had the opportunity to work on government projects when Māori design was starting to be integrated into business and government identity across Aotearoa. A few years later, Britt moved to Berlin, Germany, with its modernist architecture and history of design and arts. Britt intended to work in freelance design but the digital age was taking over, and print design jobs were scarce.
“The idea of freelancing rested on having enough money to last me for three months. Then my computer broke down, and my saved money was gone.”
While in Berlin, Britt worked on freelance projects, coming in from Aotearoa and building the structure for Studio Acht. Although she had planned to stay for a year, Britt returned to New Zealand after only three months. Living there, although for only a short time, influenced broadening her design practice. Britt applied for multiple jobs on her return to Aotearoa, securing a job interview with only one – Trademe – in which she was successful. Working for the online marketplace opened her eyes to the corporate employment environment. “It taught me about the technology industry in Aotearoa and how to work at a large company with a healthy culture. Trademe was all about people; it was amazing to be a part of.”
Working there until she was made redundant, Britt invested her payout into Studio Acht, moving to Wanaka for the formal business launch. And it was all go from there. “In the three years I’ve been running Studio Acht, I’ve hired staff and had to let go of staff. I’ve learnt a lot. Right now, I’m looking at aligning with where I’m at and where I want to be.”
The German word ‘Acht’ or eight was the number of her Berlin apartment. “I spent a lot of time in that little apartment working on my brand [Studio Acht] as a freelancer. Living there enabled me to dream of what it would be like to own a studio and business.” That’s not the only reason the number eight holds a deeper meaning for Britt. She was born on August 16 and often sees the number eight showing up in various ways daily.
Britt recently changed Studio Acht to Studio Waru to express her whakapapa and align with her goals in the toi Māori space and te ao Māori. “Renaming the studio is about bringing in the reo without reinventing the wheel. I’m realigning with where I’m at and where I want to be.”
Britt led the Awa Wahine rebranding project, which involved examining the organisation’s history and creating a new visual identity that reflects its future direction. To achieve this, she first sought to understand the why behind Awa Wahine and what motivates the team to push their kaupapa forward.
“Thinking about all of those things and then asking how we weave them together to create something new often means letting go of everything that has gone before”.
The new Awa Wahine logo and brand materials feature a down-to-earth and feminine colour scheme paired with customized Studio Waru toi Māori illustrations. Britt sees the new look as "expressing the grounded and nurturing sensation of the feminine component while also recognising that it is bounded by the masculine. This allows it to flow and demonstrates that we are all a combination of both."
The process got Britt contemplating her business, prompting her to ask herself where she wasn't freely expressing the feminine in her daily work. "It allowed me to reflect and understand how I fit into this space."
It also reminded her of her journey and the resources unavailable to support her at the time. "Diving into Awa Wahine and the kaupapa of empowering wāhine creatives opened my eyes to the reality that I could have used something like Awa Wahine myself a few years ago."
As a designer, Britt requires inspiration for her projects. Going for a walk in the morning near an element of water and being out in Papatūānuku helps with this. “It kickstarts my brain, my inspiration and organisation.”
After that, Britt has a smoothie and heads to her co-working space, Bad Company. Working in Wānaka has its perks, as she can see a view of the ice-capped maunga through the sliding window doors. The workspace has glass tables, couches, colourful art prints on the wall, large plants, and black desks.
Britt's typical day involves working with both remote and local clients. While she meets a few local clients in person, she mostly communicates with them online. She likes to visit Dripping Bowl, a local coffee caravan for a midday snack. Britt is no longer a coffee drinker, but swears by their Cacao Mushie Tonic instead.
“It’s the tits. Cinnamon, cacao, mushroom, low-releasing energy. Drinking it is like a warm hug; it’s like watching people drink cacao in the snow, and how they look when they’re enjoying their hot drink. That’s how it tastes.”
After finishing work, Britt usually heads home. In summer, she often goes for an afternoon swim, walks, or meets up with a friend for drinks. In winter, the days are scattered with the odd snowboarding trip.
When asked about advice for other Māori creatives, Britt emphasises the importance of self-belief. “It all comes back to believing in yourself and where you are in your journey. Think back to your intention behind something, and if you’re strong in that, then that's enough. Understand why you’re here and what you’re doing. Always go back to that. Believe in yourself and be strong in your intention.”
Britt connects this to the concept of mauri. She says, "If we can feel the mauri in what we create, then it's successful."
“This is to pay tribute to our tīpuna – to acknowledge the sacred knowledge they've gifted us.