A host of students, creative marcomms boffins and not-for-profit community groups gathered at the floating pavilion at Auckland’s Viaduct last night as the yMedia Challenge gongs were handed out. And Massey University’s ‘Designasaurs’ took home the $5,000 prize after its work with Natural Health Practitioners New Zealand was awarded top honours.
The team, affectionately known as ‘The Designasaurs’, included Josephine Ross, Olivia Mills, Rachael Mobberley and Karina Tedjapoernama and their response was to create a complete solution for the organisation that included changing the name from the New Zealand Charter of Health Practitioners, creating a Facebook page and a new website and designing new packaging for the organisation’s Natural First Aid Kit.
The group’s aim is to support and represent natural healthcare professionals in the healthcare sector, acting as an umbrella organisation representing 62 Affiliate Signatories. And Friday O’Flaherty, the benevolent, philanthropically minded dictator from Running with Scissors and yMedia judge, said the Designasaurs made an astounding contribution to it.
“We were really impressed by the team’s thorough understanding of the organisation and its audience, their thinking throughout and simplicity of their solution,” he says.
The winning students said the competition helped give Natural Health Practitioners NZ “a new identity that is sympathetic to the organisation and will provide them with the tools to maintain a sustainable brand. With the new forms of media and the re-designed website, awareness has grown and reached a younger, wider audience that will continue to increase in membership.”
Co-managing director of yMedia, Eddy Helm, who also works at Running With Scissors, says the competition was a one of the toughest in the four-year history of the awards and standards were high across the board.
“This year a record 62 students and 20 community groups were involved in the eight week challenge.”
The whole eight-week process is documented on the Designasaurs blog. And have a read of Simon Pound’s story on the yMedia challenge to get a feel for what the event is all about.
Other Category Winners:
Runner Up: Team Five – Monique Griffin and Suneil Narsai from AUT Bachelor of Graphic Design for Child Poverty Action Group
Best Use of Design: Team Five – Monique Griffin and Suneil Narsai from AUT Bachelor of Graphic Design for Child Poverty Action Group
Most innovative: Team One – Fritha Hookway, Plummy Woods and Rolen Chetty for ArtStation
Most sustainable: Team Two – Stewart Duffy, Alistair Mahoney, Jackson Coley and John Christall from Media Design School – Diploma in Digital Media for Beneficiaries Advocacy & Information Service (BAIS)