Designing for impact: Massey graduates win big at Red Dot Awards

Among the winning projects is She’s Mad! by graduate Emma Stein – a multi touchpoint campaign that challenges outdated medical myths affecting assigned female at birth patients. Through a campaign incorporating environmental graphics, print and digital components alongside social media, the project uses shock, humour and outrage to spark dialogue and reclaim everyday spaces shaped by stigma.

“Medicine has viewed the male body as the default for thousands of years, meaning we have a huge gap in our knowledge about female physiology. Even today in Aotearoa, it takes an average of 9.7 years to diagnose endometriosis – a condition that can be life-altering. She’s Mad! is about ignoring stigma and making connections.

“It’s super exciting to have won a Red Dot Award because that means She’s Mad! is already doing its job. The fact that judges viewed my work and saw the value within it is a great feeling,” Emma says.

Senior Lecturer and Co-lead of Visual Communication Design Dr Jo Bailey says She’s Mad! draws on a wide range of design methods and outputs to deliver a campaign that challenges perceptions and inspires change.

“We are incredibly proud of Emma’s work. Visual communication design has a rich and complex history, often intertwined with the power structures of capitalism. We don’t shy away from this. Instead, we equip our students to use design thinking critically and ethically – for the benefit of people and the planet.”

Dr Bailey is proud that six honours graduates from the visual communication design programme won coveted Red Dot awards.

“While times and technologies evolve rapidly, we’re proud that our students are prepared to respond with agility, creativity and conscience to the challenges of today and tomorrow,” Dr Bailey says.

Established in 1955 and headquartered in Germany, the Red Dot Design Awards attract thousands of entries from designers, agencies and companies around the world.

The awards are judged by an independent panel of global experts, and recipients gain international recognition, with winning projects showcased in the Red Dot Design Museum and featured in the Red Dot Design Yearbook.

MASSEY GRADUATES’ RED DOT AWARD WINNING DESIGNS:

Mack Egger’s student flat management app was tailored for young adults moving into their first flat. Flatmate combines social sharing functions; rent and utility tracking; chore rotas and other useful flat admin tools with built-in emergency preparedness tools, plus a sense of humour with its tagline ‘One that isn’t useless’.

Alphabet Soup is a suite of multisensory games designed to support dyslexic learners. As someone with dyslexia, designer Madeline Mangos created the games to foster inclusive classrooms by using tactile tools to build confidence, empathy, and collaboration among neurodivergent and neurotypical students.

Seeds of Wonder by Poppie Thorpe is a play-focused package for parents of three to six year-olds, featuring the Wonder Play guidebook and Story Seeds card game. It promotes hands-on, screen-free creativity and storytelling through engaging activities and language play.

Charlotte Rempala designed Rhea an outdoor recreation platform that connects users with events, clubs, and locations based on their preferences and availability. It lowers barriers for beginners while also catering to experienced outdoor enthusiasts.

Angus McKinnon created a series of interactive digital books Where to Next? on a reading platform app. Using gamification and animation, it encourages kids to read for fun. The pick-a-path format lets readers shape the story, such as in Mega Massive City, where they hunt for a stolen food item.

About Visual Communication Design at Massey University

Massey offers a three-year Bachelor of Visual Communication Design at Ngā Pae Māhutonga – The Wellington School of Design, with an optional honours fourth year (where these Red Dot Award winning projects were developed). The degree includes options to study graphic design, interaction design, branding, typography, illustration, service and experience design, and moving image. The programme prepares graduates to lead in diverse industries and tackle real-world challenges.