Description:

The Alliance Graphique Internationale (AGI) is a not-for-profit organisation aimed at enhancing the international reputation of design as a means of communication. Its members, including notable designers like Josef Müller-Brockmann, Kenya Hara and Paula Scher, have significantly shaped modern visual culture.

Each year, AGI hosts two major events in different cities: the AGI Open and the AGI Congress. The AGI Open is an educational platform designed to share perspectives, extend knowledge, and encourage the next generation of designers. The AGI Congress is a members-only series of forums and events aimed at influencing global design and culture.

In 2023, AGI Aotearoa New Zealand was held in Auckland, with the purpose of connecting the world of design to the local community and inspiring them about design possibilities. However, the event faced several challenges, including low brand awareness in Aotearoa, inadequate communications infrastructure for a broad awareness campaign in a new region, and a compromised post-COVID economy in New Zealand.

The central theme of the event was "Kōrero," emphasising shared experiences and conversations that bridge cultures and inspire new pathways in design and creativity. "Kōrero" means to converse and is central to AGI's mission.

A communications system was built to generate awareness and excitement both publicly and internally within its membership. The AGI Open and AGI Congress were curated to align with the theme of Kōrero, with language playing a central role in communications. The existing AGI brand was honoured and redefined for the local context, using triangles and circles as key graphic devices and paying homage to the Swiss Style with a rigid grid, measured typography, and relational sizes.

The AGI Open featured a diverse range of cultures, experiences, and disciplines, allowing the local community to connect with top practitioners in the field. The three-day Congress showcased cultural immersion, highlighting the creativity of indigenous communities across Aotearoa and the wider Pacific. This included customary practices, contemporary art, language, mark making, carving, ceremony, and storytelling, demonstrating the unbroken wisdom and possibilities in design and being in the world.

To aid design and communications the AGI Typewriter app was developed, rendering letterforms using triangles and circles in various sizes, creating a distinct visual language that unified all communications.

The scope of execution for both the Congress and Open events was extensive across a broad range of executions both in digital, print, PR and sponsorship. as created to extend the brand language and enhance the overall experience.

AGI Aotearoa New Zealand 2023 aimed to connect the global design community with the local community, inspire through diverse cultural practices, and build awareness of AGI in New Zealand, all centred around the theme of Kōrero.