Description:

In the wake of cancellations of Treaty of Waitangi events due to Covid-19, we partnered with Te Rūnanga o Kokourarata to create an interactive history of Te Tiriti at Horomaka that could bring history alive for a digital audience.

We worked with rūnanga kaumatua to design, develop content and launch this project which was then picked up by Ngāi Tahu and shared across its channels - reaching tens of thousands of people.

At its heart was honouring the history of the region while also making information engaging and easily to access. We worked with an illustrator to bring to life old etchings of rangatira, with the blessing of kaumatua.

Using coded animation we created interactivity on scroll allowing users to have a small amount of agency over the story they were reading.

The feedback was overwhelming, with the project being featured on design sites across the world and leading to Koukourarata signing and official partnership with Vanishing Point to create more interactive histories for the runaka.

The goal of creative director Arpo Deer, a Koukourarata member was to use his skills as an interactive developer to bring to life stories of his whānau. We believe this iteration is the first of many in this space as a way to elevate pūrākau beyond the pages of text books and into the minds of rangatahi as they look to learn more about their history.