Leading agency reaps top honours at BEST Design Awards for human-centred design
AUCKLAND, 6 October 2017 – Market leading New Zealand design agency DNA has been awarded two supreme titles at the BEST Design Awards 2017 – a
feat rarely achieved in the history of the competition.
The BEST Design Awards is an annual showcase of excellence in graphic, spatial, product, interactive and user
experience, run by the Designers’ Institute of New Zealand. The prestigious Purple Pins – of which only an exclusive
number are presented on the night – recognise work that “raises the bar of design in New Zealand”.
DNA’s design work for Immigration New Zealand on a website that streamlines the visa application process for new
immigrants picked up a Purple Pin and a Gold Pin in the ‘User Experience’ and ‘Best Effect’ categories.
DNA also took out the supreme title in the ‘Interactive’ category for their work with the Ministry of Business,
Innovation and Employment (MBIE) for the new national cybersecurity body, the Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT
NZ), that provides advice and support for businesses, organisations and individuals affected by cyber-threats.
The awards specifically recognises DNA’s leadership in the area of user-centric design – an approach that starts with
extensive user research with the human experience at its heart.
“These awards and the recognition of the work behind them are a strong affirmation of the change in approach that we
adopted as a design agency five years ago,” says DNA’s Experience Director, Stephen Maskell.
“Back then it felt radical and risky, but now we’re seeing the benefits as clients demand not just incremental
improvements but transformational change,” he says.
“These were large scale, complex projects, with very difficult problems at their core. The challenge was to create a
simple user experience where they had thousands of variables to consider – and it started with putting ourselves in the
shoes of the users.”
For more information on DNA, visit -
ENDS
Notes
DNA is a leader in human-centred design, specialising in customer and user experience for clients as diverse as
government, banking, energy, telco and consumer goods on both sides of the Tasman business. With 55 staff, and offices
in Auckland and Wellington, DNA offers a wide range of design services: from research and insights through to design and
delivery of services, channels, products and new experiences.