Over the last month, we’ve been trying something a bit different.
As alot of you already know instead of deciding internally what to make next, we are opening up our design process. We started by sharing a range of possible directions and asking a simple pātai.
What do you want to see us make next?
And the response was awesome, votes came in and messages followed with whakaaro, ideas, reflections, bits of knowledge and lived experience. Ngā mihi nui to everyone who took the time to engage. It felt like more than just a poll but like the beginning of a proper kōrero.
Where This Really Starts
Like a lot of what we do, this didn’t start with the object itself.It started with watching how tamariki play digging, carrying water, moving between spaces and reshaping what’s around them. Those instincts haven’t changed but the tools they have access to and what those tools reflect often have.
The Tiheru surfaced through that thinking, it felt like something that could sit naturally within those patterns of play, while still holding that deeper context.
But this project isn’t just about the object, it’s about how we get there.
In the past, we’ve brought people in once things were already taking shape. This time, we wanted to open things up much earlier while the idea is still forming. What we’ve seen already is that this is changing the way we think about what we are doing.
The direction is chosen, lets keep the kōrero going
We’re interested in anything people are willing to share about Tiheru whether that’s something you’ve seen, used, or heard. Customary or contemporary, detailed or small it all helps build a richer picture of what this could become.
So if you’ve got any of the above please drop us a comment, email here or use any of the many social media ways you like.
This isn’t about getting to the answer on our own. We want to hear from you!