Enabling more sustained connections between cultures

Asia New Zealand Foundation is an organisation that promotes understanding between New Zealand communities and Asian countries.

They work to educate and promote relationships between business, arts and education sectors inter–country. They also foster long term links, in order that we as a country are more involved in regional activities.

Formerly Asia 2000, they clearly needed a name change by 2004. Consultation was undertaken with the board and staff, with a lot of work around where they could go and what the name should mean.

While the name ended up being a pragmatic statement of who they are, the identity was left to convey the more emotive and intrinsic vales of the organisation. My response was centred around the knot. Knots have a common understanding and are rich in cultural meaning, across all countries.

Based on a chinese temple knot, or button knot, I constructed a symbol that consisted of the five main activities of their business; connection, experience, partnering, informing and delivering. The button knot’s strength is reliant on each of the strands supporting the others and is intricately interwoven. It was the perfect metaphor for the function of Asia New Zealand.