The Allan Wilson Centre
Good design is in my genes
The Allan Wilson Centre was established in 2002 as part of the New Zealand government's Centre of Research Excellence initiatives. The aim of the Centre was to investigate the evolution and ecology of the biota in New Zealand and the South Pacific using molecular techniques. I displayed their findings and events in a way that both scientists and the general public understand.
The research programme in the centre is wide-ranging and is divided into four projects. Each of the projects was lead by one of the principal investigators. The projects are:
- Rates and Modes of Evolution
- Biodiversity
- Human Settlement of Aotearoa/New Zealand
- New Ecological and Evolutionary Models
Project Scope
Print
Annual reports
Annual plans
Midterm reviews
Pictorial booklets
Annual lecture series posters
Promo banners
Pheno magazines
Digital
Lecture series email flyers
When design and science evolve together
I designed for the Allan Wilson Centre from 2011 to 2015, when they closed after losing their government funding. Over that time, my skills evolved with the organisation. I covered a range of printed materials for them, from annual reports, annual plans, and midterm reviews to specialty projects like the Tolaga Bay environmental project, Uawanui and specialty infographics.
For each of these projects, I needed to display the content in a way that was easy to understand and visually appealing. This is because their target audience was the general public as well as the scientific community. I introduced a bright colour palette that matched the centre's persona and seamlessly linked in the stunning photos that the scientists took. Where possible, I also used photos I took myself of native insects, animals, and national landmarks.
A series not to be missed
Annually, the Allan Wilson Centre would organize special lecture series that travelled around New Zealand. Each poster was designed to reflect the tone of the lecture and the guest speaker. Renowned speakers included Professor Craig Stanford, Dylan Horrocks, and Professor Scott V. Edwards.
The posters were a huge hit, and we often had to get extras printed as they seemed to go 'missing' a lot. The guest speakers typically didn't see the posters until they arrived, but they often loved them so much they used them for future lectures.
