University of The South Pacific

The first of its kind

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Define the Problem

We worked with the University of the South Pacific, to design one of the first detailed books on Cook Islands traditions, art and architecture written from a local perspective. This significant book captures a largely oral tradition in a contemporary context and helps the Cook Islands hold on to their culture in an ever-globalising world.

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Design the Solution

With 15 islands making up the Cooks, each with a slightly different dialect, culture, and art forms, our challenge was to seamlessly bring their story together. The book is divided into sections based on art form types, which show a marked contrast from each other. The Cook Islands culture is reflected through the use of traditional Cook Island Māori motifs as graphic devices throughout the book, with a unique pattern and colour chosen for each section.

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