Auckland University of Technology – Chasm – A Virtually Reality experience

We all pretty much know that virtual reality (VR) is the hot thing at the moment. Chasm – A Virtual Reality experience is thebrainchild of Auckland University of Technology student Benjamin Bray, and boy is it interesting. “Overwhelming” is a word that comes to mind. If this isn’t A+ work, we don’t know what is.

Assembly – Kubo & the Two Strings

Produced by Oregon-based stop-motion animation outfit Laika, Kubo and the Two Strings is one of the year’s most highly-rated films. But every movie needs a website, and with a film as visually unique as Kubo, it needed to be, well, cool. That’s where creative directors Caio Lazurri and Nathan Goldberg, design director Matt von Trott, and the design team of Matt Wilson, Geoff Kirk Smith, Alex McLeod, Marcos Felguira Godoy, Josh Fourt-Wells, Scotty Wilson, Dexter Edwards, Mike Harding. Contributors / Amanda Chambers, Clare Bone, Eric Swanson, Kate Digilio, David Trujillo, Lis Moran, Trent Johnson, Rachel Mason, Robb Hand, Tricia Huetig, Byron Oshiro, Ryan Bolls, Ken Smith and Lindsey Warner came in. Created for the famed advertising firm Wieden+Kennedy, the website is slick, simple, yet incredibly interactive. Kind of like the film.

Resn – Chekhov is Alive

Resn, SLAVA & Google Zoo Russia all teamed up for this innovative project, which is the English version of the audition process for the first theatrical online reading of Anton Chekov. Think an online quiz, but highly interactive, immersive, and littered with so much pop art imagery it would make Warhol blush.

Salted Herring – K?kako – Language tracking

A great resource to help with Te Reo Ma?ri from the minds of creative director Pep Zuijderwijk, Ryan Shields, Roberto Uribe, Simon Winter, Dragonfly Data Science and Douglas Bagnall for Te M?ngai P?ho, this app tracks the use of language in media. It’s an ultramodern way to ensure the language is kept alive.

DNA – MBIE: Immigration.govt.nz

Anyone who has ever immigrated can relate to how difficult the immigration process can be – not the least of which is an intimidating application process. But the new website for INZ is incredibly simple and straightforward, while also answering questions potential immigrants might have without being overwhelming. It’s a design that can literally improve people’s lives.

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The Best Design Awards 2016 will be handed out on Friday, 14 October at the Viaduct Events Centre in Auckland. Tickets can be ordered online.