One becomes two.
Yeah, Buoy! Designwell Studio recently launched its sister brand, Daymark, a strategic branding studio obsessed with creating unforgettable identities.
Designwell directors, husband-and-wife team of creatives Kristin and Alexander Wastney, continue their quest to help businesses clearly communicate who they are and what they are all about through bold and impactful design.
Having made a name for themselves on interior projects such as Mr Pickles, Cream Eatery and Panama Square, Alexander says the time was right for the strategic business branding team to stand out.
“These are places that people visit every day and are front of mind but we also do the same business’s strategic brand work. We wanted to create a new identity and brand for that work, and it’s a chance for the brand team to really stand on its own two feet and grow,” Alexander says.
Designwell is well-known in the design industry for creating exceptional experiences through compelling brands and innovative spaces. Alexander says that separating the agency’s two arms of spatial design and brand strategy into two separate studios was a conscious decision as their business has grown.
“It’s time for Daymark to stand out. We want the brand component of our business to start walking the talk. Daymark will be the model for just how charismatic and
differentiated we aim for our client brand identities to be.”
Beginning life nearly five and a half years ago, the team has grown from just Kirstin and Alexander to 12 staff. It makes for a perfect half dozen in both the Designwell and Daymark teams.
The separation doesn’t mean there won’t be collaboration and both teams will continue to operate from the same office.
“We are still in one office and the value of that is the multidisciplinary and collaborative approach which we still do on a daily.”
With a young family to raise, Kirstin has stepped back to parttime work, while Alexander continues to have directorship over both studios.
It has meant they have promoted senior designer Jackson Croucher to the role of creative director of Daymark.
“Jackson is a really talented dude. It’s been really cool to promote someone within the team up into that position,” Alexander says.
Designed for maximum visibility, inspiration for the new studio’s identity came from daytime navigational aids called daymarks. Alexander says the essence of what a daymark is all about resonated with the in-house team.
“A daymark is a navigational aid for sailors and pilots, distinctively marked to maximise its visibility in daylight – a lighthouse for the daytime. These towers stand out with an almost slapstick, ‘Where’s Wally’ vibe.
“Like daymarks, great brands are unapologetically bold and charismatic. We wanted our studio’s brand to represent exactly this because this is who we are and what we strive to do for each of our
clients.
“Our passion is guiding clients through the design process. We love giving them the confidence to succeed with a brand identity and strategy that communicates to their target audiences why they exist and what they do in a compelling and authentic way.”
For design that won’t get lost, follow @daymarkstudio on Instagram and check out daymark.co.nz
