Best Graphic Design in Wellington: Branding, Print and Information Design Studios

The best graphic design in Wellington covers everything from a single logo through to a national brand rolled out across print, packaging, signage and digital. Whether you need a brand identity built from scratch, an annual report laid out, or complex data turned into infographics, graphic design in Wellington is served by studios working at very different scales, from full-service agencies to solo senior designers. Inject Design and Scenario sit at the larger end of that range.

1Inject Design

Inject Design is a creative agency founded in Wellington in 2002 by Creative Director Harry A’Court, working from a studio in Lyall Bay. The team covers branding, graphics and motion, packaging and merchandise, photography, digital and spatial design, for clients in New Zealand and overseas. It suits businesses that want one studio to build an identity and then carry it across print, packaging, web and physical space.

Services

• Brand identity systems, logotypes, wordmarks and brand guidelines
• Editorial design, annual reports, flyers and invitations
• Packaging and merchandise design
• Signage, wayfinding and environmental design
• Website design and build, including Squarespace and Shopify

Highlights

• Founded in Wellington in 2002 by Creative Director Harry A’Court
• Works with clients in Australia, Indonesia, the United States, Europe and the United Kingdom
• Client list includes Hell Pizza, Panhead Custom Ales and Wellington Chocolate Factory
• Album and music design for acts including Fat Freddy’s Drop, Kora and The Black Seeds
• Fee options include hourly rates, fixed or capped price, retainer, and part fee plus equity for start-ups

Location & Contact

Name: Inject Design
Address: Level 1, 66A Kingsford Smith Street, Lyall Bay, Wellington 6022
Phone: 04 381 3800
Website: inject.co.nz

2Scenario

Scenario is a design and brand management agency on Lambton Quay in central Wellington, working across print, digital, campaigns and exhibitions. The team creates identities from scratch and also takes over brands it has inherited, keeping them consistent across every channel. Much of its portfolio is public sector and industry body work, including Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, the Ministry of Transport Te Manatū Waka and GNS Science.

Services

• Brand strategy development, including workshops, stakeholder interviews and focus group facilitation
• Multichannel brand look and feel, then application across print and digital
• Print design for reports, publications, magazines and billboards, plus print brokering
• Infographics for documents, posters, websites and social media
• Events and exhibition design, from floor plan development to installation

Highlights

• Manages brands it has inherited as well as those it has created
• Annual report design for organisations including GNS Science and Horticulture New Zealand
• Exhibition work includes the Forestry Hub at Fieldays
• Copywriting, editing and proofreading offered alongside the design work

Location & Contact

Name: Scenario
Address: Level 1, 330 Lambton Quay, Wellington
Phone: 04 385 9766
Website: scenario.co.nz

3Ocean Design

Ocean Design is a brand and communication design studio in the Hope Gibbons Building on Dixon Street, Te Aro, and has been operating since 1988. Its work is split across communication design, strategic design and culture design, with a stated focus on building what the studio calls the modern Aotearoa brand. It suits government agencies, not-for-profits and larger organisations that need brand strategy and architecture alongside finished design.

Services

• Communication design for customers, staff, stakeholders and communities
• Brand strategy, brand architecture and brand identity
• Culture design covering organisational purpose, values and engagement
• Digital and web design

Highlights

• Founded in 1988 and now in its fourth decade
• Certified B Corporation
• Approved on the New Zealand All-of-Government panels for Design, Consulting, Web Services and Advertising
• Studio values and tohu developed with designer Kauri Te Atua, based on the sail of a traditional waka
• Sector experience spanning government, healthcare, energy, education, finance and not-for-profit

Location & Contact

Name: Ocean Design
Address: Level 7, Hope Gibbons Building, 7 Dixon Street, Te Aro, Wellington 6011
Phone: 04 801 5700
Website: oceandesign.co.nz

4Gusto Design

Gusto Design is an information design studio on Victoria Street in central Wellington, founded in 1999. The team applies an information design lens to campaigns, brands and websites, and specialises in turning complex or technical material into infographics, illustration, animation and video. It suits organisations with dense information to communicate, such as research bodies, government agencies and health providers.

Services

• Brand development
• Campaign design
• Website design
• Infographics that visualise complex information
• Illustration, animation and video

Highlights

• Founded in Wellington in 1999
• Runs workshops on an organisation’s visual voice, led by information designer, lecturer and writer Judith Carnaby
• Partnership with plain language consultancy Write on accessible written content
• Cultural advisory partnership with TIRA Tū Kotahi, so te ao Māori is built into the visual design from the outset

Location & Contact

Name: Gusto Design
Address: Level 1, Dominion Building, 78 Victoria Street, Wellington
Phone: 04 499 9150
Website: gustodesign.co.nz

5Shine Graphic Design

Shine Graphic Design is a small Wellington studio run by owner and Creative Director Sharon Bulmer, who has more than 22 years of professional design experience. Clients work directly with her from brief through to print management, and projects can be completed at the studio or on site. It suits small and medium businesses, industry training organisations and individuals who want a senior graphic designer rather than an agency team.

Services

• Logo and company brand design, including refreshes of an existing brand
• Business stationery such as cards, letterheads, compliment slips and presentation folders
• Promotional print including brochures, flyers, catalogues, signage and banners
• Illustration for children’s books, posters, cards and school journals
• WordPress website design and build, plus MailChimp email marketing

Highlights

• Owner Sharon Bulmer holds a Bachelor of Computer Graphic Design from the Wanganui School of Design
• Over 22 years of professional experience across in-house, contract, studio and freelance design roles
• Clients have included Universities New Zealand, the Lotteries Commission, the SPCA and Te Herenga Waka Victoria University of Wellington
• Wedding stationery runs as a service line alongside the commercial work

Location & Contact

Name: Shine Graphic Design Ltd
Address: Wellington
Phone: 027 657 0067
Website: shinedesign.co.nz

Graphic Design in Wellington at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Graphic Designer in Wellington

• Match the studio to the job. A full brand strategy with workshops and stakeholder interviews is a different piece of work from a logo and a set of business cards, and the two are rarely priced or staffed the same way.
• Look at the portfolio for work in your own format. Annual reports, packaging, exhibition graphics and infographics each need specific skills, so check the studio has shipped the thing you actually need.
• Ask who will do the work. In a small studio you may deal with the owner from brief to print; in a larger agency a partner may lead strategy while designers and artworkers handle production.
• Check what happens after launch. Some studios manage a brand on an ongoing basis, handle print brokering or maintain the website, while others hand over files and finish there.
• Confirm what you receive at the end. Ask for the brand guidelines, working files and licences for any purchased fonts or images, and get the ownership of the artwork written into the agreement.

Frequently Asked Questions About Wellington Graphic Design

How much does graphic design cost in Wellington?

Wellington studios rarely publish fixed rates, because the work is quoted against a brief rather than sold off a price list. Common arrangements include an hourly rate, a fixed or capped price for an agreed scope, and a monthly retainer for ongoing work. Some studios will also work with start-ups on a part fee, part equity basis. Ask for a written estimate that separates concept work, revision rounds and production artwork so you can see what is driving the number.

What is the difference between a logo and a brand identity?

A logo is a single mark. A brand identity is the wider system around it: the logotype and any logomark, a colour palette, typography, patterns and imagery, tone of voice, and a set of guidelines telling anyone who uses the brand how the pieces fit together. If you only commission a logo you will usually find yourself making the rest of those decisions later, often inconsistently.

Which parts of Wellington do these design studios work from?

The studios on this page are spread across the city rather than clustered in one block. Some are in the central business district around Lambton Quay and Victoria Street, some in Te Aro just south of the motorway, and at least one is out at Lyall Bay near the airport. Because most briefing and review now happens by video call and shared files, proximity matters less than it used to, and Wellington designers routinely work with clients in the Hutt Valley, Porirua and the rest of the country.

Do graphic designers in Wellington also build websites?

Many do. Web offerings range from a WordPress or Squarespace build for a small business through to user experience design, wireframing, front-end development and e-commerce integration for larger projects. If the website is the main deliverable, ask whether the studio builds in-house or partners with a development team, and who will maintain the site once it is live.

Can I register my new logo as a trade mark?

Yes. A logo can be registered as a trade mark in New Zealand, which is separate from owning the copyright in the artwork. Registration is handled by the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand, and it is worth checking that a proposed name or mark is available before a studio starts designing around it. You can search existing trade marks and apply through IPONZ.

Who owns the artwork once the project is finished?

That depends on what your agreement says, so settle it before work begins. Designers commonly hand over final artwork and the right to use it, while retaining the working files, the rejected concepts and the right to show the work in their portfolio. Fonts and stock images are usually licensed rather than owned, and those licences may need to be transferred or bought separately. Put the ownership, the file formats you will receive and any licences in writing, and note that business.govt.nz has general guidance on contracting suppliers.

How long does a branding project take?

A straightforward logo and stationery set can be finished in a few weeks. A full brand programme involving research, workshops, stakeholder interviews and a rollout across print, digital, signage and packaging is more likely to run for several months, and the timeline is often set by how quickly your side can review and approve rather than by the design work itself. Agree the number of revision rounds up front, since extra rounds are the usual reason a project slips.

What should I have ready before briefing a designer?

Bring the practical things first: what the business does, who the audience is, what the design has to achieve, your budget range and your deadline. Gather any existing assets, including old logos, photography and font licences. Examples of design you like, and design you do not, are more useful than adjectives, and a clear list of the items you need, such as signage, packaging, a report template or a website, keeps the quote honest.