Perfect blend — te reo and design

Nikki Kennedy.

In celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori, Shaan Te Kani meets “Gizzy girl” Nikki Kennedy who is reaching new heights using innovation, design and business to help promote te reo Maori . . .

?In celebration of Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori, Shaan Te Kani meets “Gizzy girl” Nikki Kennedy who is reaching new heights using innovation, design and business to help promote te reo Maori.

"To normalise, preserve and teach te reo Maori through design.”

That’s a statement which stands out, especially in the world of homeware design.

But it’s also something that came naturally to Taputapu Design creator and business owner Nikki Kennedy.

Her mission statement lays the foundation of her mahi, which is a perfect blend of her two passions — design and te reo Maori.

Taputapu Design is about creating contemporary te reo Maori homeware for the home.

An example of this is Nikki’s popular kapu ti set, which have ti (tea), huka (sugar) and kawhe (coffee) printed on the jars. And for those who love Milo, there is also a mairo jar. Making a cuppa is something that happens multiple times every day. Incorporating te reo Maori into simple, daily acts, helps to fulfill the kaupapa, the mission.

Born and raised in Turanganui a Kiwa, of Ngati Porou, Te Aitanga a Mahaki and Te Whakatohea whakapapa, Nikki is based in Waikato.

She started the Taputapu journey in November 2015, and runs the business from her home in Kirikiriroa (Hamilton).

She recently graduated from the University of Waikato with a Bachelor of Media and Creative Technologies, majoring in Te Reo Maori and Design Media.

Nikki says she is determined to use her degree to help preserve te reo Maori through her passion of design.

But this passion developed before she went to Waikato.

“I’m a Gizzy girl born and raised. I attended Awapuni School, Gisborne Intermediate and Lytton High School.

“At school I was the creative student. I was always in the music room, art room and sewing room.

“I studied graphic design at Lytton when I was in Year 13.

“I also worked for Gisborne District Council and House of Breakthrough.

“About five years after high school I went to Waikato because I wanted to learn te reo Maori. I also wanted to get a tohu (qualification) for graphic design.

“I decided to merge my two majors. For me it was quite fitting.

“Within that process came an opportunity to start a business, and I have always loved homeware.

“That was two years ago. I have been blown away by the support from customers and the enthusiasm from people about this kaupapa.

“The demand of te reo Maori is a positive flavour. Non-Maori are wanting to learn te reo as well.”

Amazing opportunities have arisen from Taputapu Design.

Nikki had the chance of creating a Matariki font for Dr Rangi Matamua, an expert in Maori astronomy, and especially of the Matariki star cluster.

“To my knowledge this has never been done before so how does one create a Matariki font, I had to ask myself,” said Nikki.

“It was a creative task, detailed and rewarding too. This was the first font that I designed and it all has a meaning and a connection back to the Matariki cluster.

“We printed the font on to enamel mugs and hoodies. There will be more Taputapu and Matariki collabs to come in the future. This is only the beginning.”

Nikki was also part of a group of Maori students who travelled to Singapore and Malaysia this year on a business scholarship called Te Hononga a Kiwa.

The group, made up of Waikato and Massey university students, connected with New Zealand primary industries such as Fonterra and Zespri.

“The industries are completely different to Taputapu but ‘business’ is still the same,” said Nikki.

“One thing I came away with was understanding how premium our New Zealand brand is there.

“I appreciate what we have back home, our culture and who we are as a people because it is unique and it’s valued in places like these.”

The scholarship was one avenue of learning towards Nikki’s business kete of knowledge.

“I’ve had to learn about business along the way.

“I have attended business workshops, forums and seminars. There are plenty available.

“And I feel there is a lot of support especially for Maori in business at the moment.

“There is a growing community of Maori entrepreneurs and businesses. It’s exciting.”

As part of Te Wiki o Te Reo Maori, Taputapu Design was one of a group of Maori businesses whose products were in a giveaway prize pack celebrating the launch of new Maori clothing label, Reo Way Clothing this week.

All of the businesses in the giveaway share a common value, of normalising te reo Maori.

The community is strengthened through social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Instagram is especially valuable for Taputapu. The format and style tends to complement the work of creatives.

But both mediums provide a great way for Nikki to interact with her customers.

“I’m able to get customer feedback. I get to hear some of their journeys as well as share my own.”

Working on all streams of her passion calls for a balance of study life and business life.

So how does that look and what is the next step?

“I hope to expand my products range. I’m slowly getting there, running as fast as I can take it.

“But I’ve also continued studying. When I began Taputapu I felt like I had only scratched the surface.

Nikki’s work on creating a Matariki font complemented her interest in Maori typography.

“I’m now looking at how to communicate te reo Maori through typography. I’m only at the beginning of creating my thesis.

“Maori typography is a new space of knowledge to explore, which hasn’t been explored in depth.

“It’s a new experience for me. There is not much research out there about it, so I’m having to create new knowledge.

“I’m on this journey of exploring Maori typography to better understand how I can communicate te reo Maori through design.

“I’ve had the privilege to spend time with Johnson Witehira who designed the first Maori typeface and is creating new knowledge around Maori typography.”

Nikki hopes that this mahi will help elevate Taputapu even further.

“I want to create products with purpose, rather than pretty products.

“I want to have meaning in what I’m selling to give the respect that our beautiful language deserves."