Best Graphic Design in Dunedin: Branding, Packaging and Print Studios

Finding the best graphic design in Dunedin starts with matching the right studio to the job, whether that is a full brand identity, product packaging, an annual report or a straightforward run of flyers. Graphic design in Dunedin runs from agency teams with strategists and photographers on staff through to independent designers working solo, covering logo design, brand strategy, illustration, packaging and digital print. Walsh & Beck and Better both work from studios in the central city, close to the businesses they design for.

1Walsh & Beck

Walsh & Beck is a creative agency on Stafford Street in Ōtepoti Dunedin, with a team of branding specialists, graphic designers, strategists, researchers and photography and video professionals. Creative director Paula Hellyer and photographer and videographer Alex Lovell-Smith run the agency, which puts graphic design at the centre of most of its projects, from a logo through to a billboard or a shopfront. It suits organisations that want brand development, campaign work, reports and photography handled by one team.

Services

• Brand development, logo design and brand guidelines documents
• Creative direction across visual and conceptual work
• Illustration, from digital and freehand sketching to detailed rendering
• Animation, including scriptwriting, storyboarding and character design
• Digital marketing, covering EDMs, paid search, social advertising and search engine optimisation

Highlights

• Photography and video production run in-house alongside the design team
• Team of seven, including a senior strategist, a lead creative and two designers
• Approved supplier on the New Zealand Government’s Pae Hokohoko Marketplace
• Brand work for Dunedin City Council, Otago Regional Council, Aurora Energy and the New Zealand International Science Festival
• Regular work with charities and non-profit organisations

Location & Contact

Name: Walsh & Beck
Address: 8 Stafford Street, Ōtepoti, Dunedin
Phone: 03 479 2761
Website: walshandbeck.nz

2Better

Better is a full service creative agency on The Octagon, pairing brand strategy and identity development with its own digital printing and signage. The studio traded as Ezyprint Solutions before taking the Better name in 2019, and the print side of the business has been running far longer than the agency name. It suits businesses that would rather have the design and the finished printed job come from the same studio.

Services

• Brand development, brand refreshes and identity design
• Digital printing
• Signage
• Web development and website design
• Social media management and content

Highlights

• Design and digital printing handled inside the same studio
• More than 18 years supplying print to New Zealand businesses
• Traded as Ezyprint Solutions until the change of name in 2019
• Separate enquiry routes for print quotes and for new design projects

Location & Contact

Name: Better
Address: 3 The Octagon, Dunedin 9016
Phone: 03 474 0899
Website: bettercreative.nz

3Certa Solutions

Certa Solutions is a Dunedin Central design and print business that started in the city in 1993 and now runs a second studio in Petone, Wellington. Its in-house graphic designers cover logo design, brand development and layout, with printing, signage, promotional products and direct mail under the same roof. It suits businesses that want branding drawn up with the print and signage production already in mind.

Services

• Branding, including logo design, letterheads and business cards
• Brochure, flyer and direct mail design and layout
• Packaging design
• Advertising, billboard, banner, building and vehicle signage design
• Design of books, booklets, guides, manuals and year books

Highlights

• Started in Dunedin in 1993
• In-house graphic design team working alongside the printing operation
• Photography, image manipulation and colour grading handled internally
• Second studio in Petone, Wellington

Location & Contact

Name: Certa Solutions
Address: 7 Willis Street, Dunedin Central, Dunedin
Phone: 0800 423 782
Website: certasolutions.nz

4Laura Wharehinga Design

Laura Wharehinga is an independent designer with more than ten years in design and marketing, working with Dunedin businesses from a home studio at Taieri Mouth on the Otago coast. She spent five years at a Dunedin marketing and design studio, including a period as agency design lead, before moving to freelance work. She suits owners who want a single point of contact across branding, websites and print rather than a team to brief.

Services

• Branding and logo design
• Brand asset suites covering colour palettes, typography, iconography and supporting elements
• Website and landing page design
• Social media graphics and email templates
• Ongoing design support, overflow work and contracting

Highlights

• More than ten years across agency and in-house design and marketing roles
• Previously design lead at a Dunedin marketing and design studio
• Contract and overflow design support for businesses and other agencies
• Client work spanning trades, engineering, medical, hospitality, tourism, beauty and fashion

Location & Contact

Name: Laura Wharehinga Design
Address: Dunedin
Phone: 027 768 7477
Website: laurawharehingadesign.co.nz

5BITE Creative

BITE Creative is a Dunedin branding and packaging studio working with product-led FMCG, wellness and beauty brands. The studio covers brand identity, packaging, graphic design, web design and illustration, and is taking enquiries by email while its website is rebuilt. It suits product businesses that need the packaging and the identity designed together rather than in sequence.

Services

• Branding and brand identity
• Packaging design
• Graphic design
• Web design
• Illustration

Highlights

• Studio focus on product-led FMCG, wellness and beauty brands
• Packaging design offered alongside brand identity work
• Illustration produced within the studio
• Studio hours Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm

Location & Contact

Name: BITE Creative
Address: Dunedin
Website: bitecreative.co.nz

Graphic Design in Dunedin at a Glance

How to Choose the Right Graphic Design Studio in Dunedin

• Match the studio to the deliverable. A packaging specialist, a print-led studio and an agency with in-house photography are good at different things, so start from the job rather than the shortlist.
• Ask who will actually do the work. In a small studio you deal with the designer directly, while a larger agency may put a strategist, a designer and a project manager on the same brief.
• Check whether print and signage are handled in-house. Studios that print their own work can advise on stock, colour and finishes before the artwork is signed off, which saves reprints.
• Look at the portfolio for your sector. Branding for a food product, a professional services firm and a council campaign call for different instincts, and past work shows those instincts better than a capability list.
• Agree up front what you receive at the end. A brand guidelines document, working files and the correct logo formats for print, web and signage are worth confirming before the project starts.

Frequently Asked Questions About Dunedin Graphic Design

What does graphic design in Dunedin cost?

Most Dunedin studios quote per project rather than publishing rates, because a single logo, a full brand identity and a multi-page catalogue are very different pieces of work. Expect a written quote after a short discovery conversation about scope, deliverables and deadline. If the budget is tight, say so early, as many studios can stage a brand project so the logo and core assets come first and the wider collateral follows.

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

A logo is a single mark. A brand identity is the whole system around it: the colour palette, typography, iconography, photography style, supporting graphics and the rules for using them consistently. Studios usually deliver that system as a brand guidelines document, so the same look holds up across a website, a vehicle wrap, packaging and social media.

How long does a branding project take?

A straightforward logo can turn around in a couple of weeks, while a full identity with strategy, research and a guidelines document commonly runs over one to three months. The timeline usually depends less on the designer than on how quickly feedback comes back, so nominate one decision maker on your side and set review dates when you sign off the brief.

Can I trade mark a logo a designer creates for me?

Yes, provided the mark is distinctive and is not already registered by someone else for the same classes of goods or services. Registration is handled by the Intellectual Property Office of New Zealand, and you can search existing trade marks and apply through IPONZ. It is worth searching before a name is finalised rather than after the signage is made.

Who owns the artwork and the working files once the job is finished?

That comes down to what your contract says, so it is worth settling in writing before the work starts. Some studios hand over full working files, others supply finished export formats and retain the source artwork. General guidance on intellectual property and supplier agreements for New Zealand businesses is available at business.govt.nz.

Should I hire an agency or a freelance graphic designer?

An agency makes sense when a project needs several disciplines at once, such as strategy, design, photography and a campaign rollout. An independent designer is often the better fit for a single brand, a website or ongoing small jobs, because you deal with one person and the overheads are lower. Plenty of Dunedin businesses use both, keeping a freelancer for day to day work and bringing in an agency for a major rebrand.

Which parts of Dunedin do design studios work from?

Studios cluster in the central city, around The Octagon, Stafford Street and Dunedin Central, which puts them within walking distance of most city offices for an in-person briefing. Independent designers more often work from home studios in the suburbs or further down the Otago coast, and handle briefings by video call or by visiting you. If proximity matters for your project, ask whether the studio prefers to meet on site.

What should I bring to a first meeting with a designer?

Bring examples of work you like and work you do not, any existing logos or files you hold, a short description of who your customers are, and the list of places the design has to work: signage, packaging, uniforms, a website, vehicles. A rough budget range and a real deadline help more than a detailed creative brief, because most designers would rather shape the brief with you.