sean
johnson
I'm a graphic designer from Whangārei, based in Auckland. This site shares the work I've done and the thinking that got me there - both the technical and the conceptual - as well as what I might bring to a team that values clear design created with care.
I approach design like a series of problems worth solving, visually, strategically, and sometimes stubbornly.My experience with campaigns, brand identities, event marketing, and interactive layouts has left me interested in creating solutions that make sense and actually consider their audience.You'll see some of that below.
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connectar ltd
Oblique came with a strong creative pulse—a vision rooted in tension, contrast, and presence. The brand needed a visual identity that could echo its bold aesthetic while maintaining an editorial subtlety that felt timeless.
Client
Connectar Creative Ltd
Year
2023
Role
Graphic Design
Design & Direction
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Impact
The new identity positioned Oblique not just as a label, but as a perspective—instantly recognizable, deliberately elusive. Launch visuals elevated perception and deepened resonance in editorial and digital touchpoints.
Convenient warnings
Solace aimed to disrupt luxury skincare not with noise, but with quiet authority. Their request: create a brand that speaks in undertones—refined, intentional, serene.
Client
Self-initiated
Year
2024
Role
Concept and Collateral Design
Design & Direction
We crafted a sensorial experience—muted tones, tactile textures, and typography that breathes. Every element, from packaging to storytelling, was designed to evoke ritual and intimacy.
Impact
Solace launched with instant visual cohesion across product and campaign. The brand now stands as a meditative presence in an overstimulated market—calmly commanding attention.
blacktop co
Verno needed a brand that reflected purity without minimalism, elegance without excess. A luxury rooted not in opulence, but in clarity and restraint.
Client
Self-initiated
Year
2023
Role
Concept and Design
Design & Direction
We focused on reduction as elevation. The branding leans on spacious compositions, subtle shadows, and refined typework—conveying confidence without ever needing to shout.
Impact
Verno’s visual identity now mirrors its core promise: uncomplicated beauty, delivered with precision. A product experience that feels as elevated as it looks.
Reorientation 2025
Just Warming Up
Just Warming Up turned AUT's midyear Reorientation into a cheeky second wind. A winter campaign built on irony, 3D modeled emojis, and contrast - because semester two shouldn't start boring.
Client
AUT Student Association (AUTSA)
Year
2025
Role
Concept and Collateral Design
Design & Direction
Re-O Week often sits awkwardly between semesters, lacking the energy of a new beginning. So instead of pretending it was something it wasn’t, the campaign leaned into the irony: we’re halfway through the year… and just warming up. This became a tone, a logo, and a full identity - centered on exaggerated warmth, overstated emojis, and soft 3D forms.Blender and Spline 3D were used to create interactive models that appeared both online and across campus print. With a tight colour system and a consistent visual language, the campaign was equal parts sarcastic and strangely sincere.
Impact
The system worked because everything connected—online and offline, loud and warm. The interactive website didn’t feel like an extra; it was the same tone and design as the posters and corflutes across campus.That cohesion paid off: student engagement jumped, with the campaign site bringing in over 14,000 views, nearly triple the attention of the month before. From the QR codes to the corridor walls, the identity made Re-O impossible to ignore.
two tides jiu jitsu club
Nive creates ceramic forms that feel like pauses in time—organic yet architectural, tactile yet philosophical. The brand needed an identity that respected both craft and concept.
Client
Two Tides Jiu Jitsu - Wellington
Year
2025
Role
Graphic Design
Design & Direction
We translated the physical weight and negative space of Nive’s work into the visual identity—gentle contrast, editorial pacing, and a quiet sense of rhythm across print and digital.
Impact
Nive’s branding now complements the work without overpowering it. A presence that reflects the calm confidence of a master craftsperson—introspective, lasting, unmistakably refined.