Posted: 04/02/2025

Kit Erwin - Graphic Design Graduate Spotlight

Meet Kit Erwin, a 2024 graduate from our Bachelor of Media Design programme, featured in Design Assembly’s recent Hot New Things series.

From transitioning from criminology into creative design, to developing an innovative capstone project combining augmented reality and tarot symbolism, Kit shares their journey, inspirations, and what’s next.

Tell us a bit about yourself:

Hey, I’m Kit! I’m a queer designer and illustrator living in Wellington. I’ve just wrapped up my Bachelor of Media Design majoring in Graphic Design at Media Design School! I’ve always been immersed in art and design, and I’ve been creating in some shape or form for as long as I can remember. That has (thankfully) followed me into my 30s – I’m probably making something at least a quarter of the time I’m awake in a day. I’ve made a pretty big career trajectory pivot to studying and practicing design – my first degree was a BA in Criminology that I finished in 2015. I worked in the justice and media sectors for a while, and then made a pretty massive decision to completely change where I was heading, aiming at design & illustration and following the passion that I’d always held but put aside as impossibility because of the path I’d already taken. Going back to study design as an older student at MDS with that passion and drive for what I love made a huge difference both in my confidence and my skill, and has shaped me into the creative I am now, about to embark on my journey into the industry.

What was the focus of your graduating project?

My capstone project, [AR]CANA, is an interactive tarot deck designed to help creators spark new ideas through the use of creative prompts and constraints. I have long been creatively inspired by the symbolism, imagery and storytelling of tarot cards, and this deck combines the imagery of the Major Arcana cards with interactivity in the form of augmented reality. Each card offers two levels of engagement - an initial creative prompt card related to its Major Arcana counterpart, and a “reverse” constraint that pushes the user to think in new ways, with the idea that constraints encourage innovation and creativity. The deck, with its vibrant, collage-style visuals, is targeted at Gen Z and young Millennials, aiming to make creativity accessible and fun. Whether you’re an artist, writer, or designer, I think that It’s not just about overcoming blocks – it’s about exploring the boundaries of your imagination and finding what truly sparks your creativity.

Why did you choose to study the Bachelor of Media Design?

A range of reasons! Circumstances at the time when I applied meant I spent a lot of time at home and needed to work from my studio, and studying online presented a perfect opportunity for that, so the availability of that option at MDS was very appealing to me. I’d also been really impressed with the standard of work I’d seen coming out of MDS and the success of graduates within the industry. As well as that, I knew class sizes were small, and as such that there was room for mentorship with lecturers, which I really wanted from the degree.

The first year of the BMD functioned as a kind of foundational skills programme and those skills were, in a lot of cases, integral things I really needed introducing to and developing."

What did you enjoy most about the Bachelor of Media Design?

As a multidisciplinary creative, meeting lecturers who are also creatives and deeply passionate about both what they teach and their own practice really helped me push forward in my own development. I find that sort of passion very infectious and very motivating."

Studying within a programme that makes group involvement and learning integral has also been really valuable to me. I found during my BA that it was difficult to meet new people in that specific, individual, academic environment. Working on group assignments, having class-wide discussions and critique sessions connected me closely with other students even between my screen down here in Wellington and the campus in Auckland.

Working on live client briefs was so interesting, giving a deep insight into industry practice, knowledge I know not every student comes by at design school. Most of all I think just the way my confidence in myself and my work has grown throughout the programme has been pretty life-changing – it’s something fairly consistently commented on by people who know me well, and something I’m really grateful for coming out of this degree – it goes a long way towards getting out there and into the industry.

What was your biggest challenge while studying?

Initially, I would say juggling deliverables & deadlines took some getting used to, though I acclimated quickly with the consistent experience through formative skills briefs in between each summative brief. I also went back and forth for a while about my direction in the industry, and where I wanted to specialise, though some guidance from faculty and some deeper examination of my own desires and interests steered that. Group projects, where each group essentially functioned as an individual studio, presented a lot of learning experiences and some ups and downs, but also resulted in some pretty great work, very important friendships and significant milestones to me. I did sometimes wish I could be up there with my friends and lecturers on campus joining in on the in-person action, but I’ve found many other ways of staying in contact and being present in each other’s lives!

What inspired you to pick design as a career path?

A period of my life where I felt like I wasn’t sure where I was heading triggered everything leading up to me applying at MDS. I was coming up to my 30th birthday and I knew that if I wanted to change my own life and satisfy my need to constantly create, I needed to follow what I loved so I could pour my heart into it. With some encouragement from family and friends, I created a portfolio of design and illustration work for my application, which also helped me build some extra technical skills pre-study. I also owe a great deal of inspiration, drive and motivation to my very talented brother James, who also works within the design field and has been a constant supporter and motivator. He gives me, I think, the best and most honest critiques of my work which are really essential to me in consistently improving in my design practice. I would also say that I’m very driven to raise awareness around human rights and want to design things that make a difference or have a positive effect on those using the resulting product.

Who is your favourite designer/artist/creative?

There’s a long list I could draw from here, but I think I would either say Jamie Hewlett for his visual work on/with the virtual band Gorillaz, or artist & Superflat pioneer Takashi Murakami. These artists have been inspirations to me since I was very young, in terms of style, use of colour, personality of their work and a real “I-don’t-care”, mold-breaking attitude to art and design. Both have been constants while I have built a style and found my place in the world as an artist and designer, and continue to inspire me and inform my practice even now.

What piece in your portfolio are you most proud of?

Aside from my capstone project, [AR]CANA, I would say I’m most proud of a group project I worked on in response to a brief around healthcare in NZ. ‘Wellcome!’ is a programme my group devised that would theoretically help LGBTTQIA+ patients (who are often mistreated and/or fearful in medical settings) feel more comfortable at GP clinics, through educating clinic staff about queer issues, ensuring they were as committed as possible to changing the clinic environment for patients, and encouraging partnership between the queer and medical communities through workshops involving both parties. Working on something so close to my heart as a queer healthcare user was a real honour, further added to when we took home a Bronze at the Best Awards 2024 in the Student Social Good category.

What’s next for you?

If an opportunity or chance to intern at a design studio came up, I’d love to have that experience under my belt, so I’m definitely on the lookout for that. I’m also hoping to get out there and do some freelance/commission work – I’d love to work on designing or illustrating for products and resources that help or educate people, but I also love almost any sort of challenge that comes with a design brief. Getting to combine illustration and design in my work feels like a big bonus to me, too. Ultimately I want to work with like-minded people who are driven by their passion for creativity in the same way I am, so that we can make work that has that wow factor running through it.