What sorts of businesses does it focus on? 

It focuses on existing businesses that: 

It does not focus on businesses that: 

• Are engaged in export or have export aspirations and potential 

• Are start-ups and/or are focussed solely on domestic markets with little export potential 

• Are poised for and aspiring to growth. 

• Are content with the status quo and have no growth aspirations. 

• Currently, or have the potential to, derive commercial benefit from their unique identity and cultural assets. 

• Have no aspiration to optimise their identity and cultural assets for commercial benefit. 

• Are capable of, or aspire to, designing their own future and identity. 

• Have low desire to determine their own future. 

It views design as: 

It does not view design as: 

• An investment.  The effective use of design as described and outlined below is something that adds value to business providing a + return on investment. 

• An expense. An unnecessary luxury that costs money but does not add value. 

• Shaping Futures. Design thinking and methodology can be used to explore, define, describe and envision futures. A clearly articulated future vision can inspire and compel businesses towards its achievement. 

• An additive. Something that is added to business at a late stage, once future visions, strategy and business propositions have been completed. 

• Shaping business. Design thinking and methodology can be applied to redesigning all dimensions of business towards the achievement of an envisioned future, identity and organisational culture. 

• Only product focussed. Something only applied to the products of business and not to business itself. 

• Adding value to products, services and experiences. Within businesses design discipline can be applied to develop unique products, services and experiences in accord with business aspirations and consumer needs. This can be achieved through multiple design disciplines spanning spatial, object, craft and communications design. 

• A finishing tool. A narrow discipline only dealing with the form and function of a businesses predetermined products and services.

• Generating business.  Providing the scope for design as a process for the identification, development and delivery of new business opportunities through the creative development of new products, services and experiences. 

• A service only. Something that is engaged or contracted on a temporary basis and has occasional interaction with a business when managers think it necessary. 

It views Māori culture as: 

It does not view Māori culture as: 

• Tikanga: the generation and application of new culturally grounded protocols, processes and methods for developing businesses relevant to our unique corner of the Pacific – reflecting who we are now as a dynamic and progressive globally connected culture. 

• Tikanga: the iteration of historical customs devoid of historical context. 

• Mātauranga: harnessing the untapped potential of the unique body of Māori knowledge as a source of innovation, distinction and new logics within a contemporary business context as presenting opportunities for innovation. 

• Mātauranga: a body of historical knowledge to be hermetically sealed and coveted to protect it against change or influence from western practices and contemporary influences. 

• Mōhiotanga: aggregating and harnessing collective wisdom and the intuition borne of contemporary Māori experience for the purposes of generating progressive business ideas. 

• Mōhiotanga: a high order domain of a select few who are the keepers of cultural knowledge. 

• Wairuatanga: creating spiritual and emotional connections between business stakeholders and between businesses and their markets. Increasingly consumers are making emotional buying decisions. 

• Wairuatanga: a spiritual dimension articulated solely through faith / religious practices. 

• Mana: creating businesses that have a strong and sustainable values base built on integrity and endurance. The development of business partnerships and relationships that engender trust, respect, and that build and project credibility. 

• Mana: something claimed or exercised as a means of asserting status or authority over others. 

• Kaupapa Māori: as an all pervasive business philosophy where business development is purposeful, aspirational and future focussed in accord with Māori ethos. 

• Kaupapa Māori: as a ‘Māori way of doing things’ that can be prescribed and followed. 

It views Māori arts as: 

It does not view Māori arts as:

• Articulating our uniqueness. Our most tangible and transportable expression of our cultural values, narratives, perspectives and points of difference. 

• The application of a koru to something. 

• Creative cultural process. A creative outlet for the investigation of new thinking and its articulation within contemporary contexts. 

• So esoteric it never touches the ground. 

• Purposeful. A creative process that can be applied to a purpose or utilitarian function in accord with business objectives. 

• Something only suited to being exhibited or purchased as a souvenir 

• Innovative. Able to contribute to innovation process, contemporary discourse and the generation of new thinking relevant to a future focus. 

• A purely iterative practice conditioned by early 20thC representations of Māori culture (Marae, pataka, canoe, club, cloak, kete, hangi, hongi, haka & poi twirling)