Local designer wins globally 

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BY JULIA WADE

Creative design and environmentally sensitive packaging of a 100 per cent eco-conscious Amsterdam tea – hemp, naturally – has earned one Mangawhai designer a prestigious, internationally-recognised award.

Selected from a pool of nearly 300 designers worldwide, Arjan van Woensel, owner of local graphic design business Tenzing Design, has become a merit winner in HOW International’s 2018 Design Awards with his ‘Dutch Harvest Hemp Tea’ packaging. 

Sponsored by award-winning designer magazine ‘HOW’, the competition recognises and honours excellence from designers all around the world including creators of some well-known brands, Woensel says. 

“This design contest is on an international level with competition from the likes of Coca-Cola’s design department to name just one, so I’m pretty proud of it,” he says. “It’s always great to get appreciation from fellow tradespeople, colleagues and clients because designing can be a bit lonely sometimes… and to represent Mangawhai on such a stage is also awesome.”

Initially 1400 projects from around the globe entered into the elite competition, evaluated by HOW’s editorial/design team and international judges with the winning projects gaining international exposure in HOW magazine’s Spring 2018 issue as well as online, at HOWDesign.com.

A former art director, Woensel created and developed his own advertising agency in Amsterdam including a staff of 20, and has won a number of advertising awards including the Cannes Lions ‘which is like the Oscars for advertising’. After selling the business and migrating to New Zealand ten years ago, he eventually settled in Mangawhai where he ‘unintentionally’ set up his new agency, Tenzing Design, in 2010. 

“It just sort of happened really, people seemed to find me if they wanted packaging and branding done. So at a certain stage I just gave it a name and a website and made it more of a business I guess,” he says. “I just like to help a few selected clients with their marketing issues… achieving their branding and marketing goals and then, boom, that’s topped with an award for one of the projects.”

Described as a ‘seriously beautiful tea’, the hemp brew comes in four blends wrapped in 100 per cent sustainable packaging, with the window made from biodegradable cellulose-based plastic and the paper pouch itself from agricultural waste. The product is also assembled by disabled people living in sheltered employment, the only downfall about the tea, is that it is not yet available in New Zealand. 

“Unfortunately no, it’s only available in European countries now,” Woensel says. “However I do have a few bags here at home so if anyone is interested in stocking it I can pour them a cup… [Fresh? Are you reading this?]“

Designed to 'jump from the tea shelves and reflect the eco-cred of the product without becoming too weirdy-beardy’; Local graphic designer Arjan van Woensel with his award winning design. 

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