Futuristic view nabs design award

Futuristic view nabs design award

A staff handbook for a fictional future company has won AUT graduate Tristan O'Shannessy one of the industry's most coveted design awards.

O'Shannessy's Earth Empire Staff Handbook 2025 was named winner of the hotly contested student graphic category at this year's BeST Design Awards on 25 August.

"The idea is loosely based on the idea of a communist manifesto, Chairman Mao's Little Red Book and brand standards manuals," says O'Shannessy. "The fictional company is best described as Bill Gates meets George Bush, amplified."

Since completing his Bachelor of Graphic Design at AUT last year, Ponsonby resident O'Shannessy has been in demand.

After being contacted by several of the agencies who visited AUT's end-of-year graphic design graduate exhibition, he accepted a job with large brand-design firm the Maxim Group. From there, he recently moved to smaller, up-and-coming agency Milk.

"The move will give me a chance to work on big jobs with a small team, so lots of hands-on experience. I plan to stay with them for some time," says O'Shannessy.

Meanwhile, he managed to find the time to get married and is expecting his first child in October. "Life is moving fast," he says.

ENDS

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