The YWCA understood that the girls they work with are tired of seeing one-dimensional, inaccurate representations of themselves in mainstream media. So, as part of their ongoing mission to amplify the voices of every girl and woman, 18×18 was born. An exhibition celebrating the voices of eighteen Auckland girls on the brink of adulthood. Spruik was tasked with helping to bring the stories of these girls to life through a compelling exhibition brand identity.
Driven by the passionate team at the YWCA, 18×18 is a riot of turbulent, exciting and daunting experiences. The heart of the exhibition consists of eighteen sets of images for each of the eighteen girls, shot in each girl’s bedroom and other significant places in their home. At the heart of the narrative was the exhibition book, which documents each girl’s story. Through its honest and compelling storytelling, it both celebrates and challenges the stereotypes of youth.
Our objective was to enable each young woman’s personality and story to shine through and not become lost in an overpowering design aesthetic. Their concerns, fears, hopes and dreams are talked about in an authentic way and we strove to honour this by ensuring the brand Identity was honest, accessible and engaging.
The exhibition went on to become a huge hit, the opening night was a sell-out and tickets became a hot commodity.
Our work on this project was selected as a finalist in the Designers Institute of New Zealand Best Design Awards for Design Communication in 2020.
