A new era arrives for NZSSDA

19 April 2024

The New Zealand Stainless Steel Development Association launched a new brand and website in August as it looked to increase knowledge and champion the use of stainless steel throughout the country.

Having previously encountered a few bumps in the road in 2019 the committee faced obvious challenges from the global pandemic that compounded both everyday operation and their previous online presence.

The online development was a high priority for the organisation as it sought to continue providing stainless steel technical support to fabrication companies, consulting engineers and architects throughout New Zealand.

NZSSDA Chairman Paul Gapper acknowledges the difficulties of coordinating a re-brand and website build, “however the need for change was simply too big to ignore.”

“Truthfully, the event (lockdown) caught up with the committee quicker than we were possibly prepared for,” says Gapper. “With commitments to full-time industry positions they had to rise quickly to the challenge, and I’m proud of the response.”

Metals NZ Chief Executive Nick Collins contributed with an introduction to and subsequent appointment of design agency Glue Creative. From there, committee members Tim Dalgliesh and Paul Gapper worked closely with the agency to ensure the work was undertaken with the necessary speed and accuracy.

“…the new design approach allows us to stay on the front foot with
up-to-date information that can be easily accessed by our members…”

Thanks to the vision and financial support from HERA, and its CEO Dr Troy Coyle, the project group was able to work on both a new visual identity and the website in one cohesive approach.

Everything started with the brand says designer Kiriana Glasson, Glue Creative owner.

“It was important that we created a fresh, dynamic look that took the organisation from a strict industrial focus to a more corporate aesthetic – all without compromising the integrity and history of the brand,” says Glasson.

The ‘S’ letterform provided the opportunity to create a “sense of woven, folded metals” says Glasson. “From there we could extend this design through all the written and online communication needed by the group.”

For Paul Gapper the new site is “chalk and cheese” when compared to the previous one.

“It’s simply unrecognisable to the old site,” says Gapper. “There’s a new professional look that’s responsive across all online platforms.”

“As importantly, the new design approach allows us to stay on the front foot with up-to-date information that can be easily accessed by our members,” he says.

“By doing so we can help our members stay informed, anticipate market needs and push ahead with the necessary training and accreditation to meet this demand.”

The successful project now provides NZSSDA with a platform upon which to launch new resources in support of its members and Gapper anticipates further online development in 2020.