02  ·  The Bicultural Brief 07 / 18
Aotearoa Design Studio · 1998

Two languages, one mark

1

The thumbprint is a koru, not a logo

The fingerprint whorls spiral into the kōuru koru — identity and ancestry read as the same line.

2

Kōkōwai before pillar-box red

The crimson is mixed from haematite ochre, not printer's primary — a deeper, earthbound red.

3

Charcoal is the museum wall

Every sign, label and panel sits on grey-dark — never cream — so the white type carries the room.

4

Restraint does the talking

No ornament, no flourish. Generous spacing and one accent colour keep the bicultural promise legible.

Aronui
07 / 18  ·  The Bicultural Brief
This is the Te Papa Aotearoa Modern design system, applied by Curio Design — a design-style library for AI agents. Full Te Papa Aotearoa Modern guide → designbycurio.com/learn/maori-te-papa-aotearoa-modern-1998