Extremes of light and darkness Each year, New Zealand Post issues a set of stamps on behalf of the Ross Dependency. Cam Price joined the New Zealand Post design team earlier this year, and has created this year’s Ross Dependency issue focusing on the spectacular seasonal skyscapes of the southern skies. Cam sat down to tell us a little about himself, his approach to design and his creation of a stamp issue with a difference.
What’s your background as a designer? I graduated from Victoria University of Wellington with a Postgraduate Diploma in Interior Architecture and a Bachelor of Architectural Studies, but found myself naturally moving towards a career that centred on graphic design. I have since found myself designing for companies that range from a small graphic and web agency to a national retail brand, a disruptive tech-based power company, and now as a designer at New Zealand Post. What’s your approach to design and why do you enjoy it? No matter the medium I always seek to create clean, clever designs. Ever since I can remember I have loved solving problems and seeing the process of how things come together (I always thought I’d be a builder, which is like jigsaw puzzles for adults), so it feels somewhat natural to do that for a job but in a beautiful, highly crafted way. On top of looking at the details of a project I always try to apply a holistic approach to my way of working, not getting too wrapped up in the specific project I’m engaged in but approaching from a wider audience view. I think another key part of my design approach is taking inspiration from everywhere, regardless of whether it’s design related. A lecturer who played a big role in my development at university always encouraged us to take inspiration from everywhere. We’d end up taking apart mechanical objects from computers or musical instruments, playing with their scale and seeing how they could be used as occupiable space. It encouraged us to not think of design as being one-dimensional - just because you are an architect you don’t have to be limited to architecture. I’ve held on to that through the years and try to apply it to my everyday thinking.
Seasons of Scott Base was issued on 7 October 2020. Stamps, miniature sheets, first day covers, presentation packs and Limited Editions are available now. 12
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