Awa Press Young Designer
of the Year Award
Megan van Staden
Winner
 | Megan van Staden studied Visual Communications at Massey University, majoring in Graphic Design and graduating with honours. She currently works as a designer at Random House New Zealand, designing both covers and layouts for a wide range of books. She considers publishing a natural choice of industry, as she has always loved reading and typography. To view a Q & A with Megan, click here |
Judges’ comments We liked every book in Megan van Staden’s portfolio. Her designs show a real sensitivity to subject matter and an incredible versatility– from the quirkiness of Q & Eh to the stately, sophisticated treatment of Te Hao Nui, the wistfulness of The Parihaka Woman and the blokey, masculine design for Untamed. Van Staden’s portfolio shows consistency and an enormous amount of promise.
 | Cover and interior design Title Q and Eh: Questions adn Answers on Language with a Kiwi Twist by Laurie Bauer, Dianne Bardsley, Janet Holmes and Paul Warren Publisher Random House New Zealand Designer's comment This book features a playful cover that combines hand-drawn type and illustrations with vibrant eye-catching colours. This humorous book has a fresh, Kiwi-ingenuity feel. |
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 | Cover and interior design Title Te Hao Nui The Great Catch: Object Stories from Te Manawa Museum edited by Kerry Taylor and Fiona McKergow Publisher Random House New Zealand Designer's comment Te Hao Nui is a large, simple and spacious design that complements and showcases its featured objects. The heading font, Museo, with its curves and flow, reflects the ethnic nature of the book. The classic body typeface, Adobe Garamond, features macrons and adds a literary feel to this contemporary book. |
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 | Cover and interior design Title Untamed: The Extraordinary Adventures of the Swazi Man by Davey Hughes Publisher Random House New Zealand Designer's comment Untamed The author, Davey Hughes, wanted a masculine yet classic design for this book. Beautiful, classic serif fonts are paired with uneven lines, rustic tones and chunky sans serif fonts to create a book with a big personality. |
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 | Cover and interior design Title The Parihaka Woman by Witi Ihimaera Publisher Random House New Zealand Designer's comment The Parihaka Woman, based on events in Parihaka during the ‘70s, is a historical yet imaginative text. This is reflected in the design, with classic and contemporary fonts and imagery working together. |
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