Applied graphic design and illustration that gives a brand its actual voice.
We Empower Creative Communication
The Obvious graphic design discipline covers the applied design work that runs on top of an existing brand identity system. Annual reports, campaign assets, social tile systems, signage, illustration series, presentation templates. The unglamorous part of brand work that does most of the visible storytelling and that most agencies treat as an afterthought.
On-brand Canva & Adobe Templates
Your brand should look great, regardless of who’s making them.
We create Canva and Adobe templates that give you ready-to-use tools for everyday design. From social tiles to pitch decks, these templates keep things consistent, fast, and on-brand.
No more starting from scratch or guessing what’s on-brand. Just smart layouts, clear structure, and practical design systems that work across teams. Good templates save time, reduce friction, and help your message resonate on whatever channel you’re using.
Marketing & Communication Assets
Posters, flyers, banners, email graphics, social tiles, whatever the format, your message needs to come across clearly.
We design marketing and communication assets that support campaigns, build awareness, and make your brand easy to recognise. Whether you need print, digital, or both, we create visuals that are consistent, flexible, and tailored to your channels.
Every asset is made to be used, shared, and remembered, because that’s how a brand becomes obvious.
Reports, Documents & Presentations
Long-form content deserves effective, creative communication too.
We design reports, presentations, and internal documents that turn complex information into clear, confident communication. Every layout is structured to guide the reader, reflect your brand, and present your thinking with polish and precision. Whether it’s a pitch deck, board report, or onboarding guide, we make sure your content works hard, looks right, and helps your message stand out, professionally and purposefully.
Environment & Event Branding & Signage
Your brand doesn’t stop at the screen.
We design signage, way-finding, vehicle wraps, event displays, and branded environments that help people see, feel, and move through your brand in the real world.
These touch-points often carry more weight than we realise; they create impressions, guide experiences, and shape how people perceive who you are. From temporary activations to permanent spaces, we make sure your visual presence is consistent, intentional, and unmistakably yours.
What we deliver in graphic design and illustration work
Document design
Annual reports, statements of intent, strategy documents, brochures, handbooks, white papers.
Marketing collateral
One-pagers, capability decks, sales decks, proposal templates.
Campaign assets
Posters, OOH adaptations, social media systems, digital ad units.
Presentation systems
Branded slide templates for Keynote, Google Slides, PowerPoint, plus a Canva equivalent.
Illustration
Custom illustration commissioned for a specific brand context. Not stock illustration, not AI-generated. Named illustrators are part of the Obvious creative team or in our trusted partner network.
Print production management
Working with NZ-based print partners to deliver finished physical output.
When the work is design, not identity
Graphic design lives downstream of brand identity. If you do not yet have a working identity system, the design work has nothing to apply. In that case, the engagement starts at /solutions/design/visual-identity/ and the design work follows.
If you have a working identity but need ongoing or one-off design execution, this is the right service. Common patterns: an annual report due in three weeks, a campaign asset set for a launch, a presentation deck rebuilt before a board meeting, an illustration series commissioned for a new programme.
Real NZ graphic design and illustration work
Wellington Medical Group — ongoing applied design across five practice identities including signage, patient-facing materials, and digital content systems.
Playcentre Aotearoa — campaign-level applied design across video assets, printable brochures, Canva templates for 401 parent-led centres, and the daisychain illustration system that anchored the campaign visually.
Tiaki Family Law — illustrated business card system with custom personality illustrations for each staff member.
How a graphic design engagement runs
One-off design briefs run two to four weeks. Multi-asset programmes run four to eight weeks. Ongoing design work runs inside long-form partnership tiers, with hours banked monthly. See partnerships.
Frequently asked questions
What types of graphic design does Obvious do?
Annual reports and complex publication design, campaign asset systems, presentation templates, illustration commissions, signage systems, applied print work, and Canva and Microsoft template builds.
Do you do illustration in-house?
We commission illustration from named illustrators on our team and in our trusted partner network. We do not use stock illustration or AI-generated illustration in client deliverables.
How quickly can you turn around a campaign asset?
A single asset typically runs two weeks. Multi-asset programmes run longer.
Can graphic design work sit inside a partnership tier?
Yes. Most ongoing partnerships include graphic design as the highest-volume work type.
