Skills Active

Print, web, and digital design projects for an Industry Training Organisation.

Role

Designer

Tools

Adobe Creative Suite

Skills

Digital Design, Marketing, Multimedia Production, Print Design, Project Management, User Research, Video Production, Web Design

Length

5+ Years

Designing print materials for Skills Active and their trainees.
Designing print materials for Skills Active and their trainees.
I spent just over five years working at Skills Active, designing print materials used by tens of thousands of trainees – textbooks, worksheets, and learning guides for sports, fitness, and the outdoor industries. Early projects were all about durability: layouts that survived coffee spills, muddy backpacks, and years of reuse.
Custom car wrap design for branding on the go.
Over time, I pushed to bring their content into the digital age. We got approval to build a video setup from scratch – cameras, mics, editing software – then travelled across New Zealand interviewing trainees. We filmed instructors, gym managers, and outdoor guides, turning their stories into social clips and mini-docs that made our marketing feel more human.
Video stories showcasing the people behind the training.
The shift to digital wasn’t smooth. Early website drafts looked like PDFs pasted onto screens. Working with our our internal subject matter experts, we developed better layouts for phones and tablets – simplifying text, adding video summaries, and making navigation easier so learners could find resources on the ski field or mid-workout.
A Skills Active app with video content and trainee resources
A Skills Active app with video content and trainee resources.
Skills Active taught me to adapt. Print designers don’t become video editors or web designers overnight — but good design principles stick around. A clear grid works on paper or a screen, and trainees care more about usable info than trendy visuals.