Toi Āria

What Toi Āria does

Toi Āria is a university research cluster housed within Massey University's College of Creative Arts (Toi Rauwhārangi) on the Wellington campus, established to deliver positive social change through community engagement and participatory design. The unit employs approximately 5 core staff and draws on a broader bench of academic associates, designers, and researchers led by founder and director Anna Brown, Professor of Design and Public Good. Rather than developing or selling commercial products, Toi Āria delivers commissioned research, co-design, and community engagement services to government agencies (InternetNZ, Digital Council of Aotearoa, Data Futures Partnership, Masterton District Council, Christchurch City Council), iwi and Māori organizations, philanthropic foundations (Te Rourou, ILT Foundation, Community Trust South), and community groups. Revenue is generated exclusively through project-based commissioned engagements with non-disclosed, case-by-case pricing.

The organization's core technology is a set of proprietary participatory methodologies rather than software. Its flagship tool, the Comfort Board, is a physical floorboard instrumented with 'trust' and 'benefit' axes and a corresponding comfort scale, designed to enable meaningful deliberation with communities that traditional consultation methods tend to exclude. It is supported by additional tools including 'One Face, Many Facets' (an inclusive design activity that explores concepts across multiple social dimensions) and 'More Than a Name Tag' (a whakawhanaungatanga-inspired trust-building activity for small groups). Project outputs span research reports, publications, and workshop deliverables across digital policy, youth mental health, data governance, disaster preparedness, urban design, digital equity, and women's health — notably 'Our Data, Our Way' (27 workshops, 379 participants plus 4,000 online responses), 'Towards trustworthy and trusted automated decision-making in Aotearoa' (186 participants), and 'I feel really good when...' (141 rangatahi in Murihiku Southland). Marketing is primarily through academic networks, conferences, and the organizational website; go-to-market is relationship-driven and event-triggered rather than sales-led.

Name

Toi Āria

Legal name

Toi Āria

Website

https://toiaria.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Toi Āria is a 5-person university research cluster at Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand, delivering participatory design and co-design community engagement services to government agencies, iwi, NGOs, and foundations through commissioned research projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Engagement Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Architectural, Engineering, and Related Services (5413)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Participatory Planning (BPAHAKAO)

Keywords

• Participatory design research
• Community engagement services
• Co-design facilitation
• Social research consulting
• Public policy research

Headquarters

HQ city

Wellington

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Research Projects: Toi Āria generates revenue through commissioned research projects from government agencies, iwi, NGOs, foundations, and community organizations. Projects include co-design engagements, community consultation, and policy research.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Toi Āria is a university research cluster that delivers commissioned participatory design, co-design, and community engagement research services for government agencies, iwi, NGOs, foundations, and community organisations in Aotearoa New Zealand. Its work is built around proprietary engagement methodologies (such as the Comfort Board, One Face Many Facets, and More Than a Name Tag) used to facilitate dialogue with communities typically excluded from policy conversations. Engagements include policy research, co-design workshops, and community consultation across topics including digital equity, youth mental health, automated decision-making, data governance, urban design, women's health, and disaster resilience.

Product overview

Toi Āria is a university research cluster at Massey University's College of Creative Arts in Wellington, New Zealand, delivering positive social change through effective community engagement. The organization operates as a consultancy providing participatory design, co-design, and community engagement services rather than a software product company. Its core methodology is the Comfort Board, a participatory tool for gauging citizen attitudes, supported by additional engagement tools including One Face, Many Facets and More Than a Name Tag. The organization's portfolio includes research projects covering digital equity (Te Pae Hononga, Toitū te Toki), youth mental health (I feel really good when..., Thriving in Murihiku), Internet experiences (An Internet that benefits), automated decision-making trust, earthquake early warning, data governance (Our Data Our Way), urban design (Our Future Masterton, To have a place), and women's health (Period People Aotearoa, The Co-production Project). Publications include literature reviews, workshop reports, and academic papers. The work is conducted through partnerships with government agencies, iwi, community organizations, and research institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Comfort Board A participatory methodology using a physical board with trust and benefit axes and a comfort scale to gauge citizen attitudes and community perspectives on policy scenarios. The tool serves as a catalyst for conversation and deliberation with diverse groups, including those typically hard to reach through traditional consultation.
• One Face, Many Facets

Quantifiable outcome

• 27 face-to-face workshops with 379 participants plus 4,000 online responses for Data Futures Partnership
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Christchurch City Council Place Partnerships FundcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The Place Partnerships Fund supported the 'To have a place' project exploring belonging and connection in public spaces. Funding enabled community engagement activities in Ōtautahi Christchurch.
• Making Everything Achievable (MEA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022MEA partnered with Toi Āria to design an enquiry process for the 'An Internet that benefits' project that would prioritise voices often unheard in conversations about the Internet. MEA brought expertise in engaging diverse communities including tāngata whenua, Pacific peoples, disability communities, and migrant communities.
• Digital Council of AotearoacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021The Digital Council of Aotearoa commissioned Toi Āria to undertake a co-design engagement on automated decision-making to understand what trust is needed for New Zealanders to harness benefits of digital and data-driven technologies. The Council used findings to provide recommendations to Government.
• Innovation UnitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Innovation Unit partnered with Toi Āria on the 'Invercargill Initiative' to understand the needs of rangatahi in Murihiku Southland. Innovation Unit subsequently mobilised community leaders to co-create a vision for thriving futures.
• Te Rourou - Vodafone Aotearoa FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Te Rourou engaged Toi Āria as part of the Foundation's Invercargill Initiative to understand rangatahi hopes and aspirations. The collaboration has continued with multiple youth-focused projects including 'Thriving in Murihiku' and 'I feel really good when...'
• AUT (Auckland University of Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Toi Āria partnered with AUT and two United States universities to undertake workshops in the United States on algorithmic decision-making in child welfare services. This international collaboration brought together diverse perspectives on algorithmic accountability.
• Joint Centre for Disaster Research at Massey UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing collaboration spanning Earthquake Early Warning systems, participatory design approaches to city-shaping and building resilience, and exploring creative resilience concepts. The partnership leverages Massey University's research expertise in disaster research.
• Crisis LabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on Earthquake Early Warning system research, with Toi Āria facilitating community engagement components of the project. Crisis Lab contributed technical expertise in disaster risk reduction.
• Te Pūtahi: Centre for Architecture and City MakingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Pūtahi instigated the 'To have a place' project exploring belonging and connection in public spaces in Ōtautahi Christchurch. As an independent non-profit that catalyses greater involvement in city making, Te Pūtahi brought the project concept and local knowledge.
• ChristchurchNZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristchurchNZ supported the 'To have a place' project exploring belonging and connection in public spaces, contributing to urban regeneration efforts in post-earthquake Christchurch.
• Te Pūnaha MatatinicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Pūnaha Matatini is a national research hub where Anna Brown serves as principal investigator. The collaboration includes The Co-Production Project, Te Pūnaha Matatini Collaboration on storytelling, and various transdisciplinary design research initiatives.
• Te Kei o Te Waka TainuicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Kei o Te Waka Tainui co-designed and co-delivered Te Pae Hononga, a digital inclusion programme with Waikato Tainui whānau in South Auckland. Maxine Graham, Chair of Te Kei o Te Waka Tainui, provided leadership on the kaupapa.
• One New ZealandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne New Zealand partnered on Toitū te Toki, a digital equity programme supporting rangatahi in Waihōpai Invercargill. The telco contributed to improving digital access for young people and their whānau.
• QuadrentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuadrent provided support for the Toitū te Toki digital equity programme in Invercargill.
• Brightpoint New ZealandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBrightpoint New Zealand provided support for the Toitū te Toki digital equity programme in Invercargill.
• Te Rourou, One Aotearoa FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTe Rourou developed and delivered Toitū te Toki in partnership with One New Zealand, Quadrent and Brightpoint. Te Rourou has partnered with Toi Āria on multiple projects including digital equity, youth mental health, and rangatahi engagement in Murihiku.
• Letting SpacecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLetting Space, an independent public art and urban revitalisation organisation, partnered on Our Future Masterton project. Their Urban Dream Brokerage programme supported the citizen-empowered design strategy for Masterton's CBD.
• Data Futures PartnershipcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Data Futures Partnership, an independent advisory body tasked by government, engaged Toi Āria for the 'Our Data, Our Way' national engagement to understand New Zealanders' comfort with data use. Findings informed social licence guidelines.
• University of AucklandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Auckland researchers including Priscila Dauros-Singorenko, Moeata Keil, and Siouxsie Wiles collaborate with Toi Āria on the Period People Aotearoa women's health research programme.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Ko Awatea: New Zealand-based health system innovation and improvement center that applies co-design and participatory methods to public health system challenges. Comparable to Toi Āria in applying participatory design to a specific policy domain (health) within the NZ public sector.
• Te Pūnaha Matatini: New Zealand national research hub delivering interdisciplinary, Māori-led research on complex systems. Directly comparable as a research partner of Toi Āria (Anna Brown serves as principal investigator), operating in the same Aotearoa ecosystem with overlapping focus on complexity, equity, and transdisciplinary methodologies.

Direct peers

• Dark Matter Labs: Design and research organization that partners with governments and civic institutions to design new systems for social and environmental challenges. Comparable to Toi Āria in mission (positive social change through participatory design) and methodology (co-design, design research), but operates at larger international scale.
• Snook: Service design and co-design consultancy that partners with public-sector and NGO clients to design services with communities. Directly comparable to Toi Āria in methodology and customer segment, though UK-headquartered and operating at larger scale.
• Auckland Co-Design Lab: Auckland-based public service innovation lab that works with iwi, government agencies, and communities to co-design services. Shares Toi Āria's New Zealand context, bicultural focus, and participatory design methodology, and often operates in adjacent commissioning relationships.
• Innovation Unit: UK-based social innovation consultancy that designs and delivers public-sector innovation programs with communities. Directly comparable to Toi Āria as both organizations partner with governments and foundations to apply participatory design and co-design methodologies to complex social challenges.
• The Australian Centre for Social Innovation (TACSI): Australian social innovation lab that co-designs programs with communities facing disadvantage. Comparable to Toi Āria in mission, methodology (co-design, participatory research), and customer base (government agencies, philanthropies, community organizations in the Australasian region).

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy that has a well-established practice in participatory design, co-creation, and public-sector engagement. Broader scope than Toi Āria but offers overlapping capabilities in service design and community-centered research for government and foundation clients.
• Livework: International service design consultancy with strong public-sector and citizen engagement practice. Comparable to Toi Āria in applying participatory service design to government and civic clients, though broader in scope and larger in scale.

Others

• Massey University College of Creative Arts (Toi Rauwhārangi): Parent institution that houses Toi Āria within its Wellington campus. Comparable as a research and design academic unit offering teaching, research, and applied community engagement, providing institutional infrastructure (academic staff, students, facilities) that Toi Āria draws upon.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/toi_aria
• YouTubevimeo.com/toiaria
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/toiaria

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Toi Āria