Frequently Asked Questions
What does Bird Island do? - Bird Island is an Indigenous-led innovation consultancy that helps organisations navigate change through applied imagination, challenge-led innovation and future-focused strategy. We work with leaders, teams and communities to identify emerging opportunities, build capability and design responses to complex challenges.
What is Applied Imagination? - Applied Imagination is Bird Island’s approach to working with uncertainty, complexity and change. It combines curiosity, creativity, systems thinking and experimentation to help organisations explore new possibilities and respond confidently to emerging challenges.
What is challenge-led innovation? - Challenge-led innovation starts with a meaningful problem rather than a predetermined solution. By bringing together diverse perspectives, expertise and lived experience, organisations can generate more effective and sustainable responses to complex issues.
Who does Bird Island work with? - We work with government agencies, philanthropic organisations, iwi and Māori entities, cultural institutions, social enterprises, educational organisations and innovation leaders across Aotearoa and beyond.
What services does Bird Island provide? - Bird Island supports organisations through: Innovation challenges, Strategic facilitation, Future-focused strategy development, Innovation capability building, Wonder Workshops, Governance and advisory services, Ecosystem design and stakeholder engagement.
What are Wonder Workshops? Wonder Workshops are practical sessions designed to help people see differently, think differently and identify new possibilities. Participants explore pattern recognition, signals of change, applied imagination and creative problem-solving in a supportive and engaging environment.
How does Bird Island help organisations respond to change? - We help organisations recognise signals of change, understand emerging trends, build internal capability and develop strategies that support confident decision-making in uncertain environments.
Does Bird Island work with artificial intelligence and emerging technologies? - Yes. Bird Island works with organisations exploring the opportunities and implications of artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies. Our focus is on helping leaders understand how technology intersects with people, systems, trust and future workforce capability.
What is a signal? - A signal is an observation, behaviour, technology, event or emerging pattern that may indicate a larger shift is underway. Signals help organisations identify opportunities and challenges before they become widely recognised.
What is the Bird Island Dispatch? - The Bird Island Dispatch is a collection of essays exploring applied imagination, signals of change, experience design, future workforce transitions and frontier technologies. It forms part of Bird Island’s broader innovation practice.
Who is Bird Island founder Tui Te Hau? - Tui Te Hau is an innovation strategist, governance director and founder of Bird Island. She has led nationally significant innovation programmes across entrepreneurship, culture, technology and public sector transformation, including Creative HQ, Mahuki at Te Papa and the Burnett Foundation Aotearoa Innovation Challenge.
How do organisations typically engage Bird Island? - Organisations commonly engage Bird Island to: Design innovation challenges, Facilitate strategic conversations, Build innovation capability, Explore future opportunities, Navigate complex transitions, Develop new programmes and initiatives.
How do I get in touch? - We would love to hear from you. Email: tui@birdisland.co.nz, Website: www.birdisland.co.nz, LinkedIn: Tui Te Hau and Bird Island
Related Pages
About Bird Island
What We Do
Wonder Workshops
Bird Island Dispatch
Contact