ChangeGear is here for friends of the future – one that is inclusive, just, and before anything else…inhabitable.
Our beleaguered planet has just passed its very hottest year on record, yet here in Aotearoa we are now #1 most car intensive country, and the most regressive government in anyone’s living memory is declaring war on the climate, Māori, youth, renters, workers, health, and more.
Punching Up
Changegear landed early this year simply create some lefty designs for our place and time.
But the focus quickly broadened as, faced with wave after wave of looming, regressive legislation, we looked for a way to make engaging in the consultations, a whole lot easier and quicker.
Without any accessible, affordable tools available, we’ve been able to bolt together a frankenstein AI assisted tool, wrapped in a friendly UI, bespoke to each campaign which can reduce the time creating a submission by 50-90%. You may or may not have seen our Fast Track Derailer, Måori Wards Represent, and now Tåmaki Makaurau’s RLTP Replanetizer.
So, this is then, a social enterprize trying to enable some heartfelt participation on a number of fronts.
Everything is art.
Everything is politics.
Ai WeiWei
So… Shirts?
Ever wanted to wear hope for a better future on your sleeves? (or thereabouts). You’ve come to the right place. Billboards are veery expensive, so why not leverage a bit of the blank signage space we carry around with us everywhere? And for our mental environment, without wanting to become enslaved to the outrage machine, sometimes a little ‘vent-ilation’ is good for our health.
Change Gear has partnered with the Gelato network for Print On Demand fulfilment. Gelato is new-ish on the block and future focussed – with sustainably sourced materials, localised production, and compostable packaging.
There will be more designs, we promise, just as soon as we catch a break on the legislative front. Supporting Campaigns
As a general principle, a significant portion of margins will go directly to effective campaigning organisations. Groups actively campaigning on climate, sustainable transport, te tiriti, and generational justice. That’s for now, an intentionally vague undertaking. With time, expect to hear/see more.
Who is Change Gear?
Design and operation is currently the work of designer Tim Gummer and a handful of super supportive volunteers. A millennial mind trapped in a boombox, if you will… Tim is based in central urban Tāmaki Makaurau, after working in music, Tim spent quite a while on print and web design for culture, community, and sustainability – freelance and as a virtual agency, before a period of teaching Graphic Design.
Belong
This is a slim start but there will be many more designs to come, and soon – as we roll out socially, look out for Change Gear on Insta, Bluesky, FB, TikTok, or whatever remains of twitter.
Sartorial silence ends here.
kia kaha e hoa ma,