Meet our team!

Our small but nimble team, supported by a wider Collective, is ready and waiting to support you! A deep understanding of the design process helps us create high-quality work that is timeless and customised to your needs.
Celeste Skachill
Kaiwhakarite me te Kaitohutohu Auaha
Founder and Creative Director

Co-design is Celeste’s passion, making her our workshop queen! She’s also a highly-skilled, award-winning graphic designer. Having designed a range of events and exhibitions at Te Papa Museum, Celeste’s an expert in delivering experiential graphic design for communities. She believes great design improves people’s lives - and that’s always her end goal.

Did you know?  Celeste almost became a skydive instructor instead of a designer!


Laura Sessions
Kaiwhakahaere Matua me te Kaituhi Matua
General Manager + Senior Writer

Laura’s expertise is in strategy, innovation, and communications. She has held senior management roles in diverse sectors – from science to education – and in a range of organisations including SMEs, local and central government, tertiary institutions, and nonprofits. She has a PhD in science communication and has worked as a freelance writer and editor for 20+ years. She is currently training as a certified Positive Psychology Coach.

Did you know?  Laura has visited 52 countries on all 7 continents. New Zealand is her favourite!

Glen Skachill
Hoahoa Hanganga me te Mokowā
Construction and Spatial Design

Glen is known as our ‘Swiss army knife’, because he works across the team in highly diverse roles, from construction and engineering to financial management and IT. He has 14 years of experience in engineering (from manufacturing to design) so his skills are an essential part of any projects with a physical construction aspect. He has an incredible eye for detail, a knack for blending science with art, and a passion for making sure innovations balance form with function. He even built our studio with his own two hands!

Did you know?  Glen could weld together a bridge for us if we needed him to!


Christine Luiten
Kaiauaha Matua
Senior Creative

Christine is one of the leading illustrators in Aotearoa, having designed and illustrated for clients across the education, culture and heritage sectors including Te Papa, Waitangi Treaty Grounds, NZ Fringe Festival, and Te Kura Māori, Victoria University. Formerly a tertiary-level design educator and academic support leader, Christine is empathic and organised. She often manages our team’s creative production and facilitates co-design workshops, with great care and attention to detail.

Did you know?  Christine is currently completing a course in permaculture and has an Instagram account documenting her amaturer gardening adventures. 

Rachael Thompson
Kaihoahoa me te Kaitā
Designer and Illustrator

Rachael loves creating design that has an impact, big or small. She is passionate about working for communities, and her clients have included New Zealand Red Cross, Ngā Taonga, and the National Library of New Zealand. Rachael uses illustrations and infographics to bring complex information to life in a fun and simple way. In her spare time, she's plotting the design of her next tattoo and dreaming about exploring New Zealand.

Did you know?  Rachael is a quadruplet (multiple of four). There are only about 3,000 quadruplets in the world.

Grace Hickson
Kairuruku Hoahoa Ngātahi me te Kairuruku Whakatairanga
Co-Design and Marketing Coordinator

Grace loves design centered around humans, society, and the planet, and is passionate about addressing real-life challenges through this lens. Paired with her interest in Marketing, she finds a balance between creative and analytical skills. Grace is currently completing her Bachelor of Design Innovation double majoring in Marketing and Design for Social Innovation.

Did you know? Grace is currently working remotely on a university exchange in Milan!

Ollie – Studio Dog
Mātanga Stick
Stick Consultant

Ollie’s the excited bundle of energy that greets you upon entry to the studio. His main responsibilities (which he takes very seriously) are making sure the team takes plenty of walks and providing endless cuddles.

Did you know?  Ollie is afraid of heights!

Meet the Collective

Drawing on the wide-ranging skills of our Collective (our community of freelance creatives), we can deliver a customised selection of creative assets to suit your needs, without the need for other suppliers or sub-contractors. This includes print and digital, photography, videos, animation, illustration, physical spaces and more.

Our story

Some years ago, Celeste and Glen quit their 9-5 jobs and built a studio in the bush with their own two hands. Never afraid to do things differently, they've built StudioC to create positive impacts through collaboration and creativity.