Background 

Drowning is the leading cause of recreational death in Aotearoa New Zealand. In 2024 alone, 18 lives were lost in boating-related incidents, with 94% of victims not wearing life jackets. Alarmingly, 39% of drowning deaths in Auckland involved people of Asian descent. These tragedies are preventable—but only if safety education reaches every community in ways that resonate. 

While previous research grouped Chinese boaties under broad “Asian” categories, little was known about their unique perspectives and practices. Coastguard NZ recognised this gap and commissioned ThinkPlace NZ | Wāhi Whakaaro to explore the Chinese boating community’s attitudes, behaviours, and barriers to safety.  

The Challenge 

How do we design culturally relevant, effective safety initiatives for Chinese boaties in Aotearoa NZ? 

 Key challenges included: 

• – Limited experience with NZ waters and maritime conditions. 

• – Language barriers and lack of accessible training. 

• – Cultural attitudes such as “saving face” and reluctance to wear life jackets. 

• – System-level gaps: no mandatory boat licenses or training for new immigrants. 

• – Existing safety resources not tailored to Chinese language or cultural context. 

 
The Approach 

ThinkPlace partnered with Coastguard NZ and cultural advisor Captain Michael Wang to ensure the process was inclusive and grounded in community realities. 

 Our approach included: 

• – Tea Talks (茶话会): Three focus groups with 31 Chinese boaties in Auckland, facilitated in Mandarin by Captain Michael. 

• – Empathy Interviews: Deep dives with key stakeholders to enrich insights. 

• – Collaborative Sense-Making: Combining transcripts, translations, and cultural context for accurate interpretation. 

• – Four Voices of Design Framework: Bringing together voices of intent (Coastguard), expertise (Captain Michael), experience (Chinese boaties), and design (ThinkPlace). 

To support this process, we used AI-powered transcription and translation tools (Granola.AI and Happy Scribe). While these tools provided a strong base, human interpretation was essential. Captain Michael and translator Isabelle Li reviewed and contextualised the translations to ensure cultural nuances were preserved. This blend of technology and human insight allowed us to capture authentic voices while maintaining accuracy. 

Key Outcomes 

Rich Insights 

Fishing was the primary motivation for boating, alongside learning, social connection, and cultural ties to the sea. 

Barriers Identified 

• – Knowledge gaps around maritime rules and navigation basics. 

• – Language challenges and cost of training. 

• – Cultural attitudes such as overconfidence and reluctance to wear life jackets.

Community Ideas 

Over 50 creative, culturally tailored suggestions emerged, including: 

• – Safety campaigns on Chinese social media (WeChat, Xiaohongshu, Douyin). 

• – Chinese-language resources and apps. 

• – Community-led workshops and competitions. 

• – Partnerships with boat dealers and fishing retailers for incentives. 

• – Advocacy for stricter regulations and mandatory safety courses. 

“We care about the development of the Chinese community, especially maritime safety, and we want to reduce accident rates as much as possible.”

The Impact 

This project has laid the foundation for a new era of culturally informed maritime safety. Coastguard NZ now has actionable insights and a roadmap for engaging Chinese boaties through community-centred, culturally relevant initiatives. The enthusiasm and commitment shown by participants signal strong potential for co-designing solutions that save lives.

Why It Matters 

Safety on the water is not just about rules—it’s about relationships, trust, and cultural understanding. By listening deeply and designing with, not for, communities, we can create solutions that truly work. This project demonstrates the power of co-design in addressing complex challenges and building safer futures for all.

“Coastguard Tautiaki Moana is the charity saving lives on the water. We need a targeted approach for our statistically underserved communities. We’ve chosen the co-design approach because it centres and includes those who are most affected. In 2023, we ran the Tongan Boat Safety Challenge which revealed 7 insights that changed the way we work with Pasifika peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand and in the Pacific. It was led by a Tongan co-design coach with a majority Tongan project team and dozens of Tongan boaties. This year, we wanted to learn how better to serve our Chinese boaties. Through Coastguard’s boating courses in Mandarin, we had access to a Chinese boating SME and dozens of Chinese boating students. We needed a Chinese co-design coach to lead the project. ThinkPlace’s Jade Tang-Taylor provided culturally grounded co-design expertise and curiosity that respected our Chinese SME and participants. She and her team used various AI tools to ensure the participants could contribute in their language of choice, Mandarin or English, without interrupting the flow of their conversations. She also understood the appropriate cultural cues such as colour, room layout, programme order, right down to choice and presentation of refreshments. She even brought in her parents’ precious tea sets for our Tea Talks. The insights from the Chinese Boat Safety Challenge phase 1 have provided creative and culturally relevant ideas which we look forward to developing further with ThinkPlace in phases 2 and 3.” – Nātia Tucker, Community Engagement Manager, Coastguard NZ | Tautiaki Moana