2006 Design Awards Yearbook by Good Design Australia

Design is.

For almost 50 years the Australian Design Awar s have rewarded and recognised the outstanding achievement and contribution of Australia’s d signers, scientists and engineers. The Awards al o have a valuable role in encouraging design and innovation in Australia. For Austral a to prosper in an increasingly competitive lobal economy and to maintain productivity growth, we need to create, develop and implement ew ideas. The Australian Government is committed to creating an environment that conducive to turning these new ideas into new products that create jobs and ra se our standard of living. For this reaso , the Australian Government is providing a record $5.97 billion for science and innovation i 2006-07. This includes significant investment fr m the 10-year, $8.3 billion commitment the Go ernment made through the Backing Australi ’s Ability and Backing Australia’s Ability – Building Our Future Through Science and Innova ion packages. I commend the Australian Des gn Awards for showcasing many of Australia’s inno ativ products and its important role in promoting Australia nationally and internationally

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The Honourable John Howard MP Prime Minister of Australia

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Imagine a world without Standards and design… Standards are often taken for granted in our everyday lives. Standar s that underpin the buildings we work and live in, that protect our children from dangerous toys and support the countless commercial transactions that occur everyday through the us of credit cards. Safety Standards that ensure we are protected from dangerous electrical products and faulty electrical wiring. tandards that provide a common platform for new products entering the marketplace and spell out the bottom line expectat ons of consumers – giving them confidence their new camera, coffee machine, kettle or toaster will do the job they were desi ned to do. While Standards help realise new ideas, they also help business manage the cost of desig ing products and gain access to new markets. In a world that is increasingly dominated by global supply l nes, where no one company operates independently, Standards allow for trade to take place effectively and efficiently. tandards create a common language to achieve commercial success - from the simplest of standardisations such as designing products to fit on pall ts and into containers, to the most complicated such as writing the terminology and safety requirements used in the de elopment of new and emerging technologies such as biometrics and nanotechnology. Standards provide a starting point for cr ativity and innovation to flourish. Just as it is impo tant to set levels of acceptability through Standards, it is equall important to encourage and set benchmarks for design excellence through these coveted Awards. The Australian Design A ards are not just about setting new standards in design, they are about raising them to the next level, thinking above and beyond. The Australian design industry as many success stories where great innovations have succeeded by raising the standards of design – iconic succ ss stories such as Sunbeam, Breville, Cochlear, Resmed, Clipsal, our car makers at Ford and Holden to name just a few. Through Standards Australia and the Australian Design Awa ds, these stories are being told, both nationally and internationally – and we want more of them! Globally, Australia n eds to gain further acknowledgement of its creative skills and cultivate more internationally recognised brands built on the back of good Australian design and Australian ingenuity As we approach a very important 50-year milestone for these Awards in 2008, Standards Australia will be focusing its energy to further promote and support the design industry through a number of exciting initiatives. On behalf of Standards Australia, I would like to congratulate the Australian design industry. The superior standards and ingenious products you have created are testament to the very high quality of design expertise in Australia.

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John Tucker Chief Executive Officer Standards Australia

2006 Australian Design Awards The Australian Design Awards is a celebration of excellence in Australian esign and innovation – an important opportunity to recognise the genius of design. Recognition of the brilliant minds that dar to dream, conceptualise, conceive, design and create - and their vision is bold. Designer are continually being forced to challenge existing assumptions about products, markets, business models and services in the dynam c and fast paced world we work and live in. Innovation in desi n turns ideas and concepts into products and services, creating new skills, new jobs and real value across so ma y areas of our contemporary lives. The Australian Design Awards has long held the distinction and honour of annually showcasing and rewarding excellence in design and creativity in this country. We do this because we recognise that creativ ty and ingenuity are the foundations upon which our nation wa built – and the same foundations that it will need in order to grow in strength and stature into the fu ure. The years ahead mark a very important milestone for the Austral an Design Awards as they signify 50 years of design pro otion in Australia. The Australian Design Awards were stablished, with humble beginnings, by the Industrial Design Council of Australia in 1958. 50 years on, Standards Austra ia now continues this proud Australian legacy of celebrating true Aussie innovation. As part of our support and development of industrial design in Australia, w are planning a number of new initiatives to coincide with thi important milestone. Some of these include the formal establishment of a National Design Promotion Body for Au tralia and the development of an internationally recognised design promotion website, linking our talented design industry to the world and building on the success of the ‘Australian Design’ brand. The 2006 Australian Design Awards Yearbook is a tribute to the Australian industrial designers who have supported these Awards. As evidence of our passion and commitment to the design industry we have put together this Yearbook of Australian design, creativity and attention to detail

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Australian Design Awards Team

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Table of Contents

2006 Judging Panel

2006 Australian Design Award of the Year

2006 Australian Design Award Winners

2006 Australian DesignMark Finalists

2006 Round One Shortlist

2006 Australian Design Award - Dyson Student Award

2006 Australian Design Awards - a Year in Review

Wheels Automotive Design Awards

Powerhouse Museum Selection

Engineers Australia Award for Engineering Design Excellence

Directory

Yearbook Credits

0RINCIPAL¬SPONSOR

Australian Design Awards

2006 Judging Panel Core judging panel

Dr Lee EJ Styger

Cheryl Fraser Design Manager Sprocket Design Cheryl is the Design Manager with Sprocket Design (previously Form Australia). During her 10 years with the company she has been instrumental in the development of Sprocket’s signature style, which has been recognised with several Australian Design Awards. With experience extending to the design of products for clients including Laminex, General Motors Holden and Britax Childcare Products, Cheryl also drives the development of Sprocket’s suite of interactive technology and touchscreen kiosk solutions. Cheryl has travelled throughout the Asia Pacific Region to supervise the production of a number of Sprocket designed products. Having studied Industrial Design at RMIT, Cheryl is an active member of the design community and has been both a guest speaker and panel member at a number of industry conferences and seminars. She has also served as lecturer and external examiner at Melbourne’s Swinburne, Monash and RMIT Universities.

A partner in the Tiger Bay Company and a highly respected chartered engineer and chartered scientist, Lee has 20+ years industrial practice in new product development, international research and advanced manufacturing technology. In addition to his extensive knowledge and experience gained in a number of senior positions held in prestigious companies, Lee also holds three engineering Fellowships and is a Registered Engineering Designer in new product development and specialist manufacturing technology. Tiger Bay develops integrated supply and process chains from new product development through manufacturing, logistics and into the end of product life, linking designers with manufacturers early in the product lifecycle. The company has associates in Hong Kong, China, Indonesia, Europe and the USA, operating in sectors including medical, aerospace, automotive, construction and building products. Lee’s personal strength lies in his blend of practical engineering expertise and academic achievement; a great asset to Tiger Bay, as Lee himself considers one of the company’s core attributes to be its ability to make things happen.

Steve Martinuzzo Managing Director CobaltNiche

Park Hee-Myeon Executive Managing Director Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) Hee-Myeon has an extensive design career at the Korea Institute of Design Promotion (KIDP) since 1981 and is currently working as the Executive Managing Director of KIDP. He has been involved in many design development programs and has also been a juror for a number of major design competitions in Korea. He studied Industrial Design at HONG IK University in 1980 and also graduated from the Graduated School of Industrial Design at HONG IK University in 1993. He completed research studies at Syracuse University in USA, Tres Design Group Consultant Company in USA and Domus Academy in Italy.

Steve has worked in product development for 20 years. Graduating from RMIT in 1985 he has been an industrial designer and senior consultant in a number of design groups including Invetech, Westwoods, Sprocket and Addison Design (UK), and has lectured in design at Swinburne, Monash and RMIT Universities. In 1996 Steve co-founded Cobalt Design and later lead the company through the acquisition of Niche Design to become one of Australia’s largest and most creative design and product engineering groups. CobaltNiche has developed a number of significant and iconic products for both Australian and multinational companies including Nylex, Yarra Trams, Varian, OatesClean, Brimarco, Heartsine, and JDM Hand Dryers. Steve is a committee member and industrial design representative of the Design Institute of Australia (Victoria), a member of several Austrade sponsored trade missions to the US and Europe representing CobaltNiche and a guest speaker at numerous industry conferences and events.

Robert Tiller Managing Director Tiller + Tiller Robert is the founder and CEO of several companies including Tiller + Tiller, an award winning Sydney based product design consultancy founded in 1997; Make-it Manufacturing, founded in 1999; and a marketing, sales and distribution company, founded in 2004. Robert’s companies offer an integrated turn-key creative development centre, which can evaluate the commercial viability of ideas and products and undertake all aspects of planning, development and supply to get them successfully to market. Robert has a number of years’ experience in the product development arena and is a highly respected industrial designer and active member of the industry.

Lance Green Head of Postgraduate Studies Industrial Design, UNSW

Sandy McNeil

External Expert Advisor Engineering Design

Principal Nielsen Design Associates

Neil Burley Paul Huxtable Managing Director Proen Design Australia Paul is Managing Director of Proen Design Australia, a South Australian based product development consultancy and his design career spans 35 years across a broad range of products and industries on four continents. A Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia and the Institute of Company Directors, Paul received his training in the early 1970s first in mechanical engineering and then in industrial design. He held various design, and marketing positions with two of Australia’s largest consumer products manufacturers before starting a consulting business in 1989. Paul’s design input and business awards include numerous Patents, Australian Design Awards, the Dunhill Design Prize, the Prince Philip Prize, the Powerhouse Museum Selection, Telstra National Small Business Award winner, and a National Yellow Pages Business Ideas Grants winner. During his busy day he also manages to find time to further develop the significant demand for his own products throughout Europe and North America.

Sandy is Principal of Nielsen Design Associates, one of Australia’s leading industrial design studios. He is qualified in both Industrial Design and Production Engineering and has authored and/or directed the development of products ranging from toys and telecommunications equipment to cable management systems, bicycles, medical devices and industrial capital equipment. Much of Sandy’s work is for clients based in Asia, Europe and the USA where he is known for his ability to respond to clients’ strategic, creative and technical needs with well integrated product designs that frequently incorporate novel technology. Sandy has numerous patents to his name and has earned a reputation for developing highly innovative product and manufacturing solutions to challenging problems. Production volumes of some of his innovations exceed 100 million units. Products developed under Sandy’s direction have received awards for design excellence, innovation and engineering excellence, three products in which he has been involved have been awarded Australia’s highest design accolade, others have earned a place in the permanent collection of the Powerhouse Museum.

David Bull Managing Director BCS Electronic Design External Expert Advisor Software Electronics Design David has more than 20 years experience in the electronics industry and has worked for State Rail, Wormald Data Systems, Macquarie University and Polartechnics as Engineering Manager. In the mid 1990s, he started electronic design consultancy BCS Electronic Design, which is engaged in the development of a large range of products. In addition to developing award winning telecommunications products, BCS has won the coveted Australian Design Award of the Year for the development of the Betachek G5 Blood Glucose Meter in 2003. David Bull has a Bachelor of Science in Computing and Electronics, as well as a Master of Science (Research) in adaptive speech coding for telephony systems. He is a signatory for eight patents in the area of medical electronics and is frequently asked to lecture in specialty areas of technology development. His clients include Cochlear, Medtronic, Polartechnics, National Diagnostic Products, Electrolux and Tyco.

Founder and Managing Director, Anibou Founder Burley Katon Halliday External Expert Advisor Furniture & Lighting Design Neil has over 35 years experience in the design industry having founded the practice now known as Burley Katon Halliday in the late 1960s. Today, BKH is regarded as one of the country’s foremost interior consultancies and has also provided complete architectural services to several landmark projects such as Republic in Darlinghurst and 28 Billyard Avenue in Elizabeth Bay, Sydney. Neil founded the furniture distributor, Anibou in the late 1980s and left BKH in 1995 to concentrate on this and other interests. Anibou distributes quality products that are well designed and made. Its range includes the work of some of Australia’s best young designers such as Caroline Casey, Gary Galego, Jon Goulder, Johan Larsson, Paul Morris and Lesley John Wright. Its classic 20th century products come from Finland, Germany, Italy and the Philippines and include designs by Aalto, Breuer, Foster, Van der Rohe and Stam.

Lance teaches in the industrial design program at the University of New South Wales specialising in product design, plastics manufacture and design for production. In addition, he consults widely to the manufacturing industry. He has occupied senior positions in Australian industry such as: Technical Director, Plastic Processors; Research and Development Manager, Baxter Healthcare (Aust); Divisional Engineer, Rheem (Aust); and Technical Manager, Advance Industries. Lance is a chartered engineer and holds a Bachelors Degree in Engineering from the NSW Institute of Technology, a Masters Degree in Industrial Design from UTS, a Masters Degree in Higher Education from UNSW and a PhD from the University of Canberra. He is a Fellow of the Design Institute of Australia, Fellow of the Institution of Engineers Australia, and a Member of the National Committee of Engineering Design.

Offsite Inspections Cliff Green CEO Geng Pty Ltd

Michael Dixon Design Director Dixon Design and Development

Australian Design Award - Dyson Student Award

2006 Judging Panel

Morgan Drew Brian Johns Director of Design and Product Development Sunbeam Corporation Brian is currently Director of Design and Product Development for Sunbeam Corporation Ltd. He has over 25 years experience in design, product development and project management in both consulting and manufacturing environments. A graduate in Industrial Design from South Australia, Brian has worked in all spheres of industry from home appliances, automotive, laser systems, military systems to medical. Brian has worked extensively in Europe, the Asia Pacific region and the Americas. Over the years, Brian has worked for some of Australia’s leading corporate entities, including Ford, Holden, Mitsubishi, Hills Industries, and now Sunbeam. Career highlights include being part of redesigning an Australian icon and creating life saving medical laser systems as well as being able to contribute within the various automotive styling studios around the globe.

Managing Director Abuzz Technologies Morgan is the Managing Director of Abuzz Technologies, a Sydney based company that delivers complete interactive kiosk solutions incorporating industrial design, manufacturing and software development. Shortly after graduating from Industrial Design at Brisbane’s QUT, Morgan founded Abuzz in 1997 during a stint as a furniture designer/maker. Morgan discovered the potential of combining multimedia with product design at a tradeshow where he designed and built a kiosk to house his interactive portfolio of furniture designs. Abuzz has been the recipient of multiple design awards for its kiosks and software solutions. The Abuzz client list comprises mainly blue chip corporates including: Commonwealth Bank, Westfield, Qantas, BMW, Telstra, Nokia, McDonalds, Ticketek, Hoyts. Abuzz has recently expanded its client base in the USA.

Rex Turnbull Paul Cohen

Anthony Honeyfield

Design Director Cube Product Design

Project Manager Design + Industry

Paul has designed and influenced many of the products you use in your home including the Breville IKON appliance range, Vodafone mobile phone, Energiser 3-in-1 Lantern flashlight, Johnson & Johnson tooth flosser and yes, even the Mortein cockroach bait! Paul is the co-founder of Cube Product Design in addition to his other business, Think Product Design. He is now focussed on expanding business overseas, with the new opening of Cube in China. Graduating in 1985 from Industrial Design at Adelaide University, Paul has been an Industrial Design Consultant for the past 21 years, winning many design awards from 1999 to 2005, including the prestigious Australian Design Award of the Year in 1999 for the development of a sport goggle for Blueye Eyewear.

Anthony is a Project Manager at Design + Industry in Sydney. He has a first class honours degree in Industrial Design from the University of New South Wales, and ten years’ industry experience. His eclectic portfolio ranges from military products to medical devices. Many of his projects have received national awards for excellence, including the Australian Design Award (for the AmTote NRWT) and the Engineers Australia AusIndustry Innovation Award (for the RBNi8200). As an adjunct to his career Anthony is a guest lecturer in design at the University of Sydney, and runs a student mentoring program at the University of New South Wales. He is also a volunteer for Hillsong Enterprise Development, teaching aboriginal entrepreneurs how to turn creative ideas into small businesses.

Director LINO Magazine Rex is the Creative Director and publisher of LINO Magazine - a design focused publication targeting an Australian and New Zealand audience. He is also director of Turnbull Ossher Design - a graphic and web design studio. LINO Magazine is available in 12 countries and is a preferred magazine on board Qantas worldwide. Rex is a member the Australian Graphic Design Association and the International Council of Graphic Design Associations. A former Art Director of Harrods of London, Rex is also an award winning painter, designer and illustrator. He was a judge of the 2005 id Dunedin Emerging Designer of the Year Awards, the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Hokonui (New Zealand) Fashion Awards, 2005 New Zealand Design Idols, 2006 James Dyson Awards (United Kingdom) and 2006 Semi-Permanent/ Semi-Competitive (Global).

Ross Cameron Managing Director Dyson SEA Ross is Managing Director of Dyson’s South East Asian operations. Ross and James Dyson launched Dyson Appliances in Australia over ten years ago. Ross then started the business in New Zealand and he and his team oversee and support the development of Dyson’s business across South East Asia. In addition to this role, Ross spent much of the latter part of 2002 in America, where, at James’ request, he assisted with the start up of Dyson in the USA. Ross’ previous positions include: Manager, Global Equipment Product Development, Global Business Development - S.C. Johnson; General Manager S.C. Johnson Commercial Division – ANZ and General Manager Rotobic Pty Ltd – Australian Manufacturing & Distribution Company. Ross Cameron is a Production Engineer by training.

012

Australian Design Awards

A Judgesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Tale

More than 200 online applications made

Close to 14,500 votes registered from around the globe

Judges gather from all fields...

...from Australia...

Add some expert advisors...

... with detailed critera...

The shortlisted products arrive

...and abroad

...the judging begins

Be honest, how do I look?

Products are tested

Debate

Through consumersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; eyes

More debate

More testing

No details are missed

Votes and comments are tallied

A decision is made

Categories and Symbols

Consumer

Business and Technology

Medical and Scientific

Automotive and Transport

Housing and Building

Sport and Leisure

Agriculture and Heavy Machinery

Public Spaces

Furniture and Lighting

Materials and Textiles Innovation

Packaging and Point of Sale

Student

Australian Design Award

Australian DesignMark

Powerhouse Museum Selection

Engineers Australia Award for Engineering Design Excellence

Australian Design Award of the Year - 06 Nominees

To win the Australian Design Award of the Year is to receive the highest national achievement of design excellence available to the Australian design industry. If, in the opinion of the judges, an Australian Design Award winner presents itself as an example of outstanding, world-class design over and above all other Award winners, it is presented with this top accolade. This accolade represents a unanimous decision made by an independent panel of leading design experts. Illustrious past winners include the Nucleus® 24 Contour Cochlear Implant, the Solar Sailor Ferry, the SL50 Cancer Detection System, the Ford Territory and the FCS H-2 Surfboard Fin.

The following four products were nominated for the 2006 Australian Design Award of the Year: Breville Juice Fountain® Housewares International – Breville S8 Series Flow Generator and HumidAire 3i Humidifier System ResMed Neoz V4 Cordless Lamp System NEOZ, ILID VentrAssist Left Ventricular Assist System Ventracor

Design is interactive.

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S8 Series Flow Generator and HumidAire® 3i Humidifier System ResMed Around 10 percent of Australia’s adult population suffer from sleep apnea. If not treated it can result in tiredness and may contribute to other serious health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes and depression.

This lightweight palm-sized sleep apnea treatment device is designed to alleviate common breathing and snoring problems. It is 69 percent smaller and much quieter than its predecessor, and is designed for use at home and while travelling. The dramatically smaller size makes it easier for sufferers of sleep apnea to incorporate comfortable and flexible treatment into their lifestyle and homes.

What the judges said “This is a high quality product with so much squeezed into an incredibly small space. It is a comprehensive design which has been beautifully executed. Years of design achievement have resulted in a hero product abound by clever packaging and details with extremely well considered styling. This is an example of Australian design at its best. ResMed have a lot to be proud of.”

022 Perry Lithgow, Senior Industrial Designer, ResMed (L) Alex Virr, Senior Mechanical Engineer, ResMed (R)

Pictured

Space and time – new frontiers in the design of medical devices Edwin Way Teale (1899 – 1980), one of the best-loved naturalists of his generation, predicted that “time and space … may well become the greatest scarcities of tomorrow.” Looking around at today’s mo ern urban and suburban landscape, that prediction appears to have become a reality. Space and time are at a premium like never before. This has a profound influence on th design of medical devices, especially for home use. A device goes beyond being just a piece of medical equipment and take on a different identity in the home. Much as the long-term home nurse becomes a part of the extended family, the dev ce is now an important resident of the household. It must inte rate into the person’s lifestyle and, indeed, their life. When considering space constraints in the modern home, it’s not just a case of “honey, they’ve shru k our home!” Due to continuous advances in technology and shifting consumer preferences, many gadgets and appliances compete for floor, table or shelf space, and storage locations in an average home. Functional criteria being equal, compact and aestheticallyappealing products have an edge over bulky, intrusive or unattractive objects. There is m ch more than the visual or space-saving advantage at stake here. Products or systems that are unintrusive and noninva ive may be perceived as less threatening to the patient’s “normal” life and environment. However, the link betwe n equipment design and patient acceptance of therapy remains to be proven. The current generation of diabete monitoring devices for home-use is a tribute to the evolution of medical device design. Visible and tangible improvements in design, usability and reliability helped these machines make the giant leap from doctors’ clinics and pathology laboratories to inside patients’ homes. Design takes a step further when it accommodates the travel habits of modern users. A range of factors, including compactness, portability, robustness, battery capacity and packaging must come together before a device can be considered truly ‘travel-friendly’. Blood pressure monitors can now be worn on the wrist, like a watch, taking portability to a new dimension. With continuous improvement, it is likely that the accuracy of these handy devices will soon be as dependable as their larger, arm-cuff cousins. In the race for winning design, time is not far behind. Today’s users live in a world that is pressed for time. Many patients do not have the luxury of slowing down. Ease-of-use and practical considerations for product cleaning and maintenance all affect how successfully treatment is adopted. One trend in homecare devices is to offer more features, functionalities and benefits, while minimising the effort required of the patient, their family or carers and supervising clinical personnel. Ease-of-use is more than a marketing buzzword. It is a key ingredient in determining how smoothly and comfortably the patient and their family can be ‘acclimatised’ to the treatment, and how readily they develop the confidence to use the equipment at home.

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The study of human factors becomes increasingly important as medicine itself moves from ‘treating the condition’ to ‘treating the person’ as a whole. While therapeutic benefits remain the main goal, other considerations—social, cultural and lifestyle—are expected to have a bigger say in future design trends. Similarities to medical device design can be observed in other health-related product categories – such as home fitness machines; sporting goods; and air and water purification systems. The awareness of the importance of exercise has accompanied an awareness of the constraints on space and time. The result is a wide range of fitness devices that can fit into the user’s lifestyle, occupy pride of place in their home, or be folded and stored away when not in use. Awareness of sleep disordered reathing and its health consequences has been growing by leaps and bounds all around the world. Product and design inn vation in this industry have not just gained from the growing popularity of positive airway pressure therapy bu have, in fact, contributed to it. ResMed has played a significant role in leading the way in both, promoting awareness of this ‘silent epidemic’ as well as designing and developing products t at improve the quality of life for patients who are diagnosed with sleep apnea and respiratory conditions. The ResMed S8™ series is the latest landmark on this journey. Representing the company’s industrial design team, Perry Lithgow, senior designer on the S8 project, says the S8 series emerged from a conscious understanding that “flow generators of the future needed to be more compact, to fit into people’s lifestyles a lot more.” He elaborates that when meeting actual user of the devices, “it’s a very satisfying experience to know that you helped people achieve a better quality of life.” This sentiment s echoed by Barton Kenyon, Mechanical Design Engineer on the S8 project. “When I meet someone who uses one of our pro ucts, it’s usually a great moment. It’s quite common to learn that the therapy has changed their life.” Barton also highlights the other side of the user feedback coin. “Sometim s you meet users who have issues, that’s interesting too. The feedback matters, to make things better.” Keeping space and time uppermost on their minds, the S8 designers not only made the device 69% smaller than its predecessor, they al o enhanced usability through many detailed aspects of the machine. Australian Design Awards judge Robert Tiller commented that what he loves about the S8 is that “it has so much technology squeezed into such a small space ” The new series includes ResMed’s AutoSet™ and EPR technologies to enhance patients’ experience during therapy. The real achievement of the new generation of medical devices is not that they are smaller but that they are, as ResMed says of the S8 series “compact without compromise”. Space and time – where will these criteria take the next generation of medical devices? Watch this space!

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Products that receive an Australian Design Award are products that represent Australian design excellence. Australian Design Award inners have, in the opinion of the judges, met and exceeded all judging criteria including innovation, ntelligence, visual impact, functionality, origi ality, quality, ergonomics, safety, value for money a d eco-design. They have also proven to add significant valu to Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cultural and design identity. Such icon p oducts have included the Holden V2 Monaro Coupe, the Bamboo Surfboard, the Sydney 2000 Olympic Torch, the Victa Razor Lawnmower and the QANTAS kybed

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Australian Design Award

Consumer

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i n ig tly s de rec i od o ed “ G li n or

Breville-Tilting Mixing Bowl Housewares International – Breville A tilted melamine bowl allowing a more ergonomically sympathetic mixing action.

What the judges said “Ten out of ten. This clever little product offers excellent harmony of materials, colour and ergonomics, resulting in immediate product impact and identity.”

027 Consumer

“Go

od d esig

n is …

The

se p rodu cts a bove a ll

are

rem emb ere

Lullabub Cot Rocker CMD Product Design and Innovation, Babyhugs, Sage Consultants, Prodex Systems An innovative product that mimics the motion of a car to assist in settling babies to sleep.

What the judges said “Fabulous design execution of a brilliant idea. Innovation is paramount in this much-needed product. Where can I buy one?”

d lo ng a f

ter t

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us e r.” the with ally cts emo tion it co nne he sm a lles t de ta il s to t deli ght . Wi th a tten tion and reso luti on ma n ce, f orm of p erfo r inte gra tion the n is

Housewares International – Breville Compact and east to clean, this juicer has high performance at great value.

What the judges said “So much thought has gone into this product. Beautifully executed, great attention to detail, superb mouldings and a lovely aesthetic. It has the appearance of a product that has been laboured over.”

“Go

od d esig

Breville BJE200 Juice Fountain®

029 Consumer

030

Australian Design Award

Business and Technology

Anthem Fairlight.au An audio production and mixing system capable of mixing up to 192 channels of audio.

“G oo d th e o des ig to p n en era is t ab le or in a co th e b a l l ns o le ta us th sk in a s es s t at h t is in oa a cc nd, stan es tly s t yet of fa he f m er wi i li s de d ive ar a st n rs ity d a an ssis ts d fa cil iti es

What the judges said “A beautifully manufactured product with intelligent engineering and well considered production design. The designers have done an excellent job.”

philistines!” “Good design is not being feted by

Clipsal Titanium® Clipsal Australia, Designotions A complete end-to-end solution for data and communications in the office environment.

What the judges said “With great attention to detail, this is a very tidy solution with many innovative features. I would proudly display one in my office.”

“ Good design is the synthesis of software, electronics and mechanical engineering with industrial design, to rapidly create a product that truly meets

Disc Stakka Invetech, Opdicom A hardware and software solution to protect discs and manage the files they contain.

What the judges said “This product is elegant, simple and logical in assembly and operation. With some very clever functionality and slick software, it is a product fit for purpose.”

033 Business and Technology

“Good

design is

simpl e... ex cellen t desig n is

about pushi ng

the bo undar ies

Kingfisher Series III CMD Product Design and Innovation, RTUnet (Australia) A range of telemetry and control products that easily adapts to a multitude of applications.

What the judges said “Highly appropriate design and sophisticated detailing have lead to a surprisingly emotive product solution.”

while retain ing

an ap propr iate so lution .”

036

Australian Design Award

Medical and Scientific

ic fo rm. ” sthe t y an d ae sim plic it ity f or opp ortu n eat ng g r ovid i ise b ut p r for com prom oom tle r allo wi n g lit n is od d esig “Go

VentrAssist Left Ventricular Assist System (LVAS) Ventracor A blood pump connected to the left ventricle of a diseased heart to help its pumping function.

What the judges said “Flawless design and extreme innovation in such a small and efficient pump. It is hard to ignore the impact a product like this will have on mankind.”

037 Medical and Scientific

gn le desi d ket o ma r “ Go l a lob to g

a ds ce le n ” e l l ess. ce ucc n ex s l g i a s e erci e, d anc omm t c p t e an a cc sult e re h t and hip s r e ad

Triton Design + Industry, Chattanooga Group A world-first device used by physiotherapists for treatment on patients with cervical and lumbar spine conditions.

What the judges said “A smart user interface coupled with styling that gives the user confidence, making it much more professional than its predecessor.”

“Good de sign is th e success ful

applicatio n of crea tivity

to a of a hum an need.”

Nucleus Freedom System Cochlear Cochlear implant technology for restoring hearing to people with severe to profound hearing loss.

What the judges said “This product has global significance that will go down in history. Its precise actions and impressive mouldings give a state of the art appearance with applications extending well beyond current market opportunities.”

039 Medical and Scientific

040

Australian Design Award

Automotive and Transport

i em s th t c e t pro and

od “Go

ig des

t duc pro a is

a ns t tr tha

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ts por

Safe-n-Sound Platinum AHR and Meridian AHR Convertible Child Restraints Britax Childcare A rear and front facing car restraint providing protection for children up to 18kg.

What the judges said “Extreme safety testing and redesign has lead to an impressive product that has met and exceeded the standards.”

041 Automotive and Transport

042

Australian Design Award

Housing and Building

The clearer the understanding

“ Good design is about clarity.

of the problem the clearer the

design response, the talent

lies in being

Robert Watson Collection - Aquileart Levers Assa Abloy Australia, Watson Architecture and Design A patented lever return mechanism with a unique fixing method requiring no mounting rose.

What the judges said “Faultless. An elegant, clean, simple design with excellent manufacturing. I never thought I would say that about a door handle.”

043 Housing and Building

because it works and

day without noticing,

owning and using, or

products people love

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Good design is all about

something used every

Hagerblu Hager B&R, PROdesign A range of wiring accessories including 63 new products for the Australian and NZ markets.

What the judges said â&#x20AC;&#x153;A thorough system with extremely clever underlying details that is difficult to achieve in such a competitive and mature market.â&#x20AC;?

046

Australian Design Award

Sport and Leisure

“G

dd es ig

Design is invisible.

Barracuda Predator Goggle Konstrukt Design, Skyline Northwest A swim goggle designed for triathlon and open-water swimming offering improved peripheral vision.

What the judges said “This product has excellent impact and offers great peripheral vision. It is so comfortable and fits to a number of faces and sizes.”

047 Sport and Leisure

“Go

des i

is t

he d

iffe ren ce

bet

we en

MOBi-lert David O’Driscoll, Mobilarm A rechargeable monitoring system aimed at saving lives at sea.

What the judges said “Excellent innovation, originality and adaptability into other markets. A wonderful idea that will save many lives.”

a fe

atu r

hot concept

Washing without water

e lk and bridg

e boardwa

issue six | 2004

nology hines tech CellSpray

LL products and reCE

issue eleven | 2005

Gold Medal Designers legends in sport

rt Banks, ticist, Dr Robe are, Animal gene analysis softw g genetic lamb for developin grow the helped to which has

w ground aking ne n

industry.

Wood and of eon, Dr Fiona lopment Plastic surg the deve lies Stoner for that app Ms Marie sol system , an aero nds CellSpray ns to wou cell suspensio culture skin s. such as burn ived rece er also and Ms Ston ralian Dr Wood gural Aust rd, the inau rd. Their a new awa ment Awa gy Achieve ble for its Technolo most nota deemed work was th. and dep dth brea Lifetime rded the r was awa ion Dr Joe Bake his contribut t Award for nology Achievemen ce and tech ce. lied scien 24 Curve issue to marine scien tenapp notably in applications,

Dishwashers, garbage

ves were virtually 50, except for isolated ca. The tumbler-type

the pressure cooker earances as late as g saver as a self-lightin to Australian gas stoves,

odels demanded the the cook for want of atic switch.”

ovation

ators Australian design comment Boyd is one of the few summarappliance design. He to have written about well. ised the design process

ovation, industrial design

eference to the pioneers conducted by Australian hipping meat supplies ric e Victorian Atmosphe r wed a model refrigerato Exhibition which, the visitors ed, had “impressed 1900s the local company

ing commercial and early pment. Despite this domimanufacturing soon the white goods as it had ctric stoves were imp-orted first from 1907 while the years five d from America and (1927), Emmco mpanies manuw System Telephones it was washing machines, compamation of the Email ralian production began.

same time, expensive perfected, and a few the mechanics were control, d with thermostatic models were elaborate other pilot-light starting, and clock control, automatic ily in to be lost again temporar features which were primitive essentials.” the post-war return to design and of Australian industrial As with many areas ure attempts to manufact manufacturing, Australian tured Wood stoves were manufac stoves began early. gave a as the 1870s. Gas power in Adelaide as early the widedid as uring manufact new impetus to stove to capital cities in 1920. electricity of spread delivery in produce stoves in Australia mass to began Email s stoves, many other appliance 1934. In addition to tured began to be manufac which used electricity 1926, washing 1920, refrigerators in locally – radiators in machines in 1929.

to gners in

opposite articulated monito r Charlwood Design arm ’s stu

for Games ba ton

issue ten Curve 25

below the Ellipta Power Tool Bar

Process and Pandolfo

small

connects with consumers Simply – a natural looking bag made of leather, it has been dyed without sacrificing the material’s structure or ‘naturalness’

Creating The Brief

issue

freedom at work

global view

ISSN 1446-4829

Verrano – a door station made from illuminated glass

Showcase for materials

left double walled glassware by Bodum

2004 ven | issue se

and the turing under license The practice of manufac turing nal companies manufac domination of internatio charactered in the 1950s and in Australia accelerat nt n in that and subseque ised much local productio

rt anspo king Tr p gear

Big ideas sta rt

leads with vision

similar t design followed a “All mechanical equipmen of was made in the image cycle. First the invention in – thus the first gas stoves the thing it was replacing fire stoves, on the model of the black cast-iron were model cookers were on the and later the first electric itself d new device smartene of the gas. Then each gas black The y. personalit and developed its own castted parts, then some stove acquired nickel-pla entirely By 1939 the stove was ings were enamelled. colours, in a wide choice of enamelled and available At the than cream and green. none more popular

Technology first

The client mig ht not understa nd the end user and as designers it is industrial our role to be Hoare their advoca te

awaits The industry anxiously tween 1939 and 1945...” n of teleHousing in the Forties on with the productio In his book entitled Australian the opportunity to get different purwhat he there were thirty-five ent and for industrial Peter Cuffley has listed decades. While in 1953 and Fifties, historian vision, both for entertainm decade light fittings in Austturers in Australia, a d were the best known white goods manufac considere poses.” how small comtwenty-one. Several 1940s and 1950s, although later there were only ralian houses in the in Australia n in this by larger ones. (For example, design was undertake 54 Curve issue Historian Michael Bogle noted in Design panies were acquired much local industrial Crown, six Chef.) In Australasia ne, Wireless acquired Kempthor ated Seeley & included 1788-1970, the Amalgam during the 1950s Craig area is uncertain. These the reducin 1916, dominated Electric and Duperite. of import quotas and company (AWA), formed 1973, with the removal Aladdin, Rite Lite, General Many employed several Australian was reduced again. Australian market and tion of tariffs, this number Don period: R. Haughton James, market date from this Radios designers including mergers in the local Furey. John Holt and Charles & Seeley while Email major arena of Australian Goodwin, Carl Nielsen, Vulcan absorbed Craig opporhave been another did not uring turers Radios manufact manufac and simlocal Bogle noted other design turing activity. The relatively absorbed Metters. Other G. Healing, design and manufac small in the companies A. tunities existed locally 1920s and 1930s allowed survive despite forced into ple technologies in the Radio, HMV and Philips, s and Wilkins Servis were Kreisler World electronic the New Industries, 1973 Pye in – produce Email local companies to the strong local company cabinets to house them. fact most the liquidation. By 1979, wooden ft e giant and to hand-cra nal companies. Edward American automotiv in the 1930s and 1940s. of these were internatio acquired the rights from popular Bakelite examples followed ture under license their in this mantel radio was a Healey’s Golden Voice radio cabinets designed General Motors to manufac A simply styled It is interesting to note also, the Dutch 1950s. year this the t of In ce consumer item throughou mimicked the appearan Frigidaire range of products. example stoves. new medium initially was displayed as an local production of medium plastic unit, this model company Philips began construction until the in fewer local traditional wooden at The Melbourne Arts Historian ‘protection’ resulted more organic forms. of good Australian design Further reduction of was allowed to suggest . Other notable local n and decade after 1975. Festival of the XVI Olympiad in Making It: Innovatio manufacturers in the 1950s Robert Renew noted Mickey of the early middle designs included Astor’s s Industries that in the in 1957. Success in Australia’ appeared which were Light fittings and the HMV Little Nipper (not designers or artists) of the 1930s, engineers e later cast exhibition held in Melbourn of radios which were manufacturing An important design employed as ‘stylists’ designers and Australian manufactured and Australian designed in 1956 featured locally in thermosetting plastics. from which to draw. XVI have a long history e Arts Festival of the light fittings. The Melbourn to by that Australia was late wall lamp brackets designed Despite Boyd’s lament Olympiad featured s Simon Jackson y (he claimed in Australia’ torches by Edward Worsley share in the new technolog Selwyn and Joyce Coffey, repromanuand phonographic Meadmore. All were Home: “Progress in radio and lighting by Clement designer after several years of late) only (the to Australia duc-tion reached factured locally, according of essay within 1950s many were boasting wrote an important trial overseas”) in the Ron Rosenfeldt, who Made in Design.’ local industry. The 1952 e entitled ‘Industrial the dynamism of the the Olympiad catalogu of The Materialica Design Awards, Buildings, Melbourne) design with the benefit are an important showAustralia Exhibition (Exhibition Reviewing the Coffeys’ radio case of Europe’s top design using see why they success of the Australian of hindsight one can new material applipaid homage to the some five decades Austere . cations. The awards are considered exhibition the for a platform for industry: were selected as examples seem product engineering and product in appearance they design in Europe but balanced and sleek as one of the production and provide an important stimulus radio had taken its place their materials’ and to for industry. Victoria, ‘true “In been have to and design’. industries, both in value things denoted ‘good State’s first half dozen manuprocess when such The . Design teams from around the appear of people engaged world recently submitto make these objects output and in number There was no attempt equipment ted entries electronic simple, of – in three types were categories; all Best of Product, Best of than what they facture of radio and to be anything other effort beMaterial and Best of Idea. Independent part in Australia’s war fittings. judges from played an important issue twelve Curve 51 functional metal light Germany and Switzerland judged over three hundred entries accross the three categories.

Richard

Cooking appliances

Ecodesign ex cellence

challenges ah ead

business

computer aided design

paratus illustrated in s American magazine th century, about ten

Voice mantel radio Edward Healey’s Golden

form product package

nd consumption.

form product package

e issue twelv 14 Curve

opposite Rockpool concept renderings showing stone controls and interior

Design is invisible.

onsumer

“You’ve really got to be lookin g at the user, times the client somemight not under “The use of laptop stand this and industrial design s ha as ers it is our role mobile – most to be their advoc of them Charlwood Design ate. as phones, PDAs, is an industrial “For the Ellipta digita design shares the top project we observ group that project these floor of an inner ed and watch people, and devices n city office buildin ed looked at what called Melbo ted and recon g– urne Design they did at their rather than simply Park – with archit nected... desks, designers in asking them ects and landscape, movin what they did g around an what they neede multimedia A waterless dishwashe and offic and graphics. r that looks like a rock d. We also video pool taped them desk environmen The second was individual has won first prize in “This is a true in their a global design competiti t. This inform ‘conceptual exploratio The Ellipta Powe collaborativ ation then helpe on from e environmen ton’find out what r Tool Ba of the chosen Electrolux. Students allows cross-d d us product whichthere from leading schools genre. t,Thirdly, the user really with a ‘rail’ that isciplinary outco of design was the needed in such product.” can be a ‘synthesis’ where in nine countries compete a wemes,” directas camesays together or a d to create the most Charlwood. can be positio Paul team to sort outned in the through our ideas and standing new appliance create a cohesive solution. concept. on either Workplace showr side) or table “We are fortun or ooms that alway ate to have s look beaut neat may not access to The consume The Electrolux brief for environmen iful and be the best the competition, now usefulbusine ts. It means r research wasother Modules can ss in discoverin guide to follow in its secgtothe we can easily be added a Charlwood, attitudes of people ond year, was to “design , according to their find out where who says when products for a daring the best office fitouts data conne rs, and useability you consider are happening dishwashe but not ctions, USB mo the real world issues associate too distant future of a desk in and who has in Melbourne d with the current it is usually a 2015”. The designs were module with designed them. format. mess. to “make speakers, tray ” life easier and more enjoyable”. or mobile “Every desk phones. Other This provided us with One of Charlw in the corpo a ood’s most intriguseveral core issues that informed rate fitouts we screen panel required to have looked at was much of our s for along the The Rockpool was designed ing recent projec has been the design process. at least three These were, by three University of ts the guilty Ellipta Powe ing and an articu data outlets New r Tool Bar – a the future, one feeling associate South Wales students lated flat – one for started projec d with wasting for the phone about eighte and was based on consumer t that water by frivolous en months ago and one for s’ washing; the concern for water use your data. for Hafele Austra unsavoury task and lifestyle convenie and grew far beyond “All loose wiring lia unloading “We had to the original brief. of loading and nce. is stored in a the dishwashe work within this r; the premium of kitchen easy constr acces space aint even with knowl (esp- edge that s when taking According to the local the in apartment living) data will, in m judging panel of Lars Charlwoodecially explains: and the The arm floats the near future “Our Erikson, less or VOIP Sydney based Electrolux to any positio was looking desire to integrate , be wirefor a betterthe dishwasher client (voice over for ideas design director, architect looking versio into the overall internet protoc to accommoda n of the humb kitchen design. Ian ol).” Moore, designer Mark te different L le five point Armstrong, and deputy power board, primarily arm’s simple People now director use in office mechanism Initially in ourfor of the Powerhouse Museum, work in much individual enviro is fu concept nmen smaller space Jennifer Sanders, the work ts.tended keeping with we sit at tobig desks s and often the philosophy focus on the pragmatic “After speak Rockpool dishwashe together, and ing with repres r was chosen because issues of space efficiency with our the working enviro screen entatives from theAustra , ands there is advent of flat concept had strong ergonom nment and Hafele lia webetter more desk space of loading went ways and unloading ic benefits, and was and review under the desk,” the dishwasher, . in line ed different using fairly conservat work with Electrolux’s pro-enviro said Charlwo environmen office based ive and contempo nmental policy. ts near us in Charlwood rary technolog the central busine y. says this remov We spoke to ss area. and es the need a number of “The result is for partitions the big corpo encourages an ordered Some of the Douglas Nash, who designers doing concepts people to comm ratestage worki worked with two other interiowere from this r multiple desk does not preten unicate with modular fellow worke third-year systems that industrial design students, outs. d to be perfec their rs more readil couldfitbe configured in various y. Oystein Lie and Ross how sizes peopl to Nicholls, suit different e work today “With explains the process these huge kitchens; fold down and th behind the concept: corporate “After ed in a dynam researching projects, cost dishwashers that took issue and you very little space and ic work enviro how people big dishwasheisrsthe have multip nm would use a that board utilised the le customers sinkin an office we power From the outset we chose including faciliti cavity as well as to think realised very about to address the area es managers,many other iterations. The rail system quickly that humble powe of dishinterior design is fabricated washing, as we thought a r board produ archit ects.” ers and from it had been a very stagnant ct could easily the connection ed to offer much be extendWe felt we had to do product category for panels are pow more to the something outside the years and the basic user. mouldings. Some format box and of ood decided to Charlw the drawer and cupboard of the rests are says a commmove away from the simple analogy is still the dominant “So step by ium sheet and on mistake in innovative step leave approach the typology. We were driven we introduced articulated m a more ‘bluedesign is to sky’ position. by the notion that there out input from thetoend modules to Hafele Australia. We diecast. user. held many brains had to be a better solution, torm session or at least some room the client, to s involving “They alway We left what we thought really expan for reinterpretation. s seem to be d the conce The system is left out of theother international entrants desk system pt to a total to be marke ing process would be good with multiple at (such decision ted by and no one modules. European and minimalist, space bothers to findas industrial,makreally need. efficient design) internationa The university project out what they due In this case, l catal was conducted in three their style of living, and “Rath units in Austra they certaito er started than rounds. placin nly lia than to will First there was ‘consume needed more just a powethink g all of the wiring in terms of a very Australian be released r board r insight’, which was e scenario.under the desk, and outlets ! aimed we designed at getting everyone to go out and engage for mobile worke positioned the with the rs and outlets in a rail problems, issues and attitudes of the target above the desk.” market through primary research. According to Charlwood’s own research, now more mobile workers are than in the past.

issue eleven | 2005

above from left, Ross Nicholls, Douglas Nash and Oystein Lie with their award

form product package

ers were: rd van Erp, The winn ssor Gera neer, Profe have bee composCivil Engi Australians the fibre ies standing director of ATSE Clun centre at executive prestigious lopment ded the n and deve nd, ites desig Queensla 2005. of Southern Award for ersity reinUniv the vative fibre y of loping inno Academ e buildn deve nativ for ralia alter neering, ATSE, Aust posites as and Engi truction of forced com l Science cons the in gica in use nolo ents ls for ntial for s achievem ing mat-eria es, with pote nology rd recognise lic rail bridg and tech ture for pub road and of science and furni plication decking ralia. outdoor fit of Aust the bene spaces. Clunies Ross tics and the ATSE robo of re, an sky, airm Michelmo Alex Zelin der of Professor Mr Andrew rt and foun le peoundation, r vision expe remarkab creation compute ers were Ltd, for the id the winn hines Pty can fields. Seeing Mac ers in their nology that e and lead r vision tech of compute ability r fatigue. apart is their detect drive sets them into t gy wha nolo But tech ts, Dr Alan science and Instrumen that betters o convert ion Axon of licat app of instruFounder practical lopment he said. ity a useful, the deve Australians,” trical activ Finkel, for ordinary sure elec the lives of n to mea mentatio muscles. cells and in human

Panoramic views of the Melbo urne skyline, fitouts in town the best and leading designers from disciplines close a range of by ensure Charlw ood Design the optimum enjoys work environmen t.

A shortlist of twenty-three entrants featured innovations in computer technology, lighting, seating and cycling. The Best of Product was awarded to ‘Simply’, a bag from the Bree Collection KG. Designed by Christian Reichert and Ivona Pop, Simply is a leather bag, constructed in a minimalist design where the leather is dyed, while keeping the bag’s natural look.

carbon fibre bicycle components

above Sensitile – an architectural feature product based on irregularly connected, passive light guides made of plastic

The Sensitile from the USA won the Best of Materials award. A technological breakthrough, the Sensitile 1446-4829 is an interlockingISSN series of plastic light conductors. The conductors react to lights and shadows, and transfer them to other parts of the Sensitile. Designed for use in architectural

design, the Sensitile is an innovative and completely original material.

Conti Vitroflex – a resilient, translucent material compound made of lightfast synthetic rubber and fiberglass tissue used for temporary buildings and concertina bus walls

The judging panel decided to give the Best of Idea award to the “wood.e” created by Transalpin, Mindelheim. It is a carefully designed piece of moulded wood, which, when connected to a 12V power source allows the user to insert sockets from other products anywhere on its surface. Following on from the success of the 2004 awards, International Forum Design (iF) is already preparing for the 2005 program. Organisers believe that these awards will become the benchmark for product and material design all over the world. A selection of winning products can be seen here.

44 Curve issue ten

issue

ius g Gen Judgin ds tren award

profile

Richard Hoare

Your target for product design and manufacturing Winning hea rts worldwide

play ? Child’s arn to le lessons

Richard Hoare is one of Australia’s leading industrial designers with an imp-ressive track record that includes putting Sunbeam design on the map and now taking the Breville design centre toward a global vision. He talks to Curve editor Belinda Stening about his early years as well as plans for the future. What was your backgrou nd before joining Housewares International?

effort and creativity on reducing assem-bly time. I worked on a range of toasters, irons and kettles that fully snapped together with one screw – each part locking in the last like a puzzle. I contin-ually had new opportunities and increasing responsib ility. Along with Keith Hensel I was subcontra cted to a US company to design a steam iron range with fully automate d assembly. It was a ten million dollar project and involved running a team of designers and engineers in Mississippi . I gained extensive knowledge in terms of big projects, management and cultural differences. As design director I was lucky to play a key role in taking the business from manufacturing-driven to market-driven and, working with a talented team, achieved a high level of design output and speed to market. Why did you want to become a designer?

I studied industrial design in Adelaide at the University of South Australia. This As a kid I was always course had a good building and fixmix of a theoretical ing things. I was fascinate and practical hands-on d with the approach to mystery of how things design. We had passionat worked. I would e lecturers draw plans and build and an excellent model gliders, boats, shop. I did rockets and other contraptions. My projects with local industry including a family was very creative light, bath seat, chair and a source and toilet brush of inspiration. holder for Sabco (whom Housewares I remember being asked International recently to pick acquired). I did oranges from our tree, work experience with and building a Sunbeam and complex device to convey was offered a position the with them after oranges via chutes from graduating. the top of a ladder gently into a container to save going up and down I worked for Sunbeam the ladder with a for fifteen years. bucket. I think I spent It was a fantastic educatio half a day buildn. I worked ing it to save about half under Ian Wilson who an hour of was very encourpicking! I had fun with aging and gave me this type of thing a lot of freedom. – I think I had a sense At that time they were that there was manufacturing always a better way in Australia, so I would to do things. get involved in every aspect of a product, from I lost track of my love research and conceptu of creating things al design during my final years through to of schooling and ended up doing a year detail component design, of medicine. production This wasn’t for me so techniques, assembly I then had various efficiencies and jobs such as working warranty issues. Because for a mechanic the labour and building models costs in Australia were for the South high I focused Australian Film Corporation. My much sister suggested I find out about industrial

It does not rep lace the heart it provides pe but is connec rmanent sup ted to a weak port heart where

Can you tell us about your role at Sunbeam?

My role at Sunbeam was director of design and new product development. This entailed overseein g the design, technology and project management departme nts. A key function of the role was to establish and communicate an internal direction for design and then steer all projects toward that direction. It was also tossist build a talented creative VentrA ‘artificial heart’ team and rendering showing pump culture where magn ets designers could excel without fear of failure.

What is your role now at Housewares International?

At Housewares Internatio nal I am responsible for design. I have been building a world class design team to design and develop products for our brands – from Breville and Kambrook on the electrical side to the housewares brands of Alex Liddy, Forum and Baccarat on the non-elect ric side. We have built on the existing Breville development team and a strong tradition of innovation by significan tly expanding our design capacity. We are designing for a world market. We export to twenty-five countries worldwide , to major internatio-nal brands. In January 2003 we launched an exclusive range of Breville products in high-end departme nt stores across the US and Canada. I am responsible for our design philosoph y and direction, and to ensure we use our design resources in the most effective way.

www.curve.com.au

24 Curve issue eight

A life-saving heart pump ing device called has received VentrAssist TM the prestigious Engineers Austra for engineering lia Award design excell ence. Know ficial heart’, n as the ‘artithe device is currently on Melbourne’s trial at Alfred Hospit al. Ventracor Limite d received the award at this design award year’s s. The comp any is comm eloping and itted to devmarketing the product to comp a number of ete with early first and second gener Ventricular Assist ation Left Systems or LVAS, available in United States the and Europe. The VentrAssist is a fully impla nted ‘third gener device that ation’ features only one moving the heart in part. It assists pumping blood in the body suffering from of patients ‘end-stage’ congestive heart Congestive failure. heart failure is when the to pump blood heart is unabl e efficiently throug hout the body. The VentrAssist offers a poten tial long-term to heart transp alternative lant. It does not replace is connected the heart but to a weak heart where it provid anent suppo es permrt. It has poten tial to allow rest and possib the heart to ly allow it to recover.

above controller backp ack with recha batteries and rgeable controller unit

Ventracor’s Chief Execu tive says the comp any is proud o Engineers Austra lia. He said t nised the produ ct’s potentia national econo my, its impac t significance as a benchmark ence and an example of wor

The total world prevalence of h ed at ten to twenty-three millio VentrAssist offers an alternative with only 2100 transplants perfo year. The two main types of art hearts and LVAS, of which there generations .

VentrAssist is one of three third-g currently in clinica l trials and is th these. It is made from titanium, si has a diamo nd-like carbo n coati it ‘biocompati ble’. Patients do no rejection medic ation. It is six centi and weighs just under 300 grams. it can also be used in childre n.

The VentrAssist pumps blood using floating impell er. The hydro -dynam impeller is the only moving part in th externally worn battery and control and control. Current batte

050

Australian Design Award

Public Spaces

HUB Multi Function Pole (HUB MFP) 4design, HUB Street Equipment A fully modular street pole system that can be adapted to the needs of any modern city.

What the judges said “A sophisticated product with a clean, modern look. Clever detailing that will hide a multitude of sins.”

esig od d n is su mea red by

Design is invisible.

“Go

052

Australian Design Award

Furniture and Lighting

The BOX Seat The Product People A contemporary, highly functional tip-up seat designed for safety and comfort in stadium and auditorium environments.

What the judges said “There are some very impressive achievements here. A very well resolved product with many original aspects. This product is structurally amazing!”

053 Furniture and Lighting

Design is invisible.

ce, f an rien o e p n s.” ex tio ive nes rea t e c o r e a h ’s em tal aw is t ople ig n en e s p e es onm dd c r o i n o v en “G n ha ting ch e o m whi ro lst p whi

“ G o od

desig

our riches n e d n a roves n imp Lux Composite Design, Glen Oldfield, Technical Consultant A lightweight carbon fibre table that is simple enough for one person to carry, assemble and pack away.

What the judges said “This is a lovely application of composite materials and is so easy to assemble with very impressive strength to weight properties.”

“Good design is satisfying

and again.”

Design is invisible.

Neoz V4 Cordless Lamp System NEOZ, ILID A range of rechargeable battery table lamps including charging base stations, power supplies and storage trays.

What the judges said “Fabulous attention to detail, great feature set, beautifully implemented development. This is terrific product design.”

055 Furniture and Lighting

056

Australian Design Award

Materials and Textiles

and should incite

compromises the original intent, exploits the best materials and processes,

“ Good design is uncompromising, exploitive and controversial. It never

Design is invisible.

GAV – General Accoutrement Vest Catalyst Design Group, Personal Protective Clothing A better way of carrying and deploying the arsenal of equipment the modern police officer is required to use.

What the judges said “This product has immediate appeal, with a high quality, robust aesthetic and feel. It truly means business and gives the wearer an authoritative presence.”

Christopher Mitchell Managing Director Babyhugs

058

Pictured

AusIndustry — Helping Innovative Australian Companies

A Case Study - Babyhugs

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AusIndustry AusIndustry delivers a range of more than 30 business products, including innovation grants, tax and duty concessions, small business services, and support for industry competitiveness. These are worth nearly $2 billion each year and are delivered to about 10,000 small and large businesses. To help customers with product and eligibility information, AusIndustry has customers service managers located in 26 offices across Australia, a national hotline and website, plus almost 60 Small Business Field Officers in regional areas. Small businesses play an integral part in the Australian economy. About 95 per cent of all Australian businesses are small business, providing a vital source of jobs, economic growth and innovation. There are about 1.2 million small businesses currently operating in Australia and almost 40 per cent are located in regional and remote areas. AusIndustry offers both entitlement and competitive based products. For an entitlement based product, such as a tax concession, a customer qualifies to receive the assistance. For a competitive or merit-based product, such as an innovation grant, successful customers are selected on merit, based on their application. AusIndustry provides incentives to help Australian businesses, conduct research and development, grow small business, take up new technology, undertake industryspecific manufacturing and production, commercialise a new technology or venture, apply for a tax or duty concession for research and development or to improve export competitiveness, and gain access to science resources. It is internationally recognised by the OECD that countries that invest in their research and development are much more likely to secure a strong economic future. That’s why the Australian Government is committed to supporting the innovations of Australian businesses to encourage more business investment and improve Australia’s international competitiveness. For more information on the Commercial Ready program and other AusIndustry products visit the website at www.ausindustry.gov.au or call the hotline 13 28 46.

Design is invisible.

One of Australia’s most innovative and unique products, the Lullabub Cot Rocker won a 2006 Australian Design Award. The Lullabub Cot Rocker is esigned to assist parents and carers in the daily routine of settling a baby to sleep, both day and night. Most inventions begin as an id a, but a cot rocker to soothe babies to sleep was the furthest thing from Chris Mitchell’s mind very early one morning in 2004. Chris, who lives on the Gold Coa t, was trying to get his baby daughter to sleep rocking her on his lap. He was watching car racing on TV and wh le pretending to be a car, he noticed the uneven rockin motion was sending his daughter to sleep. That morning was the catalyst for the Lullabub Cot Rocker, a product designed and developed by Chris’ company Babyhugs to assist parents in the daily routi e of settling a baby to sleep. For many inventors, having a concept and progressing it to commercial success can be difficult. Chris sold family properties to fund the development of his concept. Chris was referred to Gerard Ryan from Prodex Systems who assembled a full design team based in Brisbane, project managed the development and assisted Chris in his grant application to AusIndustry. The successful application for an Australian Government Commercial Ready grant through AusIndustry for $104,750 enabled him to accelerate and comme cialise the product. Commercial Ready provides up to $200 million a year in grants ranging from $50,000 to $5 milli n to small and medium sized businesses for research and development, proof-of-concept, and early-stage commercialisation projects for new products, processes and servi es. The rocking device is designed to fit under each leg of a cot, and induces sleep through its gentle roc ing motion. It is quiet, easy to use and is powered using a method similar to that of a mobile phone. The certified plug pack converts home power to only six volt to operate the unit, and the system’s soothing blue night light and remote control is powered by two AA batteries. Its unique design supports the cot on an independent suspension system which keeps it rigid - and it can also be gently rocked with one finger. The Lullabub has four motion settings and the time limit is preset to 30 minutes, and if after this time the baby wakes up, it is a simple matter to re-activate the motion with the remote control and the baby is soothed to sleep. Chris said that with their first two children they had many sleep problems during the night and day “We went to ‘sleep school’ in Brisbane, where all they taught us was to rock the cot and gently pat the baby, but the endless hours of baby crying and not being able to settle continued,” Chris said.

“It was with our second child while I was rocking her and watching the car racing that I noticed her going to sleep. The idea for the cot rocker developed from there.” When presented with his Australian Design Award, a modest Chris said it was a pleasure and an honour to receive the award for what he thought was the best looking, best performing solution to sleepless nights for parents and care givers. The Lullabub Cot Rocker has attracted interest around the world including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Italy and Europe, South Africa and Australia. It has also made an appearance in a prime time television show in the United States called I want that which is aired to about 80 million people in 26 countries.

Freestyle: New Australian Design for Living

060 Brian Parkes Associate Director Oblect Gallery

Pictured

Object Gallery and Melbourne Museum have developed a landmark travelling exhibition of contemporary Australian design. Opening in Melbourne in October this year, Freestyle: new Australian design for living, presents the work of 40 outstanding and predominantly independent designers working in product and fashion design. It includes furniture, lighting, textiles, homewares, clothing, jewellery and personal accessories. Hand-made one-off and limited edition design objects will be seen alongside industrially manufactured items and prototypes – reflecting the breadth and nature of design excellence and innovation in Australia. The exhibition reveals aspects of the personality, passion and process of individual designers and places their work in broader personal and cultural contexts. The following is an edited extract from the book that accompanies the exhibition. Contemporary design in Australia is a field not encumbered by the weight of a long history and the resulting restrictive rules that such a history can imply. In Australia, traditional career paths in design are far less trodden than in more established design centres such as Italy, Scandinavia or the United Kingdom, where practitioners can conform or react to but never escape from the history. Here, most successful designers are creating their own particular way of doing things, embracing a freer style or approach to their practice. The lateral thinking, entrepreneurial, ‘can-do’ attitude of many Australian designers has its genesis in those aspects of Australian culture that are the source of significant national pride. From the earliest Indigenous inhabitants to the most recent migrants from troubled parts of the world, Australians have shown a certain capacity to make do with what is available at hand – often turning isolation to advantage and regularly innovating to adapt to the environment or circumstances of the day. Today Australian designers are showing their resourcefulness in the various and often intriguing ways they deal with the design process, manufacturing, choosing and obtaining materials, sales, distribution, marketing, business structure, and the often diverse streams of income that many generate to sustain their livelihoods. There are several key factors that have helped to shape the context in which these Australian designers are working: - Australia’s extraordinary cultural diversity ensures a rich melting pot of influences, traditions and sensibilities. This is clearly evident in the way modern Australian cuisine, for example, combines elements of Mediterranean, Asian and other styles with local ingredients to create fresh, new and diverse hybrids. Australian designers regularly draw upon their own varied backgrounds or are inspired by the vibrant mix around them. - The geographic diversity of the Australian continent – tropical climates in the north, cool temperate zones in the south, vast dry deserts, rolling hills, lush rainforests and sandy beaches has seen the development of regionally different lifestyles and attitudes. Designers are conscious of these and are equally influenced by the wonderful natural environments that inform them. - Australia’s relatively small population translates to a limited local market. Australian designers either look to overseas markets as exporters or consciously develop products that are viable in small quantities often aimed at identifiable niche segments within the market.

- Australia’s physical location in the Asia-Pacific region plays a key role in the nation’s trade and cultural exchange. Export and/or manufacturing opportunities for Australian designers are growing rapidly in countries such as Japan, China, India and South Korea. - Australia has a limited and diminishing manufacturing base, with some industries, such as commercial production of glassware, no longer operating at all. Australian manufacturers have also been traditionally reluctant to invest in design. Some designers have worked hard to develop productive relationships with them, while many others have developed their own methods of manufacturing. A number of consistent characteristics emerge amongst Australia’s independent designers and it is possible to consider them in five, loosely defined categories; Skilled craftspeople One of the noticeable features of Australian design is the proportionally high percentage of designers who have emerged from, or maintain, a materialspecific crafts practice – working in fields as diverse as ceramics, jewellery, metalwork, furniture, textiles and glass. Whether producing unique one-off pieces or products for mass manufacture, these designers are as concerned with expressive content or meaning in the work as they are with its ultimate use. Self manufacturers Given Australia’s limited manufacturing base it is perhaps not surprising that the model of the designer–maker has become the dominant genre within Australian design. It is within this genre that we see the most diverse and entrepreneurial approaches to design practice. The designer–makers and designer–manufacturers are generally concerned with sustainable in-house production rather than the creation of unique objects. Project managers This entrepreneurial group of designers market their products under their own brand, but outsource all or most of their manufacturing. Some come from making backgrounds (often designing through making prototypes) and others through more traditional fashion or industrial design education. They tend to seek the highest standards of finish for their work, and invest time and money in developing strong relationships with specialised manufacturers here and abroad. Global roamers Designing exclusively for other companies, with little or no interest in either self-manufacture or investing in having goods produced under their own name, these designers are part of a growing number, here in Australia and elsewhere, whose client base might be anywhere in the world. They are involved in selling their design skills and ideas to various manufacturers in a global and interconnected market. Branded houses These include some of the best known names in Australian design such as Dinosaur Designs, Akira Isogawa and Crumpler. These designers, or design-driven companies, are cutting a path for others to follow, providing valuable models that others might adapt to their own needs and strengths. These larger-scale businesses are in control of the design, production, marketing, sales and distribution of their products. Freestyle collectively reflects the diversity, resourcefulness and strengths of Australian design now, demonstrating the confidence and innovation of Australian designers, and the increasing cultural and commercial significance of Australian design here, and around the world.

Design is invisible.

Products that receive an Australian DesignMark have been given a stamp of good design. Good design is vitally important to our lives as it represents competency in the areas of innovation, intelligence, visual impact, functionality, originality, quality, ergonomics, safety, value for money and eco-design. The Australian DesignMark is a good indicator of products of quality, value and reliability in the marketplace.

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Good design is creating solutions which improve the quality of peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives while creating value by bringing meaningful technological innovations to the market at the

Design is invisible. HTS8000 Home Theatre Systems Australian Designer, Leon Yoon for Philips Electronics Singapore An intelligent and compact home theatre solution for lifestyle-oriented users.

063 Consumer

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Good design is emotional. It goes beyond basic functionality and offers attributes that excite and

Jeppe Utzon BBQ Electrolux Design Centre Australia and Jeppe Utzon for Electrolux Major Appliances A barbecue to complement current architectural trends in a clean, minimalist design.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good design is available on

Design is invisible.

Vista S3 4design, Jands A lighting console for the programming and control of lighting for live performances.

065 Consumer

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35 Litre Wheelie Cooler Outerspace Design, Willow Ware Australia A 35-litre Wheelie Cooler boasting streamlined styling and a contemporary colour scheme.

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Demain Cordless Drill with Internal Power Chuck Demain International Top Link Industrial Company The worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first drill with electronic gearshift selection and torque control for chuck clamping.

067 Consumer

looks and feels right.” Pool Systems, PROdesign Australia The world’s first hand-held pool cartridge filter cleaner that uses a standard garden hose.

“Good design is the perfect tool for the job - the handy magic wand to solve that problem,

Water-Wand

“Good design is integrating

Design is invisible.

Sanbrook Brands, Ideation Design

A fresh, colourful and tactile approach to baby feeding products.

whilst being easy to use and highly adaptable for the demands of the modern family’s lifestyle.”

Sanbrook “Feeding Solutions”

069 Consumer

Housewares International – Breville A kettle designed with a softer aesthetic and high-end materials to find its way into kitchens around the world.

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Breville moda™ Kettle - BKE450

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Good design is pushing the boundaries to achieve the edge. In this case, delivering a higher level of performance and quality with a powerful

Design is invisible. EM6900 Sunbeam Twin Thermoblock Espresso Machine Sunbeam Corporation Schremmer Crick and Associates An espresso machine that delivers an unmatched level of performance in the domestic espresso machine market.

071 Consumer

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good design is a to new technology and facilitating its integration into our everyday lives.â&#x20AC;?

Design is invisible.

Virbiage 3010 ATA CMD Product Design and Innovation, Freshtel, Sage Consultants An analogue telephone adaptor allowing a normal telephone handset to make Voice-over-IP phone calls.

074 Business and Technology

“ Go

VESDA LaserFOCUS™ Invetech, Vision Fire & Security A sophisticated detection system offering the earliest possible warning of a potential fire.

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ality, re liability , qualit y

Design is invisible.

MP-20 Payphone with Optional Stand Siemens A premium coin-operated public payphone for the customer-owned payphone market.

076 Business and Technology

ty onali uncti f s e in ct.â&#x20AC;? comb produ e l b a ir a des n with e r h e s w u s ig n i e the d des rovid o p o o t G â&#x20AC;&#x153; lity usabi with

Sureshot-gps Tee2Green Technologies A hand-held, fully portable GPS device dedicated to the needs of golfers.

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Razor Jr Scuttlebug Funtastic, Ideation Design A unique and appealing ride-on-trike for up to 3 year olds, folding flat in seconds for easy transportation and storage.

077 Sport and Leisure

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Design is invisible.

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â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good design is function, comfort and

SAS â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Spinal Articulated Back System Explore Planet Earth A harness system that helps to distribute the load of a small backpack across the back and onto the waist of the wearer.

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Astro Travel Pack MONT Adventure Equipment A travel pack with a unique zip-out travel pod that converts to a separate 30-litre carry-on bag.

079 Sport and Leisure

Design is invisible.

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People rely on products working.â&#x20AC;? MONT Adventure Equipment A range of goose down sleeping bags with innovative features making it warmer, lighter and more comfortable than ever before.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good design is not

MONT Tapered Rectangular and Box Foot Down Sleeping Bags

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Design is invisible.

Chest Arnoldlane, Corporate Culture A modern take on the original Chesterfield lounge with graphics embroidered on the arm reminiscent of its ancestry.

081 Furniture and Lighting

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Good design is that magic balance between engineering and

Connected Origin Didier, Corporate Culture An innovative table range that embodies progressive environmental considerations and a fluid design aesthetic.

â&#x20AC;&#x153; Goo

d de s ig n i s em prod otive u cts to - it is desig g e a b ou ther. n tou t bri G o od ches ng i n every desig g pe n is aspe ople holis ct of tic life, and is a p roces s of and

Design is invisible.

PLI Furniture Series Formway Furniture Australia Bang Design A 17-piece range of soft seating and tables designed for commercial furniture markets in Australia and overseas.

083 Furniture and Lighting

10.

11.

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

Round One Shortlist

1. SCANPAN Professional Sheldon and Hammond Design Resource, Scanpan

7. WD5800/5810 Sunbeam Wet-ToStraight Ionic Hair Straightener Sunbeam Corporation

12. MultiSmart System CMD – Product Design & InnovationMultiTrode

2. EcoSmart Fire Plasma Firescreen and Twin Feet System The Fire Company, Think Product Design

8. EM0480 Sunbeam Café Series Conical Burr Coffee Grinder Sunbeam Corporation

13. Touchscreen Wayfinder Abuzz Technologies 4design, Westfield

3. Breville Copper Core Cookware Housewares International - Homewares

9. Alessi Marli Appribottiglie (Bottle Opener) BLAESS™, Alessi s.p.a. Italy G&C Ventura

14. Acco Rexel Gazelle and G-Pod Stapler System Designworks PDC, Acco UK

4. Whittle-Stix Neopurple, Whittle-Stix 5. Philips 190C6 19” LCD Monitor BlueSky Design Group Philips Design Taipei Philips Electronics 6. PB9500 Sunbeam Café Series Blender Sunbeam Corporation

10. SM8650 Sunbeam Stick Master Series Sunbeam Corporation 11. Breville BarVista™ Espresso Machine - BES200 Housewares International – Breville

15. Peloris Rapid Tissue Processor Vision BioSystems 16. Qlicksmart Single-Use Sterile Scalpel Blade Remover Qlicksmart, Smartstream

18.

19.

20.

21.

22.

23.

24.

25.

26.

27.

28.

29.

30.

31.

32.

17. Safe-N-Sound MaxiRider Convertible Booster Seat Britax Childcare 18. EcoSmart Fire Renovator Range 19. Zip SuperDry BlueSky Design Group Zip Industries 20. BIOFOB™ Microlatch, Design Edge Circuit Level Electronics 21. Toe Stoppers Intelligent Ideas & Concepts

22. Cannondale Velopod Bicycle Luggage Range Catalyst Design Group Cannondale Bicycle Corporation 23. Oxia - Personal Oxygen Device Charlwood Design, Oxia US 24. Queen’s Baton for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games Charlwood Design 25. TumbleTainer ASO Holdings, Intermodal Solutions ASO Australia t/a At Source Organics 26. Markitcarts Markitcart, Studio Fraser CMD – Product Design & Innovation PROdesign

27. EcoSmart Fire VISION The Fire Company, Think Product Design 28. Gullwing Corproate Culture, Fusedesign 29. Poptech Cube Industrial Design Appropriate Technology 30. Soy Luxe Customweave Carpets + Rugs 31. Sellotape Donut Catalyst Design Group Dalton Packaging 32. Balance Water 4design, 4design NZ Balance Water Company

Design is invisible.

17.

Simon Marriott Principal Arrk Silhouette

086

Pictured

Why bring a 3D Printer In-house?

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Schefenacker, a leading rear vision automotive systems supplier, began investing in rapid prototyping technologies a couple of years ago as part of an effort to shorten design cycles. Research and development has been a critical factor in maintaining their global competitiveness and bringing the technology in-house has enabled them to enhance their design creativity. James Nicholson, Advanced Engineer Manager at Schefenacker, says the reaction to the introduction of in-house 3D printer has been tremendous. “We start a build at the end of business and when we come in the next day the parts are complete and ready to take away and check for fit. No more waiting around for quotes, paper work processing and courier deliveries,” said James. “Since introducing rapid prototyping technologies in-house, applications have also grown into other areas, such as creating jigging and fixtures within the assembly area,” said James. For Schefenacker, in-house rapid prototyping has provided value and efficiencies at every step of the product development process. Rapid prototyping technologies have not only been adopted by engineers, designers and manufacturers, like Schefenacker, they are increasingly becoming recognised as a valuable tool to other industries, such as Architectural for the production of scale models. Sydney architectural firms, PTW came up with the winning international design for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Swimming Centre. Its complex structures required the use of rapid prototyping technology to reproduce intricate details in order to communicate the stunning visual sense of the design to structural engineers, building professionals, and an international audience to win the multi million dollar contract. Rapid prototyping is a vital tool that has made a tremendous impact on the design and development process in all industries. Companies that adopt these technologies earliest are realising gains financially by bringing better products to market before their competitors.

Design is invisible.

With the proliferation of low cost CAD systems and the plummeting costs of computer power in the mid 1990s a major change occurre in the way SMEs developed products. Once considered the domain of only large corporate and design bureaus, small r organisations began to justify 3-dimensional CAD modelling ystems and reap the benefits of productivity gains in the development of their products. The rapid prototyping ndustry now finds itself in a similar stage of evolution as the CAD industry was in the mid ‘90s. Expensive hi h-end machines that could only be afforded by large corporate a d service bureaus are being replaced by lower cost office friendly 3-dimensional printers. These low cost rapid prototyping machines are now finding their way into many organisations for in-house product development and being used for both early concept modelling and refined prototyping. A distinct competitive advantage of bringing rapid prototyping technology n-house is the highly cost efficient means of producing numerou design iterations and immediate feedback throughout the product development process. The ability to quickly refine form, fit and function can significantly reduce production costs and time to market. Poor communication, extensive design changes and missed deadlines increase costs dramatically throughout each step of design and development. A Wohlers Industry Report notes that a modest enginee ing change costing $100 in the proof of concept phase could escalate to a staggering $1,000,000 when the product is in the field. For the last 12 years Arrk h s been at the forefront of introducing technologies that reduce the “time-to-market” for new product develo ment. From humble beginnings in the early ’90s employing four people, Arrk has grown as a result of adopting and develop ng the latest in rapid prototyping technology. Today, Arrk is part of a global organisation known as the ARRK Group, employing 90 people in Australia and 25,000 people worl wide in the areas of rapid prototyping, production tooling and moulding. Arrk utilises both Z-Corp and Objet technologies to supply prototypes to a wide range of industries. In recent times, Arrk has taken on the distribution of these technologies to assist companies in advancing their design departments and reducing product development costs Z-Corp is a concept modelling technology and ideally suited for the fast production of multiple design scenarios early in the product development stages. It’s also the most affordable 3D printer in the market to operate ($0.15/cm³), with the added ability to produce multi 24 bit colour models utilising powder-binder technology. In comparison, Objet is a high-end printer used for prototyping applications that require fine feature detail and accuracy. Objet systems build 3D models using polyjet printing technology, with a printer head depositing fine droplets of rigid or rubber-like resins at 16 micron layers.

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Australian Design Award-Dyson Student Award Students who enter the Australian Design Award-Dyson Student Award represent the future generation of Australian design- so first and foremost I’ like to recognise their talent, and acknowledge the educational institutions that not only teach but also nurture and guid these students to fulfil their potential. Based on the student projects entered this year, I think we can be assured the future of de ign in Australia is indeed bright. Dyson has supported the Australian Design AwardDyson Student Award for the past f ve years and the calibre of entries never ceases to excite me. James Dyson has been quoted many times saying “the best desi ns are the result of someone questioning everything around them – looking at the same things as everyone else but thi king something different.” The projects entered into the award have really shown this to be a true statement. The Australian Design Award-Dyson Student Award isn’t about working to a set br ef, but rather truly challenging students to consider complete de ign. Challenging students to not just take an existing product and stylise it, but to consider solutions to everyday issues – how they can design a product that really does impact someone’s life in a positive way. The maturity of thinking that has gone into this year’s entries has been incredible. I’ve been particularly impressed by students tapping into global and environmental trends, and then developing new ways of conserving, or harnessing our natural resour es in a way that promotes a sustainable future. It takes courage to challenge convention, but today’s design students certainly seem to have this in abundance. It is energising t review projects where students who have obviously asked the question “why?” And when unable to find a satisfactory answer, have risen to the challenge of providing an answer the selves. This approach is in line with Dyson’s design philosophy. When James Dyson became frustrated with his vacuum cleaner, he thought “I can design this better myself”. So, he entered into the challenge, a long hard challenge, and developed a roduct that works significantly better than the product it replaces. It was the lesson earned throughout this process that continues to compel Dyson’s investment into education. The satisfaction of speaking with students at our classroom lecture series, of seeing their entri s into the Australian Design Award-Dyson Student Award, of sharing their joy when they win, admiring their tenacity and drive even when they don’t, and of following their career as hey move from academia to industry is incredibly rewarding and it ren ws our passion and commitment to this award continually

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Ross Cameron Managing Director Dyson SEA

Design is invisible.

090

Australian Design Award

Dyson Student Award

Design is invisible.

Gold Winner

EV - Ergonomic Violin Tricia Ho - University of New South Wales An electric violin that is customisable to suit the player’s persona and the setting of the performance.

What the judges said “This concept demonstrates excellent innovation in materials and thinking. The intricacies of the project have been truly understood here, and some wonderful ideas incorporated.”

Flex A self-contained breathing apparatus for fire fighters on a flexible and significantly better harness.

What the judges said â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the result of some truly amazing work! With excellent engineering, functionality, clever and well considered features, this project is ready to go to market.â&#x20AC;?

Silver Winner

Liam Fudali - University of South Australia

Design is invisible.

Bronze Winner

Mvura Water Purifier for Developing Countries Julie Frost - University of New South Wales A solar aided household water purifier intended for rural Africa.

What the judges said “This is a great idea which has been so intelligently designed through careful consideration of the user’s culture. With clever semantics and product aesthetics, it is economical and well thought out.”

093 Student

Jansen Lye - Swinburne University of Technology A diagnostic and administrative tool for everyday sufferers of diabetes.

What the judges said “This project demonstrates clever thinking with a comprehensive understanding of the user’s needs. This is a great project idea embracing brand new technology.”

Highly Commended

Insulaid

Design is invisible.

Student Finalists

1. 2.

5. 6.

1. MANTRA Kitesurfing Bar Michael Chijoff Royal Melbourne Institute Of Technology A new kite surfing bar designed to increase safety and offer a greater range of tricks.

4. MARDI Richard Burns University of Canberra A transfer sling designed to assist with the hazardous procedure of transferring mobility-impaired patients.

7. Swash Alexandra Gilmour University of Technology Sydney A sustainable, self-sufficient dishwashing solution that cleans and sterilises using steam

2. MEDI-VEST® Maria Raciti Monash University A mobile first-aid vest designed to meet the needs of ‘on the go’ medical professionals.

5. Brero 120 Wheeled Mobility for Paraplegics Suzanne Hurst Swinburne University of Technology A wheelchair that allows independent paraplegics to enjoy physical activity.

8. WaterPod Sarah Gibson University of Technology Sydney A water bottle that compresses to a third of its size, allowing it to become portable and reusable.

3. KISSTile - Keep It Simple Solar Tile Sebastian Braat University of Western Sydney A roof integrated, modular solar tile system designed specifically for Australian conditions.

6.Ovarian Cancer Screening Device Marika Mulqueen Swinburne University of Technology A non-invasive MRI apparatus for detecting ovarian and prostate cancer.

Design is invisible.

Mike Lumley, Technical Director, Britax Childcare Illustration by Sheila Eik

098

Pictured

‘Awarded for Saving Lives’

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In developing a new convertible child restraint to meet these emerging demands on side impact protection, a variety of options were considered. To ensure that the child’s head could not contact the door, there needed to be a barrier developed that would contain the head. The subsequent design of the Platinum AHR™ and Meridian AHR™ convertible child restraints incorporated Active Head Restraint (AHR) technology, designed to adjust to the growth of the child whilst containing and protecting the head in a side impact collision. The headrest was a major part of the design. It had to be comfortable, it had to absorb energy to protect the child and it had to be sufficiently open that the child could see out without having to lean forward. The moving headrest had to protect the smallest occupant to the largest. Testing in the QUEST centre involved comparing the AHR™ products to products on the market in Australia and overseas. It was found none of these restraints would perform adequately and hence reinforced the need for the moving headrest design. The results of these tests proved that the AHR™ range of Safe-n-Sound child restraints are ranked as the best in Australia as well as the world for protection in sideimpact collisions. In the design of the Safe-n-Sound Platinum AHR™ and Meridian AHR™ child restraints, various options for innovation in comfort were also sought. At the top of the range, the Platinum AHR™child restraint also incorporated stereo speakers fitted to the side wings on the headrest. This innovative feature gives freedom to parents and the child alike. Appropriate entertainment can be delivered to the occupant at any age via a CD player and the AHR™stereo system, leaving the parents to listen to the car radio. All of these features were crash tested to ensure the occupant is safe at all times. Britax Childcare is extremely pleased with the market acceptance of the Safe-n-Sound Platinum AHR™ and Meridian AHR™ child restraints and is honoured to have received an Australian Design Award in 2006 for these innovative products.

Design is invisible.

In 1976, Safe-n-Sound’s most well known product, the Baby Safety Capsule, was honoure with the Prince Phillip Design Award. Fast-forward thirty years to 2006 and Safen-Sound has once again been recogniz d for its excellence in innovation and design by being awarded a coveted Australian Design Award for the AHR™ range of convertible child restraints. Throughout the developed world, parent are encouraged to use child restraints to increase the safety of children in vehicles. As much as today’s cars are made with increased safety for occupants, a child restraint is the only additional safety device that parents must buy to ensure the r child can travel safely. Australia has a very high level of child restraint usage and Safe-n-Sound™ child restraints have been desi ned and made in Australia since child restraints bega in the late 1960s. Over the years, Britax Childcare Pty Ltd has manufactured a variety of child restraints under the Safe-n-Sound brand for the Australian market. 1989 saw the introduction of Safe-n-Sound’s first convertible child restraint. This allowed parents to purchase one child restraint that would be suitable for children from birth until approximately 4 years of age. For today’s parent, these convertible child re traints are now the preferred mode of transport. There are now a variety of convertibles that offer the essential safety requirements, as well as many optional comfort features for the child. The AHR™ range of convertible child restraints came about as a direct result of an opportunity to offer better protection in side impact collisions. Research and development played a key role in guiding the design and execution of the AHR™ restraints, which are manufactured on site at the Britax facility in Sunshine, Victoria. This site also serves as the Asia Pacific industrial design centre for car seat manufacture as well as the region’s test facility for car seats. Included in this test facility is the Quality Evaluation and Standards Testing (QUEST) centre, featuring one of only four crash-test sleds in Australia. Every day, a different seat is selected at random from a production batch and crash-tested. Each test impact is filmed by a high-speed camera linked to a computer. Frame by frame, the test dummy’s head and neck movement is assessed, as well as how the child restraint performed overall. Tests were conducted at high crash energy in a variety of directions, simulating frontal, side-on and rear crashes as well as tested at a variety of temperatures to ensure they worked in all regions of Australia. The joint Australian and New Zealand Standard (AS/NZS1754) for child restraints has a test for side impact of child restraints and follows the Roads and Traffic Authority of New South Wales research into side crashes. The joint Australian and New Zealand Standard introduced side impact test requirements for child restraints. In this new test, child restraints are required to have a means of protecting the head from contacting the door beside the child restraint. No other standard in the world yet required side crash test for child restraints.

A word of advice from Team ResMed about our winning the Australian Design Award 2006.

Ignore it.

Although weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very excited about winning, our best achievements are still ahead of us.

Will you be part of the winning team?

Call ResMed HR on 9886 5000 or check out opportunities online on the careers page

Global leaders in sleep and respiratory medicine

www.resmed.com

Design is invisible.

11.

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A Year in Review - 2006 launch

1. Adam Laws (Adam Laws Pty Ltd) and Matthew Cape (Standards Australia) 2. Brandon Gien, Director Design and Comunications, Standards Australia 3. Carlo Giannasca, Design Director, Frost Design 4. Erica Galea (Dyson) and Beth Glancey 5 - 7. Guests at Customs House 8. Guests from Housewares International 9. Guests from Surf Hardware International

10. Ian Ossher (Turnbull Ossher), Evatt Robinson (LINO) and Michael Locke (Electrolux) 11. John Tucker, Chief Executive Officer, Standards Australia 12. Stephanie Watson, Mark Bezzina, John Tucker and Kate Evans (all Standards Australia)

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2. Anita Johns, Jody Hammond (Writeaway) and Brian Johns (Sunbeam) 3. Bombay Sapphire Cocktails 4. Damian Court, Ian Allen and Mark Thomas (all Sunbeam) 5. Dannel Sargent, Kara Rowe, Haydn Stevens and Beth Glancey 6. John Tucker (Standards Australia) and Tina Jowett 7. Majella Weimers, Steve Martinuzzo (Cobalt Niche) and Cheryl Fraser (Sprocket)

8. Mark Elder (SAI Global), Guy Burgoyne (Volvo) and Michael Locke (Electrolux) 9. Marty Wilson, Craig Commerford, Jodie Gien and Jeff Bennet 10. Ross Cameron (Dyson) and John Castles (Standards Australia) 11. Sam Deslandes (4design) and Wil Puz (FormRite) 12. Tricia Ho, Gold Winner, 2006 Australian Design Award Dyson Student Award

A year in review - 2006 exhibition

1. ADA Finalists Exhibition

Design is invisible.

2006 Australian Design Awards

A Year in Review

1. 2.

13. 3.

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20. 21.

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1. 2006 Australian Design Awards 2. 2006 Australian Design Award of the Year Winner – ResMed 3. Award Winner – Babyhugs 4. Award Winner – Design+Industry 5. Award Winner – Fairlight 6. Award Winner – Hager B&R

12. Director of the Australian Design Awards, Mr Brandon Gien

21. Stephanie Watson, Manager, Australian Design Awards

13. Award Winner – Ventracor

22. Guy Burgoyne, Chief Studio Designer, Volvo Car Corporation

14. John Tucker, Chief Executive Officer, Standards Australia 15. Host of ABC TV’s The Glasshouse, Wil Anderson

7. Table Centrepieces

16. Peter Cooper, Managing Director, Konstrukt

8. Award Winner – Mobilarm

17. Master of Ceremonies, Wil Anderson

9. Brandon Gien (Standards Australia), Jodie Gien and Guests

18. Michael Bryce, Chairman, Minale Bryce Design Strategy

10. Christopher Mitchell, Managing Director, Babyhugs

19. Richard Hoare, Innovation Director, Housewares International

11. Comedian Wil Anderson with Guests

20. Sheldon King, Managing Director, The Product People

23. Tricia Ho, Gold Winner, 2006 Australian Design Award - Dyson Student Award 24. VIP Guests at the 2006 Australian Design Awards (clockwise from top left): Dr Kevin Fewster, Director, Powerhouse Museum; Mr John Tucker, CEO, Standards Australia; Ms Tina Jowett; Mr Michael Bryce, Chairman, Minale Bryce Design Strategy; Mr Ross Cameron, Managing Director, Dyson SEA; Ms Nina Lenz; Mrs Barbara Cockbain; Mr Peter Cockbain, National President, Engineers Australia; Mr John Castles AM, Chairman, Standards Australia; Mrs Thelma Castles; Ms Carol Scott.

Design is invisible.

10.

Protect your creativity — understand your IP rights

You’ve just completed your latest design, but where to next? To achieve some of your key goals, including industry recognition, your next steps should include protecting, managing and taking advantage of your most valuable asset — your creative edge. Intellectual property, or IP, represents the product of your mind or intellect. It can be an original design, invention or the practical application of a good idea. In business terms, this means your proprietary knowledge — a key component of success in business today. Other forms of IP include trade marks, plant breeder’s rights, copyright, circuit layout rights and trade secrets. Strategic use of IP rights can provide unique commercial leverage in the marketplace and offer you protection against competitors. With the challenge of balancing creativity and cost effective innovative construction, you can rest assured as an IP owner, you’ll have the opportunity to create relationships with others to commercialise your product and, with appropriate IP protection, prevent others from exploiting your design without permission. For many designers this may be a key to survival. Design in Australia When thinking about Australian innovation, people often think about inventors, but the work of designers plays an equally significant role in our lives. From around the house and workplace to leisure and fashion, design is fundamental. Everywhere you look are designs that make an environment more liveable and distinctive, they become so commonplace that they often go unnoticed. From the time you wake up until the time you leave the house, you are exposed to a variety of common objects and activities, which are often central to the designs process. Many ‘ordinary’ designs are often simple and elegant solutions for everyday situations. Protecting your design Design registration protects the appearance or ‘look’ of manufactured products, but not how the product works. Providing the design has a ‘new’ and ‘distinctive’ appearance, that is, it has a special shape, configuration, pattern or ornamentation, it can be registered. A registered design which has been examined and certified gives you a legally enforceable right to use your product’s design and prevent others from using the design without your permission. In June 2004, new legislation was introduced governing the way designs are administered in Australia. The Designs Act 2003 presented a system that strengthened requirements and provided a more robust way of protecting industrial designs in Australia. The Act aims to provide designers with a better chance of protecting their designs through stricter eligibility and infringement tests, and better enforcement and dispute resolution procedures. In addition, a more streamlined registration system was introduced. The benefit of design registration A registered design can be a valuable commercial asset. It gives you the exclusive right to use, sell or ‘lease’ the design through licensing arrangements. Once your registered design is examined and certified, you may take action to stop other people from using and infringing your design.

Publishing your design It is important that you avoid publicly disclosing your design before seeking registration. If you do, your design may not be eligible for registration. However, an alternate option to design registration is to publish your design. Publication will fully disclose the design to the public and consequently prohibit someone else registering your design. Though, you should be aware that publication will not give you any rights to stop others from imitating or copying your design. Information Our website, www.ipaustralia.gov.au, contains a range of general material including information sheets, an application kit and free access to our searchable database of registered designs. These services are also available via our network of state offices. Commercial advice While the process of obtaining design registration can be relatively simple and direct, it is worthwhile considering appropriate commercial and legal advice prior to seeking registration and/or publishing your product. Professionals such as Patent Attorneys can provide you with advice relating to effective protection strategies for your product, given your commercial direction. The basics of design registration Design rights are granted for an initial period of five years from the filing date but protection can be extended for a total period of ten years. It costs $200 to apply for each design you wish to register. Registration is initially for a five year period and the cost to renew the registered design for a further five years is presently, $275. If examination is sought, there is an additional fee of $360. Design registration is done through IP Australia, the federal government agency responsible for administering Australia’s patents, trade marks, designs and plant breeder’s rights systems. For more information on how to register your design, visit IP Australia’s website www.ipaustralia.gov.au or phone 1300 651 010.

Centenary of Designs January 10 2007 marks 100 years of registered design rights in Australia. IP Australia, the Australian Government agency responsible for administering registered IP rights, in addition to examining designs, provides general information on designs and maintains the Register of Designs. This Register captures the development of designs applied to products since 1907 and reflects the progress of industry, ergonomic improvements and also product evolution from the introduction of new technology. IP Australia will be celebrating this important milestone. Information about activities over the centenary year will be available at www.ipaustralia.gov.au

Design is invisible.

2006 Wheels Automotive Design Awards

The Wheels Automotive Design Awards is a collaboration between Wheels, Australiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading motoring magazine and the Australian Design Awards, a division of Standards Australia. The program recognises and rewards excellence in automotive design. Awards are granted for Interior Design and Exterior Design. If, in the opinion of the judges, a particular vehicle represents excellence in automotive design (both interior and exterior) it is recognised with the premier award in the program, the Gold Award for Outstanding Automotive Design. Winners will be published at www.wheels.australiandesign.org.au

Finalists Porsche Cayman S Jaguar XK Convertible Honda Civic Scenic 350Z Coupe Nissan Murano

Judging Panel

BMW M6

Ged Bulmer - Editor, Wheels

Peugeot 407 CoupĂŠ

David Davenport - Senior Designer, Housewares International, Breville

Mazda MX-5

Graham Paver - Head of Industrial Design, University of Newcastle Chris Gable- Online Editor, Wheels Magazine Richard Ferlazzo Head of Exterior Design, Holden

Land Rover Discovery TDV6 SE Ford Territory Turbo Bentley Continental GTC Lexus IS250

Stephen Minnett - Architect

Chrysler 300C SRT8

John Brown - CEO, Design Resource

Audi A6 Avant

Peter Robinson - Senior Contributor, Wheels

Audi A8

Samantha Stevens - Automotive Writer Paul Cockburn - Motor Magazine and Industrial Designer Graham Wadsworth - Design Manager Ford Motor Company of Australia Sally Dominguez - Architect and Designer Brandon Gien - Chairman

Design is invisible.

Birds of Prey

110 Michael Stahl, Contributing Editor, Wheels Magazine Illustration by Ann Cape

Pictured

Utility is one of the principal sources of beauty … The fitness of any system or machine to produce the end for which it was intended, bestows a certain propriety and beauty upon the whole, and renders the very thought and contemplation of it agreeable – Adam Smith, economist and philosopher, 1759

Looking at this cabin, you’d have the impression that the Fluence was powered by the breath of fairies … rather than the same 3.5 litre V6 engine as the Nissan Maxima. All of that is conveyed through design. And in the world’s most complex consumer product, it occurs at every level, from aerodynamic silhouette to interior grab-handle. Surprising that it should take something so elaborate as the The goal of WADA is to acknowledge the talent and Wheels Automotive Design Award, now in its second year, to dedication of those who make cars more beautiful, more sift good automotive design from bad. After all, when it comes purposeful, more efficient, more emotive. Its judges are to the subject of car design – as with movies and politics assembled from industrial and automotive design, architecture – everyone’s an expert. and journalism. In reality, design goes far deeper than ‘crook’ or ‘swoopy.’ The Award is open to any car available on the Australian Lines and forms tap into our very neurological roots, triggering market in the current year. From 32 entries received by the real emotions that have been hard-wired into humanity over April 7 cut-off date, judges pored through design submissions millennia. Whether it’s the taut, seductive hips of an Italian to arrive at a shortlist by the end of that month. supercar or the chirpy, good-morning smile of a Korean A technical hitch prevented one of those 16 cars on the hatchback, cars don’t acquire ‘personalities’ by accident. shortlist from making it onto these pages; that hitch being that The ridged beak and hooded headlamps of a BMW may the Bentley Continental GTC, widely admired in the internet not consciously register as the face of a bird of prey, but shortlisting, was rather jumping the gun. The car won’t go into something tells you it’s focused, purposeful, athletic. Consider production until the end of this year. that this is true even of a BMW that is, in performance terms, Even more surprising was the collective response to the less intimidating than a Honda Jazz. remaining 15 vehicles - the privileged 50 per cent to make Renault’s Fluence concept of 2004 featured a confident, it through internet shortlisting - once they arrived in the sculpted exterior, befitting a coupe with sporting pretensions. metal, under the gaze and grasp of the highly creative WADA For the interior, however, Renault sought something fresh, judges whose minds are trained to attack any problem from intimate and inviting. multiple angles.

The ridged beak and hooded headlamps of a BMW may not consciously register as the face of a bird of prey, but something tells you it’s focused, purposeful, athletic.

In designing the Fluence’s cabin, designers studied dozens of exotic plants, both under the microscope and in time-lapse photography. The soft, organic forms even go so far as to mimic nature: on opening the door, the seats ‘bloom’ open invitingly. When the door is closed, the bolsters and cushion sides gently hug against the occupant’s body. To understand this, is to understand automotive design: the seamless merging of emotion with function. In a low-slung sports coupe, a seat that slides back, with cushion sides and bolsters that open outwards, is a clever solution for issues of entry and egress. Once underway, powered, adjustable cushion sides and bolsters add an extra dimension in lateral support, another relevant benefit in a sports coupe.

Being a fly on the WADA wall is endlessly fascinating for anyone who, as Adam Smith (the 18th century one, not the 2005 WADA Young Designer of the Year winner) put forth, already sees the innate beauty in what a car does, and hopes to better understand the beauty beyond. Because not everyone, really, is an expert on car design. Yet. We’ll leave the last word to Chris Bangle, probably the world’s most controversial car designer, who last December spoke at design forum in New York hosted by Fortune magazine. “If you are in the business of design and take a long-term perspective, you conclude that everyone will be a designer,” Bangle said. “If not, you will not be literate in the world. Design is about giving you tools and processes to organise your world. If the skill of manipulating the world with words, literacy, is important, design has comparable importance.”

Design is invisible.

Sydney Style

Barracuda is a brand of Skyline Northwest, an American corporation based in Oregon. Konstrukt has a growing number of international clients that bring benefits and challenges. “We consider it very important to be working with a mix of companies both in Australia and overseas. Competing internationally means we have to absolutely be at the front of our game and be the best option for our clients, wherever they are. Furthermore our Australian clients are all focused on export so it is equally important to them that we are bringing a global perspective to projects,” says Cooper. “Our experience is that once a project is underway, distance proves to be less of an issue than everybody (including ourselves!) expects it to be. “Results and relationships are more important than geography. Communication is fundamental whether you’re working with someone in Sydney or Chicago. The key difference for us is that when we’re bridging time zones we apply a more formal structure. “Working with Skyline was great. They were an ideal partner for this project. The shared goal was to achieve the best outcome. The fact that they are in Portland and we are in Sydney was never really an issue. What was important to them is that we understood their objectives and were able to deliver,” said Cooper. Through the course of the project Konstrukt worked closely with both the President of the company and the Founder. “We visited a number of times, but the majority of communication was by email and phone. There is a comfortable overlap in business hours between Sydney and the West Coast of the US so we chat in the morning and progress things during the day.” Staff, projects and facilities all contribute to the international flavour of Konstrukt. All but one of the team have lived overseas and the principal and senior staff travel regularly. Though still early days, over the last two years Konstrukt has worked for companies in the US, Italy, England, Hong Kong, and China. The Sydney studio is supported by satellite studios in Milan and Shanghai. This provides extra horsepower when needed as well as bases of operations in Europe and China. Design troubadours. Konstrukt is known for occasionally taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to promotion. Peter Cooper explains humour is important. “We take our work very seriously but try not to take ourselves too seriously. We have to resist the temptation to sit around in black t-shirts, sipping lattes and looking at product porn” (Cooper admits to being a serial offender). “Instead we need to make sure we’re thinking about what we’re doing and who it’s for. So much imagery in our profession is of objects and their details. While this is important, we should remember that it’s all about people. We’re designing for people and that connection is paramount. That’s why we like to also present the human side of Konstrukt, including our warped sense of humour, and not just our portfolio of work.” Nice one.

113 Pictured (Clockwise from top) Sam Trewartha, Alan Lee, Andy Wana, Peter Cooper, Nathan Burke, and Noah Zamansky.

Going global

Design is invisible.

The self-proclaimed ‘best-looking designers in Australia’, the crew at Konstrukt, punch out some very fine designs. Konstrukt received an Australian Design Award this year for their Barracuda Predator swim goggles. Produced and distributed by Barracuda in the US, the product is specifically designed for open-water swimming and triathlons. “Definitely not a project for anyone intimidated by Lycra!” jokes Peter Cooper, Managing Director of Konstrukt Design and project lead for the Barracuda goggles. “From the initial research phase through to prototyping and testing we had to be prepared to drop trou and get in the water,” said Cooper. The design came from the observation that although there are plenty of goggles designed for pool use, open-water swimming and multi-sport events such as triathlon have additional demands. These events are typically much longer, the swimmer is in the water for more time, so comfort whilst achieving an effective seal is important. “For a 100 meter sprint you can just tighten the strap to keep the water out, and that’s what people do, until their eyeballs are popping out! But that’s not a good option if the event is several miles long,” says Cooper, who speaks from experience, having completed three Ironman Triathlons. In addition to creating an effective seal, the larger lenses and special geometry of the design also provide enhanced vision, thereby assisting with navigation, another challenge for openwater swimmers who don’t have a black line on the bottom of the pool to follow. The Barracuda Predator goggles have a distinctive, aggressive appearance that is in keeping with the nature of the product and design philosophy of Konstrukt. “We feel the look of a product should be the result of several considerations. The first is function. We work on a wide range of different products from medical devices to sporting equipment, but there is invariably a performance aspect. First and foremost the product needs to work and be able to be manufactured,” says Cooper. Konstrukt have both industrial designers and engineers on staff and take an integrated approach with engineering requirements being considered right from the outset. “New product development has an inherent component of risk, but we look to minimise that and avoid nasty surprises,” says Cooper. The next consideration is determining an appropriate aesthetic for the product. “Not everything should look like an iPod. The product’s ‘personality’ should be expressed, which may be one or more of any number of attributes including ruggedness, precision, friendliness and dependability. A third factor is brand language. Invariably a product is part of a range, or, perhaps, hopefully, the beginning of one. A cohesive family look and feel that conveys the underlying brand values should also be apparent in a product’s DNA,” explains Cooper.

2006 Powerhouse Museum Selection

A snapshot of design and innovation in Australia today

At first glance a child’s tricycle, an artificial heart and a barbeque may seem to have little in common. But as part of this year’s Powerhouse Museum Selection they record a ‘snapshot’ of design and innovation in Australia today. Many of the past winners of this award are now held in the Museum’s permanent collection, including the Victa Razor lawnmower, FCS H-2 surfboard fins and Betachek blood glucose monitor. Since 1992 the Powerhouse Museum has recognised excellence in Australian product design with its own award as part of the annual Australian Design Awards program. The Museum displays the winning products in the Success and Innovation gallery for one year. Some of these products and relevant design models and documents are added to the Museum’s permanent collection of Australian industrial design. The Museum’s selection is made from the Australian Design Awards finalists and criteria includes good design, innovation, and the significance of a product to Australia’s material culture. Products must demonstrate innovation in design, technology or materials that are of real benefit to users. They must also show potential to become important in the life of Australians, be significant to Australian industry or provide an opportunity for

Australian design to be recognised in the global marketplace. The products selected by the Museum reflect the diverse range of Australian Design Awards entries – and the links design have to every part of life. Each product tells many stories – not only of success in design, engineering, manufacture and markets – but also of broader trends in society and culture. This year’s selection is no exception. The Jeppe Utzon barbeque reflects contemporary trends in architecture and outdoor living and represents a new aesthetic approach to barbeque design. Its links to a designer with a well-known connection to Australia’s design heritage will no doubt add to its market appeal. The Razor Jnr Scuttlebug tricycle, a progression from the popular Razor scooter, represents a response to changing housing and lifestyles requiring it to be easy to transport and store. It provides an opportunity for Australian design to be successful in a competitive international market. The VentrAssist heart pump represents a significant Australian innovation in medical technology – an area in which Australia has particular strength – and has potential to create a new export product for Australia and change the lives of many people around the world. The Powerhouse Museum Selection from the Australian Design

2006 Powerhouse Museum Selection S8 Series Flow Generator and HumidAire 3i Humidifier System MOBi-lert GAV – General Accoutrement Vest VentrAssist left ventricular assist system (LVAS) Neoz V4 Cordless Lamp System Nucleus Freedom System Sureshotgps Jeppe Utzon BBQ Demain Cordless Drill with Internal Power Chuck Razor Jr Scuttlebug Water-Wand 35 Litre Wheelie Cooler

Design is invisible.

Awards provides an annual record of contemporary design and innovation in Australia. It keeps the Museum in touch with Australia’s leading designers and provides an opportunity for the Museum to acquire artefacts relating to the design, manufacture and marketing of products in Australia. The annual exhibition of products allows the public to appreciate the latest in Australian design and innovation, and recognises the important role of design in enabling Australian companies to be competitive. The Powerhouse Museum is the only museum that actively collects contemporary Australian industrial design, and this annual selection plays an important role in documenting Australia’s design heritage. By collecting all aspects of a product’s lifecycle – from conceptual design and engineering development, to materials and manufacturing technologies and final use and disposal the museum can record the complex nature of design and its role in society, providing a rich resource for researchers of tomorrow and inspiration for the designers of today. The 2006 Powerhouse Museum Selection is displayed in the Australian Design Awards exhibition in the Success and Innovation gallery at the Powerhouse Museum until June 2007. The exhibition also features a selection of finalists from the Australian Design Award – Dyson Student Award.

Mixing great design with a sound business

When an industry undergoes dramatic change due to emerging standards and the rapid introduction of digital technologies, a good design firm must be ready to accept the challenge and change with the times. The professional audio market is an industry that has completely reinvented itself since the launch of the first digital products in the 1980s. Fairlight, one of the best known brands in the audio industry, has systems installed in many of the world’s major broadcasting facilities such as the National Japanese Broadcaster NHK, CBS Television in the USA, UK Broadcaster BSKY B and Australia’s Channel 9, Channel 10, ABC and Showtime. Hollywood giants such as 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros, Universal Studios and Sony pictures are major consumers of their equipment, and over 200 weekly episodic TV shows are recorded and edited on Fairlight platforms in the USA alone. Like many people in the audio industry, Fairlight’s CEO John Lancken, started out as a professional musician graduating from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. After years of playing in bands and performing he found himself in recording studios where he became involved in the technology of the mixing, eventually moving from one side of the mixing console to the other. Like John, the majority of the staff at Fairlight have a healthy fascination with the gear on both a technological and creative level, they are about creation, innovation and invention, with a twist of commercial common sense. Their products make great sound, and they also make their clients’ money. Some of the most exciting and significant products ever used in the professional audio, video and film industries have come from Fairlight. In the early eighties the Fairlight Computer Musical Instrument (CMI) introduced the world to digital sampling and music sequencing. Twenty years on all popular music is made this way. To celebrate this milestone Fairlight will band together with WITNESS, a global human rights organisation to auction a collector’s CMI signed by 43 legendary artists that have changed the shape of music over the past three decades including, Bono, Elvis Costello, Annie Lennox, Sir George Martin, Stevie Wonder, Iva Davies and many more. Peter Gabriel, co-founder and chairman of WITNESS, expressed his gratitude and personal dedication to the project by saying he was deeply honored that Fairlight has selected us as the nonprofit beneficiary of the auction. “There is great synchronicity between Fairlight and WITNESS since we are both committed to using technology in innovative ways,” said Peter. John Lancken mirrored these sentiments saying the response from the artists has been overwhelming and a true testament to the creative heart of the music community. “WITNESS is devoted to using technology to open eyes to the world’s most egregious injustices,” said John “To have this collective of legendary artists come together and return their talent for such a noble cause is truly inspiring. We are very pleased to be partnered with WITNESS and look forward to helping them make a difference,” he added. Design Secret and Innovation Fairlight.au develops recording technology in the form of large format mixers that are designed and manufactured in Australia

and used extensively throughout the world for feature films, television productions, commercials and music recording. Their latest award winning product, Anthem, was invented in Sydney by Fairlight’s research and development team headed by Tino Fibaek, the company’s Chief Technical Officer and Director. “For us design-wise, the important thing is that a change must be real improvement, rather than a gimmick backed by clever marketing,” said Tino. “High on our agenda was to create a product which offered our market the chance to diversify their range of revenue opportunities. The original Fairlight heritage was firmly rooted in the music community, so we decided to include music recording and mixing tools into our film and TV production platforms. “We were able to add more functionality in the same product delivering the versatility that would equip them to better address today’s commercial environment. The result is a revolutionary new multi-purpose console that delivers Music, Post and Broadcast business opportunities, all from one versatile unit aptly named Anthem,” he said. The secret to Anthem’s innovative design lies in its use of new technologies and the ability to change the way the console operates through software. For example, being able to reconfigure the console instantly for different audio tasks is significant, and it is the first audio system to combine three different types of mixing consoles: - Track laying when music is actually being recorded by performers in the studio; - Mix-down when previously recorded material is mixed into a mastered soundtrack; and - Post when the mixing console is used to work with picture sources in film and TV productions. John Lancken explains that previously three different types of mixing consoles in three separate studio control rooms might have been required. “Anthem is a console for all seasons that has the power to fuel growth in the industry overnight,” he added. Anthem’s early adopters, such as Günther Kasper chief engineer at Sound Studio N in Germany, describe the Anthem is an innovative console which offers everything. “With 96-channel hard-disk recording, powerful eight QDC audio engine and full networkability, the Anthem is the complete solution for recording, mixing and post-production. In addition, the sleek and slim design fits perfectly into our studio acoustic design. We are proud to be the first Fairlight Anthem owner and look forward to a long and successful future with the console,” said Günther. Delivering the most forward-thinking technologies to the music and post-production world, Fairlight alone has amassed the experience and knowledge to meet the needs of today’ media creators. Having received four Australian Design Awards, two Academy Awards and countless other industry accolades, John Lancken said to be nominated and win the Australian Design Award in the Business and Technology category, in our home town, is a dream come true for our design and manufacturing team. Fairlight continues to launch cutting edge products and innovative software for the pro audio industry, they deliver sound business sense for media organisations of all sizes around the world.

117 Pictured

Design is invisible.

Tino Fibaek, Chief Technology Officer, Fairlight.au Illustration by Sheila Eik

Engineering Design Excellence

Engineers Australia Award for

Engineers Australia recognises one exceptional finalist from the Australian Design Awards for outstanding achievement in engineering design. The Engineers Australia Award for Engineering Design Excellence is assessed by engineering design experts and members of Engineers Australia. Engineers Australia, one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier engineering bodies, is the national forum for the advancement of engineering and the professional development of its members. It is the largest and most diverse professional body for engineers in Australia and boasts more than 79 000 members. It embraces all disciplines of engineering and engineering leadership and management. Through the Australian Design Awards and the Engineering Design Excellence Award, Engineers Australia is able to demonstrate its leadership in the development of engineering design, innovation and new technologies in Australia.

Pictured: Winner of the 2006 Engineers Australia Award for Engineering Design Excellence, the Nucleus Freedom System by Cochlear.

Design is invisible.

Mixing great design with a sound business