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mafi DESIGN QUARTERLY EDUCATING THE MARKET the business of design people products

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London Design Festival 2013

CLARE COUSINS MAPS OUT CHALLENGES FOR START-UP ENTERPRISES

EUROPE’S SIGNATURE GRASS-ROOTS event In review

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issue 52

page 83 / IN-DEPTH

page 69 / inFLUENCERS

page 97 / INTERACT

editorial

S

ucceeding in business in the local Australian market is by no means easy. Never-mind the ongoing global financial crisis or looming competition from Asian-markets, it takes an incredible level of entrepreneurial ‘savoir faire’ and strategy to succeed.

To this end, we might look at Space Furniture – with its humble beginnings as a one-man operation in 1993, the business is now a national and global success story – this year celebrating its 20 years in operation. Here, Space attributes the milestone to three key factors: strategic business modelling, cultivating highly-skilled staff, and tackling challenges as opportunities. Though it wasn’t always smooth sailing the hard times were ultimately what strengthened the brand, and forced its leaders to re-align the structure of the business, pg 18.

On the topic of brand evolution, our Editorial Director, Dr. Paul McGillick, speaks with Dr. Markus Miele, of Miele Appliances, on the subject of disruptive innovation verses incremental improvement. Though the distinction may seem fairly obvious, the difference is often predicated on the user’s experience, and therefore becomes an objective and hard to determine factor when it comes to product development. Dr. Miele remarks: “It is not a product’s inventor who succeeds in business, it is he who improves it.” Dr. Miele believes this to be the key to innovation, and as such details the lengths to which Miele invests in market research to pin-point how a product would be received, and forecast consumer trends, pg 65.

Here at DQ, we like to tackle the big issues. In the past we’ve covered ground in areas such as manufacturing, education, and globalisation. In issue #52 we dissect the weighty topic of ‘technology’, and the role it plays in the business of design. What quickly became obvious is that technology is a great source of contention in our local design hub, where architects, designers, suppliers and retailers alike have strong views on its value within the field. Topics such as eCommerce, specifiers using apps for product sourcing, and the importance of an integrated digital and bricks and mortar strategy, forced active examination and opinion on both sides – where everyone had their two-cents. We invite you to give yours! pg 83.

But of course our industry is about more then just business. We haven’t forgotten about community culture, and we’re sure you haven’t either! In this issue of DQ we take you behind the scenes of London Design Festival (LDF) 2013, Cersaie, and Melbourne Now. These events have a significant place for the Australian design scene, where our local industry is increasingly becoming a hot-commodity. Here, Indesign Editor-at-large, Mandi Keighran, is on the ground with Australia’s top designers taking the leap at this year’s LDF with designjunction and 100% Design. Not to mention Australia’s top parties and events to boot! Head to pg 97 for this quarters Interact.

editor Sophia Watson

inside word DQ Editor Sophia Watson, dq@indesign.com.au

Editorial Director

CEO / Publisher

Paul McGillick, editor@indesign.com.au

Raj Nandan, raj@indesign.com.au

Senior Designer Frances Yeoland, frances@indesign.com.au

Online Editor Lorenzo Logi, lorenzo@indesign.com.au

PA to Publisher/subscriptions Elizabeth Davy-Hou, liz@indesign.com.au

Contributing Writers Alice Blackwood, Angela Ferguson, Annie Reid, Ben Morgan, Byron George, Colleen Black, Elana Castle, Jen bishop, Leanne Amodeo, Mandi Keighran, Marg Hearn, Patricia Nelson, Stephen Crafti

Operations Manager Adele Troeger, adele@indesign.com.au

EDITORIAL INTERNs Nicholas Sherwood, Thomas Tran

Events and Marketing Tegan Richardson , tegan@indesign.com.au Angie Boustred, angie@indesign.com.au

Designer Alex Buccheri, alex@indesign.com.au Junior Designer Rollo Hardy, rollo@indesign.com.au Junior Designer / Ad traffic Natalie Lau, natalie@indesign.com.au CONTRIBUTING Designer Michelle Byrnes Production Manager Sophie Mead, sophie@indesign.com.au

Financial Director Kavita Lala, kavita@indesign.com.au Accounts Gabrielle Regan, gabrielle@indesign.com.au Vivia Felice, vivia@indesign.com.au

Online Radu Enache, radu@indesign.com.au Ramith Verdheneni, ramith@indesign.com.au Ryan Sumners, ryan@indesign.com.au Jesse Cai, jesse@indesign.com.au Advertising Enquiries / Online Advertising Enquiries Laura Garro – Southern States (61) 423 774 126 laurag@indesign.com.au COVER IMAGE ‘Escher Stairs’ by mafi. Product used: ‘Oak Volcano’ brushed natural oil; ‘Oak Sand’ brushed natural oil; ‘Larch’ white oil. Creative concept: Alex Buccheri, Frances Yeoland, Sophia Watson. Photography: Tim Robinson, timrobinsonphotography.com

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contents

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15

Industry

influencers

On the Move 5 Mins with... Hannah tribe FOLIO – THE FUTURE OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OPINION – Byron George A Perfect 10 – META AUSTRALIA

CLARE COUSINS CLARE COUSINS Architecture ANTHONY MILLING AQUABOCCI

Digital Business 24.

PROFILE With NICK KARLOVASITIS, Michael BAKER, ROB CASLICK, BARBARA and FELLOWS

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FRESH FACES IN DESIGN WITH ALEXA NICE - ALEXA NICE INTERIORS

IN DEMAND

GEO-METRIC Products STORAGE SOLUTIONS HOSPITALITY SPECS CORPORATE CULTURE MIELE MAFI STEELCASE

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iNteract

LONDON DESIGN FESTiVAL 2013 CERSAIE, ITALY MELBOURNE NOW PARTIES CAESARSTONE TABLE&CHAIR COMPANY NAWIC AWaRDS BALL 2013 WILKHAHN ANOMALY COSENTINO STYLECRAFT DESIGN DIARY

London Design Festival

100.

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In-depth

TECHNO-LOGICAL TECHNOLOGY’S ROLE IN THE BUSINESS OF DESIGN

London Calling

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Bringing design to life

FORGING SUPPLIER SUCCESS Celebrating 20 years in operation, General Manager Christina Caredes shares Space Furniture’s secrets of success.

words Sophia Watson

W

hat have been some of the major turning points for Space over the last 20 years?

Transacting online has been a big shift in our business, as well as moving into the contract/ commercial world about five or six years ago. Prior to our moving into this sector of the market we were more involved in specifier/ residential/trade. Commercial for us means workplace, hospitality, and retail fit-out. This coincided with the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) – invariably changing the workplace, and subsequently gave us the opportunity to put our furniture forward.

When this happened, we started to really think more strategically, trying to understand how we could grow the business.

And from then we’ve decided to run within two models: we run a retail model and a commercial model. This has been quite fundamental for us in the way that we operate, and in the way that we approach the market moving forward.

How do you strike the balance between your segregated commercial and retail models?

When we decided to take this direction, it became quickly apparent that both markets require you to think very differently. They require you to plan and focus differently, however in the end it’s a circle – and this is what people sometimes forget. If you have strong support from the architecture and design

community, it taps back into the consumer retail market.

Conversely, if you have strong support from the retail community it flows back to getting you support from the architecture and design industry.

Both segments require different approaches, different marketing and business strategies, but ultimately its all about the brand ‘Space’.

For example, branding for the retail market is incredibly important, you have to get the message across that your brand has integrity, value for money and longevity. The commercial message is similar, but you can embody the retail market with the trust that inevitably flows into contract. Very often however, we begin with contract where we have the trust of the specifier market. The strategy is important, and regardless of which segment you’re focusing on, your brand message has to have integrity attached to it.

What have been the brand’s biggest challenges, and how has the business overcome these?

Without sounding naïve or warm and fuzzy about it, we approach our challenges as we would an opportunity. For example, the fact that you can so easily pop online and find any price for any product has certainly been a challenge, but if viewed correctly it’s an opportunity to grow.

For us, the online ‘scare’ was an opportunity to talk to the consumer in a way not previously

INDUSTRY

Clockwise from top left / Space Showroom, Sydney; Up Series 2000 UP5 armchair by Gaetano Pesce for B&B Italia

possible. The fact that everyone is so technological and internetsavvy means that we have access to the market through this amazing online asset if positioned correctly. So that’s exactly what we did.

The GFC was another obstacle, although it presented a range of opportunities that have proved to be really successful.

Specifically, that when you have to tighten your strings, you learn to run your business in a really clever way. You learn to think your decisions through, your thought process is clearer and more critical, and you learn to think far more long-term. You start to think ‘Ok, if I’m going to invest this $100,000, what exactly I am I going to get out of it for the next three-to-five years?’ where as 10 years ago, the attitude to investing was far more flippant and spontaneous.

You become very aware that you have a responsibility toward the people you employ, and that your investment affects them.

For example we have over 150 employees we are responsible for, and our business decisions are also driven by providing job security for them.

SPACE spacefurniture.com (61 2) 8339 7588

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INDUSTRY

This page / Hannah Tribe

with Hannah Tribe of Tribe Studio Architects

interview Sophia Watson

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hat makes Tribe Studio Architects unique?

I believe that to be a good architect, one must be an active participant in the culture and have a rich life both in and away from the studio. Our work is enriched by the disparate interests of the team. We make homes for people. These may be privately commissioned, in which case the client can communicate how they want to live to us. When we are designing multi-residential for developers, we need to be able to imagine ourselves in the lives of the many different people who will eventually live in our buildings.

It’s empathy.

To date, what has been your best business move?

Starting my own business in 2003 with only two years post-graduate experience was simultaneously the best

and worst business decision I have made. I was completely naïve about the complexities of architectural practice. I didn’t have the experience to borrow business systems from past employers. So I had to learn everything the hard way and from scratch. While this is definitely not the most expedient business start-up method, it has taught me excellent fundamentals and has become ingrained in my intuition.

What has been your greatest challenge as an entrepreneur?

A psychological one. To begin with I laboured under the absurd delusion that to be a creative success, one must be a commercial failure. It’s a kind of ‘starving artist’ mentality that is incredibly widespread with young, idealistic architects and I think it is very destructive for the profession. It’s certainly a myth I quelled long ago.

What are the skills and qualities you would still like to acquire?

In some kind of alternate universe, I would train in landscape architecture, urban design and industrial design.

I would go to art school and draw, paint, print, pot and sculpt. I would write fabulous literary fiction and whimsical children’s picture books. I would study history, philosophy and mathematics. So to the first part of the question: what skills? As many as possible. The second part: what qualities? Patience, and the ability to concentrate on one goal at a time.

TRIBE STUDIO ARCHITECTS tribestudio.com.au (61 2) 9211 3211

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MAKING YOUR NET, WORK T

he part of online business that’s often the most complex and daunting is eCommerce. It’s a world of shopping baskets, security encryption and credit card payments. But is it really that tricky and expensive to set up?

And what’s the secret to making a success of an online store? I asked Jamee Huntington, owner of online homewares store ‘In A Designer Home’ (IDH), which launched in December 2011 and stocks a range of brands such as: Enoki, evie and Helen Kontouris.

“Set-up costs vary hugely,” she says. “The more you customise your store, the greater investment you will need to make, which can go from $500 to $50,000. Without sounding vague, the best advice is to start small and grow into your business. Learn to be resourceful and don’t underestimate the value of your own skills. Setup costs include the shopping cart and shipping method, web development, graphic design and from there, SEO and marketing.”

Developing IDH took around five months. “During this time I was establishing a brand and sourcing designers to add to the retail platform.

Today, IDH represents almost 30 independent designers, in addition to five bricks and mortar design and retail stores.”

The biggest challenges were finding the correct avenues to share her store and defining its target market. “For IDH, those avenues include print magazines, blogs and social media outlets such as Instagram and Facebook.”

Huntington’s business model continues to evolve with the recent addition of stores within her store (KE-ZU and Top3 by Design among them). “IDH is a clean and freshly designed

website that allows branded stores to be represented clearly,” she says. Her latest marketing tool is a quarterly digital magazine, just recently publishing its second issue. “These two additions are helping showcase our appreciation for all things design and transforming this into a community, accessible online.”

There have been many lessons learned along the way and Huntington says there will always be technical difficulties you have no control over. “These include hosts and servers crashing or failing, bugs entering your site and changing your whole layout – all the goodies! Realise you’re not the only one in the online world suffering form these problems and generally it is only for a short period of time.”

Although she won’t talk numbers, Huntington says sales have grown exponentially with 64 per cent of customers new to the site, and 36 per cent returning.

Her last tip is that it’s extremely important to build a social media presence. “Find out who your demographic is, and realise we live in a digital word, meaning it is important to be in touch, both digitally and personally.”

words Jen Bishop theinteriorsaddict.com facebook.com/interiorsaddict pinterest.com/interiorsaddict Twitter @interiorsaddict

INDUSTRY

Knowing online obstacles

I

n five years time, online shopping may dominate consumer spending – and the best websites will maximise this opportunity. However, mastering online retail is certainly not easy, and understanding the challenges in order to prevent them is often the best solution.

The three biggest obstructions are: the browser burden, scalability and loss of data opportunity.

words Sophia Watson

1. THE BROWSER BURDEN A recent study by Forrester Research shows that approximately 97 per cent of people who visit an eCommerce site leave without buying anything.

While the top sites might get 17 per cent, plus conversion rates, the rest of the industry achieves far less. According to the study, most sales conversion rates range between one and three per cent.

2. SCALABILITY Online campaigns are highly visible to consumers, and as a result,

retailers require scalability on demand – a website and online application that can cope with high web-traffic.

For example, automotive website Carsguide.com.au, decided to partner with internet hosting provider, Macquarie Hosting, to coincide with an increased demand from its advertisers for more diverse and creative online marketing opportunities. New data-indexing software improved search functionality for customers and delivered more targeted opportunities for marketers. This improved the rates of both search volume and time spent on site.

If consumers are prohibited from accessing online information due to poor IT provision, there is an inevitable loss of business, not to mention brand reputation damage. Consider, as a consumer, the frustration in not being able to log on to a website because it is unavailable. Or worse, having a website crash mid-way through a financial transaction.

Requirements include scaling storage and servers, sometimes rapidly to meet ongoing growth and the impact of sales and marketing projects in driving more peaks in web-traffic.

3. L OST DATA OPPORTUNITIES Collecting data is great, but if you don’t have the means to analyse the data in an efficient and timely way, you lose the value of that information. When you’re marketing to people online you must be able to observe, understand, and react to decisions they’re making in real time, so that you are able to capture the sale before they navigate off-site to one of your competitors.

Larger sites have armies of data analysts and engineers to assist them in giving every site visitor the best possible offer to ensure the sale, but smaller sites are often working without these resources available to them, and therefore need to invest time into the task.

Clockwise from left / ‘KrissKross will make ya’...’ illustration

by Alex Buccheri

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FORRESTER RESEARCH forrester.com

ECOMMERCE TIMES ecommercetimes.com

MAKING YOUR

words Leanne Amodeo

This page / Daniel Stewart Hood and Guy Eddington, Photo: Matt Biocich; illustration by Frances Yeoland

A

sk any emerging designer what the current environment is like for start-ups and they will tell you its tough. Manufacturing issues, financial insecurity and a competitive marketplace is the reality, but most won’t be deterred. If anything they will use these challenges as motivation to further innovate and refine their body of work.

For Perth-based Daniel Stewart Hood and Guy Eddington a major supplier finally came knocking after three years spent diligently building their own individual practices.

“Representatives from Zenith were looking for new local work for their recently launched Perth showroom,” says Hood. “They saw our furniture in the Midland Atelier’s fifth anniversary exhibition and happened to like what we do.”

Neither designer had approached any suppliers before Zenith’s show of interest, so it may seem they simply caught a lucky break. They were certainly in the right place at the right time to be recruited on the strength of that one exhibition.

But this is exactly the point, and both Hood and Eddington understand the importance of industry exposure.

“Design is a visual practice and people need to be able to see and judge your work,” says Hood. “So getting your work out there is obviously the best way for an emerging designer to decide whether or not there’s a future in it for them.” Both designers have been strategic in aligning themselves with a respected creative hub such as the Midland Atelier because of the opportunities it can afford them.

The association has given them visibility at local and national levels, but more importantly it has provided them with the mentorship that is so often lacking in the early days of an emerging designer’s practice.

Hood and Eddington learned from the best when Jon Goulder was head of the Atelier’s furniture workshop – his influence is clearly evident in their work.

From Zenith’s perspective there is obvious risk in stocking pieces by two designers with no track record. Understanding the market’s demands however,

means the risk is calculated. On the designers part they realise that good design is necessary design and they are aware of trends. “There’s been a push in the residential and hospitality sectors over the last 12 months,” says Eddington. “This is something Daniel and I have kept in mind when designing. The more bases you can cover, the broader your market can be.”

At this stage Hood and Eddington are personally responsible for manufacturing their Zenith consignment pieces once orders come in. “Ultimately we want to outsource the manufacture because that will free up time to design new work and keep our ranges fresh,” says Hood. This is vital to the designers’ ongoing partnership with Zenith, and could potentially open up national distribution opportunities. It would seem their perseverance is paying off.

HOOD + EDDINGTON midlandatelier.com (61 8) 9226 2799

INDUSTRY

Supporting Startups words Sophia Watson

F

inding the resources and support of a like-minded community often proves to be a major stumbling block for emerging entrepreneurs.

Though the input and motivation of the individual is undeniably crucial, the provision of a strong business community impacts on the success or failure of a young business.

Here, a number of communities exist to support your start-up, and guide you through an otherwise daunting process.

THE BENEFIT • Access to established mentors with decades of experience • Workshop and learning resources such as financial planning and digital business • Latest news and opportunities • C onnecting prospective startup candidates to investors, financial institutions, and legal advice • Weekly meet-ups to share collective experience • Local government backing

VIC/Melbourne

Australia wide

THE RESOURCE Originally a blog created by Austrian Erik Unger, Startup Melbourne promotes Melbourne’s unique ecosystem, intended to be a resource for global entrepreneurs as well as a window into what Melbourne is up to locally, encouraging the best in home-grown talent to the world.

THE RESOURCE StartupSmart is Australia’s leading news and advice resource for start-up businesses. Whatever stage you are in the planning, starting or growing of your new venture, StartupSmart has all the information you need – for free.

THE BENEFIT • A short-list of Melbourne’s finest local start-ups • Key event dates for business mixers, seminars and tertiary education • Step-by-step guides to approaching a start-up from former successful Melbourne entrepreneurs • Access to investors, funding bodies and media

THE BENEFIT • Access location specific mentors • Business tools such as personal loan advice, term deposits, and short-term courses • Current news updates • Planning advice from business experts for sole trading and franchises • Legal advice resource • Growth strategy workshops for venture capitalists • Profiles detailing the experiences of former start-up entrepreneurs

QLD/Brisbane THE RESOURCE Startup Brisbane is a free and open network of students, entrepreneurs, mentors, investors, schools, universities and businesses. It is an entrepreneur lead platform with a goal to grow healthy, vibrant and profitable start-up communities around Brisbane, Queensland and Australia.

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STARTUP MELBOURNE startupmelbourne.com

STARTUP BRISBANE startupbrisbane.com.au

STARTUP SMART startupsmart.com.au

Entrepreneur Clare Cousins discovers the pros and cons of establishing a young practice.

words Alice Blackwood

Clockwise from top left / Mornington Beach House project

by Clare Cousins; Clare Cousins, Photos: Shannon McGrath

O

ften it’s a large project that provides the catalyst for going out on your own. Between designing, client liaison, documentation and site visits, time is tight, prospects are bountiful and your options are suddenly wide open.

For Clare Cousins, founder and principal of Clare Cousins Architects, establishing her own practice was a quiet undertaking. She started out small, but the timing, she says, was perfect.

Cousins’ earliest jobs were in construction and small architectural practices. As an undergraduate architect, she contracted for a builder on the Prince of Wales Spa Retreat development (St Kilda, 2001) – an interesting and unusual undertaking for an architecture student. “But it gave me a great sense of being located out on site every day,” says Cousins.

The experience taught Cousins the value of communication, from liaising with builders to diffusing ‘situations’ and establishing an open exchange of ideas with the client. “It’s not just about being creative,” says Cousins.

In one of Cousins’ most formative career moves she worked with Wood Marsh, a steep learning that introduced her to multi-million dollar residential projects and a variety of responsibilities.

“That’s what I love about working in small practices, you have a lot of contact and interaction with clients and consultants. I’ve always been interested in having a connection with people and engaging with a project on many different levels,” says Cousins. “I find I need the variety to stay stimulated.”

Establishing her practice was a gradual process with Cousins taking on small jobs – a kitchen here, a bathroom there. “There was something nice about starting super small and doing these small interior projects. Then a couple of renovations came in and I started building the business.”

The early 2000s was a different time and place for design start-ups. Blogging and social media was yet

to take off, and news spread through word of mouth, or once every few months through design magazines.

The short, sharp turn-around of retail proved to be a valuable marketing tool for Cousins, with store fit-outs completed in a matter of weeks and offered up high exposure – thanks to the public nature of retail.

However, the lucrative prospect of mass retail rollouts didn’t tempt Cousins at all. “So many times we had the opportunity to do retail rollouts and turned back those jobs, because it just doesn’t interest us.

For us it’s always been about the creative process and thinking ‘new’.”

Maintaining a small studio has continued to serve Cousins well. She is loath to compromise on her business vision, which tends to favour the more intimate and gradual process of residential projects.

“Because we’re a small practice and can only take on so many projects, we’re particular about the work we take on,” she says. “And we’ve been fortunate that the business has had slow and steady growth. We’ve never been reduced to [panic] projects.”

Cousins has gained a reputation as a facilitator and a diffuser – often between architect, client and builder. “The way you work with people is so important,” she says. She describes her company as being ‘full services’, that is, easy to work with and approachable. Repeat business is also important – and in some ways more valuable than one-off engagements, because reliable clients invariably mean reliable cash flow.

The science and strategy of business is almost as enjoyable to Cousins as the architecture – although she freely admits that her first employee was a bookkeeper. What she does enjoy is the process of architecture. “Not just the design stage, in fact, the amount of design we do every week is such a small portion of what we do – you need to enjoy the process,” she says.

If there’s one defining element within Cousins’ work it is a focus on the ‘macro’ details, and materiality. “I’m interested in how material is applied and used. Why not try to express what a building is built from, rather than layering it with materials?” This refined approach to architecture and construction, combined with Cousins’ service-oriented ethos, is what gets her those repeat customers.

A focus on residential sectors has shielded the studio from the volatility of the global financial crisis, so the rough patches – if any – have manifested elsewhere. “In the early years I often thought about taking on a business partner, that I couldn’t continue to operate without a business partner,” says Cousins.

Timely advice helped her see that it was a skilled workforce that she needed. “I never really found the right person to be my business partner. Having developed a fantastic team around me I was reminded that I can do it myself. I just needed more help.”

CLARE COUSINS ARCHITECTS clarecousins.com.au (61 3) 9329 2888

INFLUENCERS

CLARE COUSINS

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ANTHONY MILLING

words Ben Morgan

INFLUENCERS

“ We’re here to sell, we’re not here to say, ‘look how amazing our products are’, this is the price – take it or leave it.”

Listen, Innovate, Design, and Price to Sell.

F

Clockwise from top left / Exploded Blade System

by Aquabocci; Anthony Milling

or Anthony Milling, ‘innovation’ isn’t just marketing-speak. After starting Aquabocci simultaneously in Australia and the UK 10 years ago, Milling now lives in the British capital.

From the outset, this designpreneur knew he had to do something different. After working for a decade in the stone and tile industry, he’d travelled extensively and learnt a great deal about manufacturing and dealing with international suppliers. But it was his conversations with designers, architects, builders and end-users that revealed the gaps (quite literally) in the current market.

“The idea came into my head when I saw a drain on a building site one day. It was made from stainless steel and I was chatting with the builder and he was telling me about the costs of the product and a few of the side effects that it had.” What this revealed was that stainless steel, when applied externally, over time developed brown spots called ‘tea-staining’. While not a huge issue in Europe, in Australia and Asia even marine-grade stainless steel can tea-stain.

“So from there I went and developed a range of drain systems out of alloy, which basically has no maintenance. I sat down and asked people what the problems were with existing products in the market.”

This research showed that people wanted prefabricated pieces, and an easy-to-install system, as well as longer lengths.

“Branding and marketing is something that I’m really interested in, and I think that’s helped the brand as well,” Milling explains. This interest has been integral to the design and development process, and

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highlights the value of understanding your market and your customer. “We offer a product called Aquabocci custom. It’s got a standard range of colours, and then we give architects and designers the opportunity to pretty much do any colour on their drains. Rather than powder-coating, we actually anodise. That idea came from a conversation around marketing.”

Milling has a gift for communicating and listening, spotting the needs that other manufacturers overlook.

This is where products like the Wondergrip – a drain grate with the highest CSIRO non-slip rating (R13) – and the Blade – literally drainage ‘slots’ between the tiles – have been developed. They are unique in the market, and they’re gaining a great deal of attention with architects, designers and end-users often specifying multiple times.

Milling points out, however, that it’s important to temper that passion with a cautious growth model.

Despite having almost no negative feedback since beginning the company three years ago and now selling Aquabocci globally, he’s focused on creating good products and selling them at an accessible price point. That isn’t too say he hasn’t taken risks.

“If you’re getting first-hand information from your customers on what they want and if you find a lot of people saying the same thing, then it’s a pretty safe bet that there’s a market for developing that solution or product. The blade was more of a risk though, you know, ‘Do people want a slot instead of a drain between the tiles?’. That wasn’t something we could get feedback on because it had never been done before, however, I was very, very confident that it would be well received.”

The recent showing in London (at 100% Design) has confirmed Milling’s suspicions, with the Blade in particular impressing the crowd of mostly specifiers.

“We price our products to sell. We want to offer good products, at a good price. Sometimes it can work against us though. If you’re too cheap, people can say ‘Oh, what’s wrong with it?’. Some of our competitors are very expensive and when we’re competing against them for a big job and our prices come in, it can work against you because people think it can’t be good if it’s that price.

“We’re there to sell, we’re not there to say, ‘look how amazing our products are’, this is the price – take it or leave it’. We actually want to sell lots of these really cool products.”

AQUABOCCI aquabocci.com (61) 410 505 333

TECHNO LOGICAL

IN-DEPTH

T

human condition, or in fact – worsens it.

The same questions may be asked for the design industry.

What is technology’s role in design? How does it impact on the output of a business?

What role does it play in approaching global markets?

How do specifiers use technology to receive brand and product information?

In the coming pages we dissect these ideas with some key figures in the Australian design community to answer the question: How does technology impact on the business of design?

echnology is a fairly ubiquitous idea – a veritable juggernaut of progress one could argue.

From the Greek ‘techne’ the word literally translates to ‘art, skill, and cunning of hand’. In its simple definition, it is the making, modification, usage and knowledge of tools in order to solve a problem, achieve a goal, or perform a specific function.

However technology, in its many forms, significantly affects humankind, and debate has been raised as to whether technology incrementally improves the

words Sophia Watson

Clockwise from top left / ‘TechnoLogical’ collage by Frances Yeoland

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words Mandi Keighran

LONDON CALLING

Indesign’s Mandi Keighran looks at London’s premiere design event, London Design Festival: designjunction, 100% Design, through the lense of its Australian participants.

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rom the eclectic mix of design found at designjunction and in showrooms around the city, to the talks programmes at 100% Design and Designersblock, and the panoply of pop-up exhibitions, installations and open studios across the city, London Design Festival (LDF) 2013 was a diverse and compelling week.

Highlights included Designmarketo’s interactive exhibition themed around perfume and pepper; Benjamin Hubert’s new ‘Ripple’ table, launched at an exhibition at the Aram Store, and ‘AMASS’, a 200 square metres auditorium at 100% Design; UKbased Australian designer Brodie Niell’s new brand, Made in Ratio; dRMM’s seemingly impossible ‘Endless Stair’ installation at the Tate Modern; the re-emergence of iconic UK brand Established & Sons; an inspiring collection of Norwegian design at 100% Norway; and the list goes on.

For Australia and New Zealand, LDF offers a myriad of valuable opportunities. First and foremost, designers are able to showcase their work to an international audience, and this year there was plenty of Australian design exhibited – particularly in the International Pavilion at 100% Design. Here, Australian design was represented by two exhibitions – Common Wealth, a group exhibition of 10 designers including Ross Didier, Ross Gardam, Charles Wilson, and Christopher Boots, curated by UK journalist Suzanne Trocme, and the Australian Pavilion, which featured work from Adam Cornish, Edward Linacre, Viktor Legin and Stephanie Ng. “Our collective work represented a narrative for what is currently being designed in Australia,” says Melbourne designer Ross Didier, who exhibited his ‘Fable’ and ‘Elf’ collections as part of Common Wealth. “Together, we created a rich and eclectic story.”

Those exhibiting were a mix of emerging and more established practitioners, but each was motivated by the international exposure and networking opportunities offered. New Zealand designer, David Trubridge, who exhibited new and existing products at designjunction, used LDF to both strengthen existing relationships, and build a higher international profile through several talks throughout the week.

“We haven’t shown in Britain for some time, so it is a market we need to work on,” he says. “Yet, even though we are relatively new to Britain, it was great to find that many people know our lights.”

Designjunction, held in the heart of the city against the industrial backdrop of the Royal Mail Sorting Office, was also where Australian-born UK-based designer Brodie Neill showcased his new brand Made in Ratio, which launched this year in Milan. While the products in the inaugural collection explore UK production and manufacturing, the forms clearly hark back to Neill’s Antipodean roots. “There was such an eclectic mix of exhibitors and a constant buzz throughout all three floors of the building,” says Neill of designjunction. “It really was the must-see event during a particularly busy LDF.” Alongside business opportunities, LDF also offered Australian designers an opportunity to broaden their own experiences. Ross Gardam, for example, was motivated to exhibit at 100% Design to investigate potential export markets and build relationships with international brands. But, he says, “another big driver behind going to LDF was to soak-up as much amazing design as I could in 10 days.”

Overall, LDF proved that Antipodean design talent is competitive on an international level, and that there is a lot of interest in the work coming out of this region. As Hugh Altschwager, who exhibited his ‘Flashlight’ pendant light as part of Common Wealth, says: “Now we just need to do more to encourage support from government and other organisations to ensure we continue to get the chance to exhibit on the international stage.”

Clockwise from top left / Fable Setting by Ross Didier; 100% Design Auditorium, Benjamin Hubert Installation; London Design Festival/ designjunction 2013, Photo: Susan Smart

DESIGNJUNCTION thedesignjunction.co.uk (44) 07 8607 72968

LONDON dESIGN FESTIVAL londondesignfestival.com (44) 20 7734 6444

100% DESIGN 100percentdesign.co.uk (44) 20 7734 6444

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