Design Droplets and Interphase Design present Industrial Design: In the future, where to from here?, an interactive panel led discussion to celebrate World Industrial Design Day 2011 and explore the future of the Industrial Design & Product Development professions in Australia.

Grab 20% off tickets, only available until 15 June - Book your ticket now.

The design industry in Australia is an ever changing and fluid entity, full of challenges that we don’t always fully comprehend. From government policy to changes in consumer behaviour and the emergence of new technolgies, with new challenge appearing everyday there are a vast array of changes that all have far reaching impacts on our profession and our ability to successfully innovate and stay competitive in a global marketplace.

“Industrial Design: In the future, where to from here?” will challenge the way you practice as a designer and explore the following question: What does the future of the design profession in Australia look like and what does this mean for us?

Panelists will include Colin Redmond (Interphase Design), Andrew Fallshaw (Bellroy), Nicolas Hogios (Toyota Style Australia), Fiona K Boyd (RushCrowds & Arts Hub), Antony DiMase (DiMase Architects) and Alister Montgomery (KPMG).

For further details on presenters visit Industrial Design: In The Future, Where To From Here?

Four reasons to attend this event:

• Gain new ideas, insights and perspectives
• Build & extend your professional network
• Share your view, contribute your voice to the future of Australian design
• Relax, enjoy an evening of conversation and ideas

Grab 20% off your ticket, only available until 15 June - Book your ticket now.

Supported By

If you are a long time Design Droplets reader you have probably already heard of the AGIdeas International Design Week, one of the world’s biggest and most prestigious design events. Regardless of its namesake reference (Alliance Graphic International – AGI, the international professional body for graphic designers and artists), AGIdeas is no longer a purely graphics focused event and has not been for sometime. AGIdeas ever expanding speaker list and event programme includes areas of design far beyond graphics and illustration. The programme now encompasses a diverse range of design disciplines and this year includes speakers and topics at the cutting edge of interaction, product, automotive and concept design, and much much more.

The AGIdeas 2011 festival programme and speaker line up is one of the most exciting and also largest to date.

This year AGIdeas International Design Week have further developed and refined their long standing events such as the International Design Forum, Secondary Schools Design Forum, Studio Access program and Workshops, and added a several exciting new events and additions/changes to the program.

AGIdeas 2011 events additions include:

• AGIdeas International Design Research Lab

The Design Research Lab is a one-day forum that provides design educators, researchers and practitioners with the opportunity to present design research papers to their peers.

• Children for Design

Aimed at primary school children, this event is a program of activities aimed at encouraging children to become champions of good design. Activities include a short forum, workshops with internationally renowned designers and a collaborative creation.

There have also been several changes to the traditional event programme including the Opening Cocktail Party now open to more than just AGIdeas speakers and organising committee.

Also returning after their huge success last year are In Conversation (a public seminar on Design) and the Advantage Business Breakfast.

The AGIdeas 2011 program is stuffed full of awesome events and will be a really worth while and exciting experience for any designer whether they are a student, graduate, long time practitioner or senior academic.

The speakers at this years AGIdeas that I am personally looking forward to seeing speak (and also to interviewing & showcasing here on Design Droplets) are Ian McCaig (one of the motion picture industries leading concept designers), Natan Linder (A member of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Fluid Interfaces Group), Bruce Bigelow (from Electric Art, a Sydney based creative retouching and 3D company), Susan Bonds (a pioneer of transmedia storytelling) and Nicolas Hogios (Manager of Design at Toyota Style Australia).

As well as the above speakers there will no doubt be an awesome line up of other engaging and amazing speakers, so if I was you I would be grabbing tickets right now as AGIdeas sells out every year and is an event that is not to be missed.

Unitec’s annual three-day Grad Show is the outcome of students’ creative inspiration and hours of refinement and preparation. This year’s Product Design section offered up a diverse assortment of work which served to provide a refreshing and surprising exhibition.

‘aqua recovery kit’ by Melody Duan

Products ranged from an aesthetically pleasing ceramic audio system by designer Ben Jarrett to an innovative ‘aqua recovery kit’ produced by Melody Duan. Along the water-based design vein, Aaron Hop showcased a functionally successful rainwater tank complete with integrated planters. The exhibition even included a direct drive tattoo machine, designed by David Zhang.

Direct drive tattoo machine by David Zhang

A highlight of the Product Design show was Campbell Dear’s Tussock Chair, developed for local commercial furniture brand Finewood. In the designer’s own words, “The Tussock chair leverages the brand of New Zealand to add value” by being “imbued with the essence of New Zealand through the concept of landscape ‘edge conditions’ – the convergence of elements where different terrain types meet.” The chair’s slot-together plywood construction calls to mind the work of Kiwi design titan David Trubridge, as well as Werner Aisslinger’s work for Purple South.

Campbell Dear’s Tussock Chair

Dear’s attention to materials (Kauri-faced plywood, locally sourced recycled foam, recycled felt and NZ wool) and eye for proportion mean that, as a product, the chair stands comfortably on its own (four) feet. It is pleasing to see companies continuing to look to partner with design students on new projects. Utilising and recognising young talent guarantees a fresh injection of design value (and often some healthy PR) for a very small outlay.

Rainwater tank by Aaron Hop

From all appearances, the outcome of Finewood’s partnership with this particular young designer seems to have been efficacious indeed.

Among the labyrinth of Unitec’s Grad show, the Product Design exhibition showcased a group of designers with divergent approaches and equally divergent outcomes. All in all, an inspiring and worthwhile show.

Converge - AUT Product Design Graduate Show 2010

As might be expected, “Converge” is an apt title for this year’s AUT Product Design Grad Show. The work on display is the usual coming together of different fields of design, from Sports, Furniture, and Transport, to Healthcare, Toys, Packaging and Life Cycle Assessment. Converge also hints at the location of the show, being situated deep within the rabbit warren that is, to the uninitiated, AUT’s city-centre campus.

Once we had navigated our way towards the bold black and orange posters that link this year’s “Art and Design Festival”, Converge revealed itself as a show where the ambitions of the exhibitors yielded less of an extravaganza and more of a contemplative affair. Scale models and prototypes sat backed by immaculate large format posters in rational rows, moodily spot-lit.

Qifeng (Frank) Xing - Eco Stow

In accordance with international trends, many of the projects were concerned, to varying degrees, with sustainability. Jana Durdevic’s very well-resolved space-saving kiwifruit packaging showed commendable attention to the need to give aesthetic flair to sustainable products. Changing the behaviour of space-constricted urban dwellers was the goal of both Nancy Wang and Qifeng (Frank) Xing, coming up with solutions for small-scale urban gardening and easy domestic waste separation respectively.

Nancy Wang - Mobile Food Garden

To develop a furniture product that is truly sustainable is a notoriously difficult task, but one that was well managed by Jane Hakaraia with her Indigene Chair. Masters student Mark Buntzen showed a thought-provoking body of research into the application of Life Cycle Assessment as an analytical tool for Product Designers. The continued prevalence of sustainability centred design work being fostered by tertiary institutions is encouraging, given the somewhat waning visibility of the cause in NZ society at large.

Jeremy Best’s plywood pedal car – a simple kit designed to be put together collaboratively by child and parent – was notable for its willingness to tackle a slightly less glamorous issue, that of child development.

Jeremy Best - Pedal Car

A number of projects drew attention to Auckland’s close relationship with Asia. In particular, Lydia Wong’s project in conjunction with Fair Trade retailer Trade Aid saw her design a product tailor made to be manufactured by a Vietnamese community with particular expertise in ceramics.

Jana Durdevic - Cardboard & PLA Kiwifruit Packaging

In conjunction with Fisher and Paykel Healthcare, several graduates engaged with the development of a portable respiratory humidifier. The partnerships have yielded some very attractive results, while continuing the kind of symbiosis that business/student projects can provide.

Michael Grobelny - Wooden Surfboard Detail

A grad show is always an interesting convergence of different interests, skills and thought processes. AUT’s first crop of Product Designers have yielded an earnest but engaging show – which has to be seen as encouraging for the continued enrichment and development of New Zealand’s Product Design community.

On the opening day, the centre of attention was the announcement of the Fujitsu Design Award, taking place in conjunction with Designboom. With a total prize pool of around €60,000 euro, it was the talk amongst designers.

On Saturday, due to the typhoon and cancelation of the main event, design enthusiasts attended the Design Tide Tokyo and Tokyo-Midtown Design Touch events situated in Roppongi.

Umbrella's were the order of the day at the opening of TDW 2010

Here several stores, galleries and exhibits are on display throughout the week in partnership with TDW. On Saturday, this allowed visitors a chance to escape the storm and to checkout some amazing product design. ‘au by KDDI’, a Japanese mobile phone design, manufacture and service provider previously featured on Design Droplets was amongst the action. Vibrantly displaying their latest ‘iida’ product range and feature phone ‘X-Ray’ along side their latest concept phones developed in collaboration with Alessi. These new concepts are yet to appear on the net, but the designs look hot.

iida x-ray by Tokujin Yoshioka

iide-Allesi collaboration by Stefano Giovannoni - A Design Droplets Exclusive

Similar to the ‘iida’ product and concept range, boutique product design was abundant. Tech gadgets designed for functionality along side a playful aesthetics seemed to be a re-accruing theme.

Tokyo-Midtown Design Touch was an unexpected surprise and a highlight of the weekend. Viewers can visit an interactive exhibition on the first floor, the Good Design Awards industrial design museum on the fifth floor and abundant design shops and displays on the floors in-between.

Sunday saw better weather and provided the opportunity to properly explore the main exhibition grounds. As you enter the grounds and walk down the ‘Love Blue’ themed carpet, the shipping container displays provide a great and diverse introduction to TDW. Favourite containers include the intriguing Fujitsu Design Limited and Smile Park & Sunnyside Garage containers.

The student exhibition was varied in quality but provided some great furniture with top craftsman ship. Musashino University have produced a stand out performance with its furniture display.

In the centre of the grounds is a golf ball like tent in which the ‘Cool Japan Tokyo Conference’ is taking place. Various presentations and films are on display here throughout the week (mostly in Japanese with drinks and nibbles provided).

This is all just a precursor however to the main designer exhibits, which I will write about in the next article (coming soon).

The Finders Keepers will finish the year with a bang! The independent markets will host its final market event of 2010 in Sydney in December following a successful year of markets along the east coast of Australia.

The Spring/Summer event returns to Sydney’s contemporary arts venue CarriageWorks in Eveleigh on Friday December 3rd and Saturday December 4th and will showcase fresh designers and newwares for patrons to purchase just in time for Christmas.

The markets will once again host a bunch of new collaborations, including a featured arts section with Leeloo that will feature over 20 artworks for sale from emerging artists. There will also be a Paper Convention stall, which will feature an interactive stall with amazing paper installations that will engage with the public in a creative way.

The Frankie stall will also return with a reading corner and a featured artist will create a one off artwork on the day. The markets will also have another creative appearance from 3things by Oxfam.

The Finders Keepers promises a fresh new line-up of local and interstate designers featuring in over 3 rooms with a café and bar open all day. There will also be a huge line-up of local independent musicians who will perform throughout the day. Designer and Music line-up to be announced in the coming weeks.

The Finders Keepers Independent Design & Art Market, Sydney
Friday December 3rd 6pm-10pm and Saturday 4th December 10am-5pm
CarriageWorks, 245 Wilson St Eveleigh

If you happen to be in the largest metropolitan city in the world, Tokyo Designers Week, starting this Friday (today) is not to be missed. Succeeding last year’s theme of ‘Green’, 2010’s theme is ‘Love Blue- Environmental Design’ and will entail the wider living environment. Situated in the fashionable area of Shibuya, the festival will see thousands of designers display their work in the following instillations:

• Professional Exhibition – Leading professional designers and corporations
• Student Exhibition – The future leaders of the design industry
• Container Exhibition – Shipping containers transformed into mini exhibition space
• Tent Exhibition – Vast structure to house thousands of designer works
• Tent Shop – Products available to buy directly from creators
• Cube Exhibition – Aspiring designers showing their work in a cubic meter
• Shop Partnership – Hundreds of shops, cafes and galleries across Tokyo

TDW will expose the recent design culture of this very design savvy city. If you can’t be there, stay tuned online for the latest happenings.

Remember building a box cubby to keep the dragons out? How many ways can you make a giraffe? Remember everything a cardboard tube can be? The Play Team workshop (part of Craft Victoria’s Craft Cubed 2010) will reignite your imagination, helping to spark creative solutions to everyday problems.

Kids get imaginative every day. They dress up and become astronauts, paint as if they are Van gogh, and constantly make up their own inventions – so why do they get to have all the fun? Isn’t it time we adults got in on this business?

Unfortunately, ‘growing up’ often means losing the freedom to play; we get into a routine and repeat the usual thought patterns and rituals (sleep, eat, work). So why not infuse day to day drudgery, either at home or work, with a third thing – play. Come and make a ‘toy’ – a playful object which brings a bright spark into your day. It might be a mischievous tool that fools your colleagues, or an imaginative reminder of loved ones; you might decide to make something for a friend or relative, or something to cheer up your own day.

When: 5.30pm to 7pm on Wed 1st, Thurs 2nd & Fri 3rd September 2010.

Venue: ArtPlay, Melbourne, Australia.

Cost: $5. Call Bobby at ArtPlay on 9664 7900 or email artplay@melbourne.vic.gov.au

More info: theplayteam.org.au

The July event in Melbourne, Australia will be held at the Red Cup Café in Collins Street. Visit the Event Brite page for Coffee & Connexions to get details and RSVP.

Come along, enjoy a relaxing coffee. Connect with creatives from design, business, marketing and other fields in order to share experiences & ideas over coffee. We look forward to seeing you and your colleagues there.

Held on the second Tuesday (8.30Am to 10AM) of every month from March to November 2010, Coffee & Connexions is a monthly networking event run by Design Droplets. The purpose is to connect creatives from across design, business, marketing and other fields in order to share experiences & ideas over coffee.

If you are interested in running a Coffee & Connexions in another city please contact us.

The Seoul Design Fair (previously the Seoul Design Olympiad) is running this year to further celebrate Seoul’s designation as the World Design Capital 2010 and to develop it as a design culture hub on the world stage. The theme for this year’s event is “Design for All”.

Key Dates:

Opening: September 17 2010

Closing: October 7 2010.

Will you be attending the Seoul Design Fair 2010? Drop us a line here at Design Droplets if you are as we are currently looking for people interested in contributing an article or two on the event.