DINZ Designers Speak - Making Design Work - Auckland

DINZ Designers Speak - Making Design Work

Objects that we live with define who we are but who are the people behind the objects.  

Speak One:

Designer: Sam Haughton
Title: A Good Leg
Soundbite: Sam Haughton of IMO talks about the challenges and satisfaction of designing and manufacturing furniture in NZ

Speak Two:

Designer: Jamie McLellan
Title: TBC

Speak Three:

Designer: David Moreland
Title: Local Produce
Soundbite: Designing, prototyping, photographing and putting into production are the basic steps every idea goes through before being available on the market. Every step is a challenge and at the same time rewarding when coming to fruition.

Speak Four:

Designer: Nathan Goldsworthy 
Title:  Junctions
Soundbite: banishing the screw  

Speak Five:

Designer: Tim Wigmore
Title: Constructing a Practice
Soundbite: The Tim Wigmore Design Practice enters a new level of awareness of collaboration and the building of relationships.  Tim’s talk explores some recent collaborations and how these are helping to enrich and expand the business in new directions.

Speak Six:

Designer: Chris Metcalfe
Title: The Matters of Manufacture
Soundbite: Without doubt, there are a lot of innovative and unique designs coming out of young designers throughout New Zealand. But more often than not they are purely a small scale affair and haven't taken considerations for mass manufacture during the design process. I hope to shed some light on steps that can be taken to ensure the jump from small scale to large scale is made easier (if or when it comes) and how volume changes everything.

Presenters

Sam Houghton - IMO

A self-taught designer, Sam has always had a desire to make things and been interested in the process of building. He opened his first workshop in 1992, designing and manufacturing one-off furniture commissions. He has gone on to work on many large scale local and international projects, including Air New Zealand, Sky City, Downer Edi Works and ANZ.

Although there is a recognisable aesthetic that runs through his designs, he is more focussed on the way in which people use and interact with furniture. He is known to perfect hidden connections in his ongoing pursuit to improve a products quality and function. An often lengthy and difficult development process will appear effortless in a finished piece of his furniture.
He established the Auckland based Design Company IMO in 2004. In his role as Creative Director he brings to the team an extensive knowledge of materials and production and a perceptiveness derived not just from experience but by being involved in all aspects of a product.

“You’re led by your product, so you need to know how it’s tracking. We don’t design products in
isolation - everyone is involved in all aspects of the product, from manufacturing to point of sale, to marketing and installation. I’m often found underneath a desk on site, it’s where a lot of the learning happens. “

The Kase Storage System is IMO’s flagship product, but the range also includes chairs, sofas, and tables, all with the same commitment to careful and thoughtful design. So what is Sam working on at the moment? “We’re developing a new stool, an upholstery range, a chair, and bunks for my son’s room.”

Though Sam finds himself juggling all aspects of the business in his day-to-day work, his true love will
always be design.

“I love the process of experimenting with materials, details, and manufacturing. It is very rewarding
when it finally comes together and you manage to capture all that detail in a simple object.”

 IMO - Kase Axis Furniture

Jamie McLellan - Jamie McLellan Ltd.

Since graduating in 1999 with a BDes in Industrial Design, Jamie has designed for manufacturers and consultancies in Australasia, the United Kingdom, Continental Europe, Asia and America.

Most recently he was employed as Senior Designer to well known Briton, Tom Dixon. Having recently returned to Auckland, Jamie now runs his own design studio working on projects ranging from furniture and lighting, to sports goods, to small scale civic architecture.

  Twig Coat Systems, Fletcher Systems 2008

David Moreland

My interest in furniture started when I majored in 3D design at UNITEC. Over the 4 years of study my focus refined from sculpture to furniture as I found I enjoyed creating something useful to others in a very practical sense.

After that I was based in the Hawkes Bay for 3 years working for David Trubridge and a member of Cicada Studios [an incubator for design graduates who specialise in furniture]. During this time I visited the Milan Furniture Fair and exhibited at Designex in Melbourne.

Most recently I have been working for Simon James Design designing and running production. Studying and working within the industry for so long and seeing what beautiful products people have developed has inspired me to continue to pursue furniture design as a career.

Nathan Goldsworthy

Nathan Goldsworthy is an Industrial Designer with a strong interest in furniture. He has exhibited products at the 100% design exhibition in London, Ho chi Minh city, Vietnam, and at numerous exhibitions and events throughout New Zealand.

While running the Conscious Design studio, working on commissions for a wide range of clients, Nathan has developed several successful furniture pieces of his own.

Tim Wigmore

Tim Wigmore lives and designs in the heart of Wellington, New Zealand's capital - a city that fuses funky culture with rugged landscape.

Tim works with his clients to realise designs that focus on quality interactions and sustainability. His innovative furniture is acclaimed for pushing the boundaries between interior design, installation art, and exhibition design.

‘I strive to connect people with their things – to design objects that people will enjoy conceptually, physically, and emotionally. My aim is to create work that resists obsolescence, and to use materials and processes that reflect a deep respect for the health of my collabarators, clients, and their surroundings.’

Tim regularly exhibits in New Zealand and internationally, and his work is sought after for both public and private collections. Look for Tim Wigmore Designs in leading design stores and galleries.

Through and Through Breakfast bar

Chris Metcalfe

After graduating with a Bachelor of Product Design in 2006, Christopher (perhaps naively) started his own design business on the back of some products he designed while studying. After 3 1/2 years of working for himself, contracting for others, and generally doing whatever was necessary to survive the downturn, Chris now finds himself as the in house designer at Essenze, where one of his roles will be to help other New Zealand designers make the jump and succeed in the world of design. made easier (if or when it comes) and how volume changes everything.

 Fruit bowls

Posted on: February 15, 2010