RMIT unIveRsITy

IndusTRIal desIgngRaduaTe CaTalogue

2011

Industrial Design Graduate Catalogue 2011ISBN: 978-0-646-56547-7 Edited by Frank Feltham & Liam FennessyPublished by RMIT Industrial Design

© RMIT University 2011

Copyright in the individual designs, images and texts remain vested with the individual authors and designers. Except as permitted under the Copyright Act 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process, electronic or otherwise, without written permission from the publishers and authors. Neither may information be stored electronically in any form whatsoever without such permission. All opinions expressed in the material contained in this publication are those of the authors and not necessary of the publisher.

Industrial Design ProgramSchool of Architecture + DesignRMIT UniversityGPO Box 2476 MelbourneVictoria, 3001Australia

http://www.rmit.edu.au/industrial

ConTenTsForeword

Product Design

Furniture Design

Interactive Systems

Product Design

Social and Sustainable Design

Transport and Mobility

Acknowledgments

foRewoRdLiam Fennessy and Frank Feltham

At it’s best industrial design disrupts - presenting new relations, new forms and new methods for design attempting to connect peoples’ practices to the possibilities of emergent technologies and cultural concerns. For students these attempts are often made in the service of others, and often for contexts that are unfamiliar. Often these attempts are intra-personal, where the designer explores the meanings, drivers and implications of their own practice. Ideally they are both, for designing is not an innate performance. It is learnt. Designers learn to see the gestalt of a situation and to uncover why it is the way it is. They learn to question what a situation could be and to interrogate what it should be. They learn to speculate on what it might be, and the methods by which it might become. Ultimately they learn to propose what it ought to be and the techniques required to deliver on that proposition. Through a practice of applied and reflective design inquiry these disruptions and connections become things in the world beyond their material and functional manifestations, they become an important aspect of change.

The projects presented in this exhibition exemplify such states of becoming: defining the nature and meanings of design as a particular act within a particular stage of life for our graduates. Led by an academic as teacher, atelier and mentor, each of these projects emanates from one of five distinct studio domains: Interactive Systems; Transport and Mobility; Furniture; Objects; Products, and finally design for Social and Sustainable purposes. The culmination of one year of self-directed design research and reflection, each project is framed around four key activities that enable the student to construct a worthy design project and unify a set of common criteria by which the work is evaluated alongside peers. These activities prompt the student to position their work through a concise question or proposition; to accumulate a critical understanding of the territory in which the work resides; to respond to the framed position through the realisation of design prototypes or systems; and finally to communicate the significance of this work against the original question or proposition. The students engage in design as a reflective discourse thereby encouraging a valuing of the development of a design process that is meaningful to them, rigorous in application and dynamic enough to account for the rapid changes to the disciplinary practices of industrial design.

Each project asserts a considered set of concerns, and in doing so may challenge the precepts and boundaries of what we may think constitutes industrial design. These motivations are various: for some it is an aesthetic or technical concern, for others it is about pursuing a particular thread of personal interest - a product type, or technological fetish. Some see it as a chance to make a change in the ways particular people enact, and are affected by designed things. For some it is about testing the possibilities of what may come after, while for others it is an opportunity to tackle a seemingly intractable problem, or a problem that sits as marginal in the conventional notion of industrial design. Regardless of the motivation all projects deal with the emergence of a particular professional identity, and provide insights into the process of learning to be someone in the world through a distinct set of performances. Every project attempts in its own ways to declare industrial design as a propositional practice, as a means of confronting what our future socio-technical conditions may be, and be mediated by.

Attempting to institute change, as designers do, is an act fraught with risk. An act that demands the conviction to do not just that which is said,

but to listen to what is not said, to induce an appropriate response, and to devise what is needed. Sometimes the intuitive decisions that designers make are malformed and miss their mark. Sometimes the wrong questions are asked and these attempts fall short or fail. For a designer with an inquiring mind reflecting on these failures allows a framework for resilience in practice to be built through which future attempts can be made. For students of design the performance and struggle of practice is to recognize individual agency and to leverage it through acts of design as conscious attempts to connect and resolve. To find delight in the challenge and complexity of attempting to bring new and better alternatives into being.

On behalf of all of the RMIT Industrial Design academic staff we present the work of the 2011 RMIT Industrial Design Graduates. The chapters are categorised by studio domain with each student presenting an abstract that describes their proposition and an image of work in progress. The final resolution of the work is presented at the Graduate Exhibition.

Please enjoy this work.

Frank Feltham, Major Project Coordinator Liam Fennessy, Acting Program Director Correspondence regarding the work in this catalogue,

or inquiries about our graduates should be directed to the Industrial Design program: industrial.design@rmit.edu.au

objectdesign

Lecturer, Gyungju Chyon

The Object Design studio examines the changing and challenging roles of designers. Guided by a project modality that privileged intuition and design through making, students had to establish their own ways of working, and more broadly to consider how these approaches to design might influence their professional lives, both locally and globally.

The projects in this studio focus on the development of new ideas for furniture, objects and lighting, through a particular consideration of mental and physical well-being, social and environmental ethics, and innovative ways of applying technology.

Through arranged visits to local manufacturers, students explored processes of production and the commercialisation of their design proposals, and fabricated 1:1 scale prototypes sufficient for articulating the requirements for mass or batch production. Significant value is placed on these prototyped artefacts as a springboard for the establishing of careers beyond graduation.

FRANCESANDERSON

My interest sits between the design of products that enhance the experience a space may offer, and designing the space itself. The project focused on offering three-dimensional modular design solutions for interior spaces that question how we perceive form and volume. My approach involved the manipulation of line – the most basic spatial element – to provide irregular, chaotic representations of the space it inhabits. The random nature of the system means that each structural composition is different to the next.

Studies in geometry led to the design of a singular modular piece that holds a simplistic form comprising of key angles and planes fundamental to the success of the design’s system. The line work has been developed such that the system is suitable on large and small scales maximizing its potential applications. Contrary to many existing modular design solutions this system grows three-dimensionally, offering endless structural combinations. The intention is to provide a system that allows the user to create form through the installation process; and then manipulate, dissemble and reassemble it – encouraging an awareness of volumes within space.

christine bui

This major project focuses on the concept of applying softness to the desk. The interest of this idea started from the point of considering the edge of desks as an issue which could be addressed. As people use the desk for a long period of time their body comes in contact with the desk which in turn may inflict pressure on the stomach and also strain the arms. With this concern, the intention was to apply an unconventional tactile nature which redefines the traditional characteristics of the desk.

The design involved the investigation of how the idea of softness could be captured, while keeping the conventional function of the desk. The concept’s aim was to achieve a smooth transition of a hard surface to a softer edge. As the notion of ‘softness’ is usually defined as cushioned, there was a potential to further explore idea of soft with flexibility and malleability. Materials such as veneer, plywood, leather, vinyl, and plastics were used to experiment how this transition of hard to soft could be pursued. Different techniques and variations of applying these materials were also explored such as tensioning and weaving. With the use of these materials and techniques for the desk, this design conveys the image of re-thinking the desk.

Jiyoonkim

The project ‘Crease and Fold’ aims to re-evaluate the merits of paper as a medium and method in developing a design project. The experience gained from hands on experiments can lead to a realization of various design potentials or material innovation for further design applications. ‘Crease and Fold’ incorporates this exploration and realization cycle process as the key in developing my potential design outcomes. Tessellation origami was explored to identify design potentials as the tension created between each tessellation fold allows graceful transformation and flexible movements. As each tessellation creates a unique movement, I experimented ways to create my own tessellation folding pattern. Square twist tessellation reveals it’s potential to be a decorative sound diffusing wall panel through three dimensional cube structures that rises out from a flat sheet of paper. To create a user interactive wall panel system, single square twist fold was isolated from the overall pattern into single unit folds. Each panel was then assembled onto the wall as modular system, allowing the users to create their desired patterns. The units are connected to each other so that when one of the units is transformed by the user pressing down on the centre of square twist, it would trigger transition in units connected to it.

elisakutsuwada madeirade carvalho

The main inspiration for the project ‘Symphony of Wind’ is one of the Nature’s elements: Wind. Wind is an element that cannot be visually seen and physically held, however when blown onto physical objects only then the beauty becomes perceivable. Its beauty lies in the never ending unpredictable movements, therefore this project aims to awaken one of the five human senses, hearing, to allow one to experience wind and be more mindful of its presence in everyday life.

To better understand and capture the essence of ‘Wind’ research on existing instruments and experiments were conducted to explore how natural wind behaves and produces sound through different forms/shapes and scale. Reflecting upon the various experiments, a combination of forms with different sound pitches were designed to offer a soothing and musical sound. Materials were found to be one of the major influences to effect the way sound resonates within a form. The balance between the forms/shape, scale and materials is the key factor that determines the sound pitches.

‘Symphony of Wind’ is a musical installation played by the natural wind to compose ‘Nature’s music’ that will allow one to use their auditory senses to listen, experience and appreciate the beauty of Nature that is often forgotten.

timkwok

This project was designed through the inspiration of the cocoon with the focus point on how the silkworm uses line to develop a form. Through the use of cocoon bio-mimicry, the building technique was established to bring out a seating furniture piece. Exploration and experiments were conducted to understand how to control the line structure and the shape of the frame. Study of the design’s form was explored from using a continuous line looped around a frame structure. The woven line represents the texture of the cocoon. The direction moved to focus on simplifying the frame and line as these two elements bring out the strength, flexibility and support for seating. Through experimentation, different forms were built to understand the interaction between the human body, the object, and the balance of the object in relation to its centre of gravity. The design which incorporates the movement of rocking was aimed to bring out the experience of the floating nature of the cocoon. The outcome is a minimal structure that represents a form that serves as a functional piece of furniture.

Jasnamanolios

I have been working towards making a bottle opener for people with arthritis. The aim is for the product to be minimal, portable, lightweight, and above all functional and appealing to the target audience. In relation to the target audience, I interviewed about 30 people where nearly half are employed and under the age of 50. This is significant to my project as the opener will be most beneficial for these people socialising or working. One of the problems they all have difficulty with, to varying degrees, is the trivial task of opening a water bottle. According to my research from people with arthritis, the study suggested that the opening device should not touch their wrists or affect protruding bones. Through form study I was able to create a range of devices to suit the function of opening a water bottle but found out that drawing attention to this disease on a person is not something most people with arthritis would be comfortable with. For this reason the form of the functional device is no longer perceived as something medical but concealed in something more socially acceptable. Using a soft material such as polyurethane will be needed to ensure that when the device contacts the body it doesn’t cause pain. Considering my research and the reviews of my ongoing project, the product is going to be an everyday wearable bracelet that can help to open a water bottle but will also act as a piece of jewellery.

felixsidharta

Sitting comfortably is subjective. It is not only about the ergonomic issues but also culture and emotion of the individual. Through the early history, various ways of sitting were regarded as comfort, such as sitting cross-legged, sitting with one knee raised, or sitting to the side. However, people’s social circumstances, clothing styles, and the places where they sat naturally brought to their personal manners of sitting and comfort.

‘Re-sit’ is a project of how people physically build their level of comfort through a sitting device. Lots of chair limits our posture in order to make us comfortable. By examining on what comfort is, I use it to rethink and redesign a sitting device. Fascinated by level of comfort according to cultural habits, my aim is to develop a physical representative of personal comfort. I experimented a new sitting device by changing its seat pan. A number of usability studies prototypes were produced to find out its weaknesses and relationship with human body. A concept of seat pan manipulation by changing the tension of a fabric as a part of sitting device is developed in order to achieve my goal. That concept will then be used to create a new sitting device that accommodates different sitting postures.

elaineyeo

This project focuses on the water usage in Melbourne as Australia has a higher rate of shower water consumption than other countries. The aim of this project is to encourage awareness of water being wasted at the beginning of showers. SpoutyBag is a portable and collapsible paper folding inspired bucket that can easily be accessed to collect water that is left to run before people get in for a hot shower. It is designed to open up easily as a funnel and easily folds up into a carry bag with two spouts on both sides. The collected water can be used around the household such as gardening or flushing the toilet. Based on research conducted throughout the project, I found out that approximately three litres of water is wasted in the beginning of a shower. SpoutyBag is designed to hold that three litres of water, which is an appropriate weight one person can carry, and an efficient way of saving water. If everyone saves at least three litres of water per day, it means we could save up to a total of 1095 litres of water per person every year.

furnituredesign

Professor Kjell Grant

The Furniture Design studio focuses students on the design and production of a piece of furniture to a level of sophistication in material and process to enable manufacture. Framed around either a concept or commercial orientations to furniture design, each student has located their project in one of, or in some instances both approaches. The commercial area has a scope that includes design for the office, hospitality, airports and public areas. These designs are aimed at current manufacturing practices, and for immediate marketplace entry. In contrast the concept area encourages cutting-edge design for lower production numbers and for the future marketplace. Of these projects many have been accepted for exhibition at the Milan Furniture fair in 2012, as part of the Melbourne Movement collection.

tateanson

I believe the excessive complexity of modern products far exceeds what is necessary for the product to fulfil its function. Therefore my investigation intends to seek an alternative to this paradigm through the restoration of traditional timber techniques combined with modern machining technology and manufacturing processes to achieve more from less.

Primarily an exploration of manipulating solid timber using steam-bending techniques, the process capitalises on the natural strengths inherent in timber to create a new option in solid timber furniture. The process that has been developed to meet this criteria allows solid timber components to be ‘stretched’, increasing the surface area of the material while providing an interesting and delicate visual effect that has been utilised in a number of furniture concepts, from tables and stools to lighting and clocks.

jacob cavallaro

Hextrude

In an inundated design world, where products are constantly over designed, less can often mean more.

Hextrude is a chair. It serves the purpose of a chair, it doesn’t try and misinform you. Hextrude functions as you intend. The thing that distinguishes Hextrude is it acknowledges its limitations. Its purpose is to please you visually as well as emotionally, a talking point amongst friends.

Hextrude’s versatile design means there are a number of options when manufacturing. Because it is an extrusion it has the ability to be cast out of one single material for example acrylic, concrete or even cut from a single piece of stone.

The advantage of the extrusion means the face can be cut several times and laminated together to create the thickness, for example the design can be cut or routed out of timber, this would be a very cost effective way to create the chair.

Hextrude is a centrepiece, a talking point, a conversation starter; it is a piece of furniture that compliments a space, whether it is an office foyer, a design studio or even the home.

alex cummins

The materials, to me, are not as important as the manufacturing process that forms them.

My design investigation covered the function versus the form of furniture and objects that we use on a daily basis. I also investigated the relationship of the form with the chosen or determined manufacturing process. I tried to have the design reflect and use the benefits of the manufacturing process as much as possible; this helped create a seamless design between form, material and process.

The main focus of the studio has been to look at commercial furniture for mass manufacture. The Pyramid Chair was the chosen concept to develop from the pre-major studio. The Pyramid Chair design is a celebration of new form and challenges many of the current trends such as blobject furniture. The Pyramid Chair follows a completely different direction using the simplistic form of a pyramid as an origin for the design which gives it a completely different feel than traditional square base furniture. This way of construction also allows the chair to remain, as well as focus, on minimalism and geometric values. The pyramid form is designed to complement current architecture where triangular and irregular polygon footprints are used much more frequently.

john donald

The Trinity table series revolves around the concept of ‘interlocking’. Each table is comprised of three identical elements that are entirely separate, yet entirely joined. The ‘legs’ are separate in that they do not directly touch one another, but joined in that they quite literally go through one another.

The tables are very much of an aesthetic nature, but are intended to do more than look nice. They inspire a sense of intrigue through the complex sculptural form. They beg to be studied. There is an air of mystery about the means of producing them – how were the legs linked?

While the concept itself is quite flexible and could be applied to numerous ends, the series currently comprises of the bold, attention seeking angular coffee table, and the gentle, slender, more elegant side table. Again, as the products are foremost centred on the concept, there is much room for materials exploration. At this point, the two materials being employed as the feature are Victorian Ash timber, which brings a great natural feel and colour, and DuPont’s Solid Surface product Corian, which can achieve seamless joins, as well as bringing an almost futuristic edge to the product.

samantha duzenman

Furniture designed for use in a family living room setting is typically designed to appeal to the adult dweller’s aesthetic and functional desires. What if one is to design a central piece of furniture, such as an ottoman, that appeals to both adults and children alike? A new language in furniture design could arise through imbuing the object with user-tested engaging and tactile qualities.

In the common living room area, furniture can be designed to suit both an adult’s needs and a small child’s needs. With a focus on user-centred design, observation and participatory design research methods, ideas were tested and refined in real-life contexts. By defining and synthesising the various needs and designing to appeal to significant childhood developmental milestones (emotional, physical, cognitive) throughout the design phase, all stakeholders can enjoy a new kind of interactive and playful furniture with tactile/haptic feedback.

duskolapcevic

Reacting against the highly decorative 19th Century, Modernist doctrine advocated the removal of ornamentation, labelling it as ‘uncivilised’, ‘feminine’, ‘primitive’ and inappropriate in the shiny, modern 20th Century world.

But the Modernists didn’t really eliminate ornamentation; instead they simplified, with stone, timber and textured concrete becoming the materials of choice. Similar changes occurred in product design with, for instance, Dieter Rams at Braun developed a pared-back aesthetic with simplified forms adorned with functional holes and slits.

In the 21st Century, concerns about the mountains of no longer shiny, plastic waste and the increased popularity of the ‘primitive’ practices of tattooing and scarification suggest that our has attitudes towards ornamentation, identity and modernity have again changed.

Fascinated by these changes and inspired by both primitive design and the aesthetic potential of perforations, my goal is to develop a ‘primitive’ contemporary visual language to use in my design process. That visual language will then be used to create a range of patterns appropriate for application as surface ornamentation and be further developed to create a range of product designs.

daniel lipinski

How can the history of design influence the current modern tread, thus making today’s design more meaningful, whilst still being extremely appealing to the market?

Furniture design has progressed over time, and a lot of the meaning, importance and even craftsmanship has slowly disappeared. It is important to bring this idea of meaningful design back into today’s market. Throughout the year I have looked into the Egyptian culture and it has inspired me to apply it to a piece of furniture. The reason I have chosen the Egyptian culture is because Egypt is one of the first recognised places where furniture was crafted.

Furthermore, furniture should be viewed as a highly valuable asset and thus past on through generations. Therefore, there is no need to design furniture that only has a lifespan of 3 to 5 years. This concept of furniture design will not only increase the lifespan of products, but it will also aid in reducing waste, which in the long run will be more environmentally friendly/sustainable. I have also investigated environmentally friendly/sustainable processes and materials for my final design. As sustainability is becoming more important everyday, this importance should not be ignored when it comes to furniture design.

minamatta

The Jarah Chair

The Jarah chair gives charisma to any applied location through its design. It is developed to portray the history, atmosphere and style of its commercial location solely through itself; the Jarah chair.

Wood curves into an ergonomically pleasing framework to make memorable seating a possibility in any type of commercial use with the Jarah chair. The chair creates a more individual look distinguishing its buyer and showcasing their taste. The combination of basic lines and curved design adds instant modern sophistication to the Jarah chair.

baopham

The project proposal is to explore wood joinery methods in an effort to replicate those using modern manufacturing techniques such as CNC routing and laser cutting. In many cases, the appearance of a joint becomes at least as important as its strength. The main source of inspiration is Japanese joinery because of its delicate aesthetic constructions aimed at its strength and purpose. The approach for the project involved experimenting with traditional wood joinery techniques, using hand tools and reinterpreting them into CAD designed and machined produced parts.

The aim of the project is to discover different ways of applying wood joinery to flat sheet furniture design without the aid of fastening devices or excessive use of adhesives which most furniture is reliant on, but whilst still retaining or increasing its strength. Flat sheet timber, such as plywood and bamboo furniture board has been chosen as a material due to its ease of manufacture, accessibility and feasibility. The outcome and final design application will take form as a functional piece of furniture which retains the methods and essence of wood joinery techniques for high volume production.

InteractIvesystems

Lecturers, Scott Mitchell with Frank Feltham

The Interactive Systems studio provides an intensive research and development environment for exploring the integration of digital information, services, and technologies into the physical world. Situated in the fields of Human Computer Interaction (HCI) and Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the studio focuses on the human-digital interface with particular emphasis on tangible interaction. Tangible interfaces extend traditional, screen based Graphical User Interfaces by giving physical form to digital information and by providing tactile, movement based, interaction.

The projects within the studio engage a diverse array of socio-technological contexts ranging from medical rehabilitation to open source hardware. The outcomes here are equally diverse: transformative surfaces, tangible game environments, digitally augmented spaces, and more. While being informed by extensive experimentation with digital technologies, these projects ask broader questions: why this technology? why this interaction? Through such questioning, the projects challenge established modes of engagement and propose new relations within the world.

sharon cheng

Touching

High tech products such as smart phones, digital tablets and PDAs are all great tools for enhancing productivity and lives with improved communication. However, outside the mainstream market there are a large number of consumers with special needs; people such as the blind and visually impaired are often marginalised by these high tech products. As with more traditional forms of information, such as print, blind and visually impaired people have more difficulty in accessing the same range of information that people who are sighted take for granted. Therefore, in order to promote greater interaction and communication between blind or the visually impaired people and their social environment, this project proposes a tactile graphic device for the blind and visually impaired. The device provides a multi-formed operating environment which is able to enhance the reading experience with textured surfaces. Through touching the refreshable protruding textures and outlines of image displayed on the device, the user is able to access graphical information.

bencreek

Forgetting to Remember

In a world where we are increasingly alienated from our material artifacts and histories, how can we reconnect to these lost cultural signifiers? Focusing on spatial memory and contextual narrative, this project aims to provide an alternative tool for remembering the past.

We live in a digital world filled with multi-functional devices and transitory objects. Sight is privileged in this obsessive visual culture and we have become adept at looking, but this has lead to a loss of connection to our histories and artifacts on several levels. This design responds with a device that projects a digital layer onto physical surfaces, enabling people to explore digital artifacts by navigating physical space. The user can associate visual personal/cultural signifiers to geographic locations by linking images to specific beacon objects distributed within their physical environment. Digital media may then be accessed by physically navigating the space and shining a ‘digital flashlight’ device onto the surfaces where the beacons are located. The interactive collage that is revealed may be navigated via simple hand gestures.

ozmarestacio

Computers as persuasive social actors

The prevalence of obesity is increasing at an alarming rate worldwide and is the most obvious manifestation of the global epidemic of sedentary lifestyles and excessive energy intake. This is caused largely by an environment that promotes excessive food intake and discourages physical activity. Regular physical activity protects against obesity but it is becoming difficult to adopt and maintain such behaviour in the current environment. Because obesity is difficult to treat, public health efforts need to be directed toward prevention.

This project investigates the potential of dynamic interactions between users and artifacts to effect positive behavioural change with the aim of reducing sedentary behaviour and increasing physical activity.

To accomplish this, a digital pet has been designed to establish emotive responses and social interactions to leverage such change. For the pet to thrive, its owner has to be physically active on a consistent basis. The user has to walk, run, or jump - activating the devices inbuilt pedometer. In this way the computing device functions as a persuasive social actor and encourages behavioural change in the user.

sodameum

A Four O’clock

The past looks shabby and the future looks splendid.

With the rapid growth of digital technology, the whole world is being transformed. Innovations in science and technology have made the past appear shabby compared to the bright new future. But we were also happy in the past. We were happy with the beauty that nature gives us, and the warm-hearted consideration between each other made us feel full. The world we have developed for our convenience may have taken something that is very important from us. Something that has become a past story, something my mum had, but the next generation and I might not.

This project aims to enlighten our sensibility by combining analog and digital technology. The project is based on a story from my grandmother’s generation. A long time ago, when my grandma was young, there were no clocks. Instead, she looked at the ‘four o’clock’ flower. This flower bloomed every day at four o’clock and when my grandma saw the four o’clock flower she knew it was time to stop working in the field and go home to prepare dinner. The project remakes the four o’clock story by developing an event reminder system based on the opening and closing of flowers.

wan leefoo

Guide Gait Mat

A guidance system for rehabilitation of gait function.

This design project aims to develop a rehabilitation system for patients with lower body injuries. The system will consist of a surface for gait training with embedded pressure sensors and visual feedback. As the patient walks across the surface, pressure sensors detect the presence o f the patient’s foot and the varying pressure and step. This information is fed back to the patient through LED lights embedded in the gait training mat. The resulting data is also recorded and transferred to a display screen allowing the physiotherapist to reflect on the patient’s progress. Project development is informed by current gait training methods and by advice from experts in the field of gait training and physiotherapy. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s flow theory has been utilized to examine general flow design and processes to design a better human interactive experience.

estherlam

Tranquillity

This project brings qualities of nature to the industrialized environment through the creation of a visual stimulating immersive space. The project consists of a wall installation constructed from a matrix of mirrored tiles. While the design is very geometric, an ‘organic’ effect is achieved by generating movement through the reflective surfaces. The tiles move with a ‘rhythmic randomness’ that emulates the inherent variability and repetitiveness evident within aspects of nature, such as the rippling effect of water and the movement of leaves. Kaplan states that ‘attentiveness to these patterns requires no effort and gives the individual the opportunity to open their creativity and think about other things’ (2005). The immersive environment produced by this project helps to restore one’s state of mind and well-being, giving users the experience of serenity; a glimpse of nature to stimulate positive emotions and reduce stress levels promoting a healthier and happier lifestyle in this demanding society.

ka minglee

The Cutlery Wall

This project investigates how interactive technology may enhance parent-teen relationships. The project outcome takes the form of a cooperative game. Family members play the game on the dinner table after dinner for around 15-25 minutes. In the game 2-6 players build a cutlery wall from one point on the table to another across plates with limited time and cutlery. Most of the electronic components are installed in the tableware thus minimising the time needed to set up the game, reducing the chance of distractions. Players activate the game by twisting the pepper container. Salt and pepper containers define the start and end points of the game. Timing of the game begins when the containers connect to cutlery. If players complete the game within 15 minutes, a score is shown on the napkin holder. Otherwise, alternative visual feedback is triggered.

Family therapists suggest that group operative games can encourage internal family communication by providing a mutual topic and common goal, while players become aware of their emotional expression through positive verbal and non-verbal language. The Cutlery Wall is designed to create less defensive and more free-associative thinking among family members developing strong family bonds through regular quality interactions.

steven mastrolorito

Spell Bound

With increasing technological developments, children are becoming ever more familiar with, and reliant on, screen based devices. However, as a child develops through their education, such devices could be distracting. With the aid of blocks, traditional curriculum is made fun and entertaining for young children. Blocks allow the children to manipulate letters into words that they will be learning through grades prep to three (ages 5 to 8). Children will be taught how to spell, with 100 words incorporated into the device. The children learn by placing lettered blocks into allocated positions and receiving augmented feedback in the form of lights and sound. This immediate feedback shows the child that their spelling is correct, allowing them to feel a sense of achievement.

The stop button and in game timer adds a further element of fun and achievement to the game. Through interacting with numerous blocks children will be able to develop knowledge of a range of words allowing them to comfortably read and write. Through the toy children can play with others developing their social skills and participating in friendly competition. The Start Spelling device makes the challenge of learning fun, while providing a learning experience that can be shared with friends and family.

theopelz

Digital Memories

The proliferation of digital imaging devices in contemporary culture combined with the increasing affordability of digital storage solutions has resulted in a rapid growth in the quantity of digital photographs captured.

There are various methods for managing and viewing one’s personal collection of digital photographs but currently we are limited to the conventional computer mouse and touchscreen devices. These methods of interaction are practical and relatively efficient, but they lack the sensory experience of the traditional photo album.

Utilising rear projection and RFID technology, my research project aims to create a meaningful, tangible interaction with digital photographs through a gestural interface. This project focuses on physical gestures, movement and manipulation of materials to create a richer and more interactive experience than the standard keyboard and mouse or touchscreen. The product is a means of physically managing and viewing a database of personal digital photographs with emphasis on the user experience.

The fields of study include experiential design, cognitive psychology and embodied interaction.

paulriaikkenen

Opened

Open Source Hardware Platforms (OSHW) are a great way for the enthusiast and professional to create their own technology, but what of everyone else? OSHW, such as the Arduino, often appear unapproachable to people who are unfamiliar with programming and electronics.

‘Opened’ proposes to simplify the process by creating a system of interlocking modules for building your own devices. The aim of the project is to open-up the field of OSHW to people without previous experience by offering them a simple, flexible template for creating their own devices.

The project will utilise the extensive range of componentry available for the Arduino platform to allow for the creation of modules with a broad range of uses. ‘Opened’ targets methods of distribution and production that are readily accessible to a broad cross section of people, allowing a broader audience to engage in user-directed innovation.

Opened’s online identity will facilitate the distribution of plans and production methods to allow for open-source engagement and create the potential for the project to be developed through direct user engagement.

say chunteh

The Shape Shifter

It is not surprising that we fill the world with trash, what’s outstanding is that a big part of it is useful, functioning objects. Where is our appreciation for products? Why do we discard useful things?

Throwaway society is a phenomenon where functioning products are discarded simply because the owner gets tired of it. This project focuses on psychological obsolescence, the main driving force behind the throwaway society and concludes that a solution lies within product variability. A product with a high degree of variability could not only be customised to suit an individual’s style, but could also vary throughout its useful life, thus preventing boredom and extending the product’s lifespan.

The project aims to create variability within products. What if a product could change its appearance at the will of the user? What if it could change its shape, colour or surface pattern? The project explores technologies and mechanisms that allow shape and colour changing as well as surface graphic variability, which may be applied to the design of everyday objects.

danielwaugh

Taboo Toys

This project presents a series of toys that deal with particular issues, ‘epidemics’ or problems that we as adults face every day in society. These toys leak the pressures of these problems into a child’s traditionally carefree and innocent reality presumably preparing them for a problematic future that we as adults were too lazy, ignorant or incapable of preventing. However as the toys don’t actually solve the problems, at least not with any kind of lasting remedy, the true focus of this project is that it asks questions and forces us to think critically. Its purpose is not to solve the problems that the toys relate to or reference, but rather the toy’s existence stimulates discussion amongst designers, industry and the public about these issues. The project suggests that, as adults, we have much responsibility to create a safe and liveable environment for future generations. These toys hope to challenge their audience’s preconceptions and expectations thereby provoking new ways of thinking.

PRODUCT DESIGN

Lecturer, Ian Wong

With a focus on the contemporary practices of industrial design this studio challenges each student to design intelligent, worthwhile and innovative products. The Product Design studio encourages the students to commit to a comprehensively detailed design solution, through a digital design process that includes Wacom tablet sketching, CAD modelling and rapid prototyping at 1:1 scale. The development of a professional approach, skills and capabilities required to practice, has been supported throughout by critical feedback from industry-based mentors. This feedback has enriched the design dialogue and encouraged each student to reflect on their design position to construct deeper understandings of what it is to be an industrial designer.

robert brown

Pods

This design relates to an Aquaponics system for home use which when inserted into an already existing fish tank creates a water cycle for a plant to grow. In an age where the Australian quarter acre block is steadily disappearing, it is becoming increasingly harder to grow plants in an urban environment. Modern day aquaponics is the rebirth of age old practices to farm vegetables, herbs and fish in a self-contained eco-system. It is the synergistic combination of hydroponics and aquaculture (fish farming). The plants feed on the fish effluent which is poisonous to the fish, converts the nitrites into nitrates which purifies the water for the fish. Plant Pods containing aerated clay pebbles for the growing medium and rock wool for the germination of the seed are purchased and easily inserted to eliminate the need for user knowledge. These pods come in a variety of plants including herbs, ground covers and a variety of ornamental plants. Through the design process every aspect of the products use and disposal has been thought through to provide an effortless system for any fish tank.

tomcarroll

DRY

A cold water winter surfer’s most hated thing is the wet wetsuit. During winter in Victoria a wetsuit is essential, however it is very hard to get dry between sessions as the temperature rarely gets over about 15 degrees, not to mention the rain. As a designer I was challenged by this problem and through extensive testing and prototyping I have designed a wetsuit drying system that is portable and effective. The wet wetsuit can now be a thing of the past.

serenachen

Bathroom Evolution

In most modern houses, the bathroom is often the most cramped room in the overall living space. Due to the purpose of each feature product in the bathroom, the space in the room for user access is usually minimized to the lowest level. Corresponding between personal life style and limited living space, the quality of comfort is constrained by the reality of economic affordability. As living space in the house becomes smaller, the issue of overcrowding in the bathroom becomes more accentuated.

The project investigates small houses such as urban apartments and studio rooms in which bathroom features are often crammed into a small box structure. To resolve the problem, the bathroom product feature in this project has a simplified appearance. The bathroom design feature is installed into the wall behind the tiles, where it is integrated with the water plumbing system, and on the external side of the wall a clean user interface remains on the bathroom tiles as a simple but still elegant wall-feature.

The design concept is developed as a series version by using different material and operational methods in regards to the bathroom interior wall design and consumer preference.

ryan fonceca

PT1

Sustainability in the area of transportation is the main theme of the project. The project is aimed at a future scenario, which is based on the assumption that petrol powered cars will no longer be manufactured. By addressing issues related to factors like manufacturing of the fuel, transportation and distribution of the same, changing manufacturing processes, use of new materials for design and by adopting the technologies which are currently nesting inside the research labs, the project intends to pursue the idea of sustainable transportation and the easing of traffic congestion.

The project is a concept for a single person vehicle that will cause minimal damage to the environment. The basic layout for the proposed single seat concept will be an upright design to allow for greater visibility, to see over average cars and to be seen by other motorists. Having this upright position for the occupant he/she is at a normal standing height, which in traffic will be seen over cars and not hidden in front or behind them. Given this is such a small vehicle being seen is a key factor in safety and the reason for the upright layout.

The project is folio driven and focused on the journey of the design process, in particular the concept ideation and design sketches.

sam froud

Clip n Go

The common bicycle is rapidly becoming more and more a part of our lives.

Consequently the demand for innovative and functional accessories/components that cater to our changing lifestyle is sought after more than ever before.

This year, my project has focused on the bicycle market, allowing me to analyse and interrogate the existing products to frame my own designs, concepts and skills.

The initiation into this market came from a direct personal experience for a particular type of product for my bike. I sought to find a solution to my problem but in the current market there was nothing that yet existed. This very quickly developed into my first major component, ‘Clip n Go’. From this, and supported by my research, I developed three different concepts to cater for three main bicycle ‘groups’. Each product attempts to capture a little bit of what its respective group stands for. This was achieved by first and foremost, the innovation of the design, along with the materials and the manner in which the user would use them.

paulgilbert

SLIM

This project is an investigation of the space required to store appliances, which for the great part of their lifecycle are kept in cupboards not being used. I have decided to focus on the kitchen blender for this project as I feel that it has a great scope to change the way it functions as a stored item while still emaining able to operate like those which currently exist. My aim with this project was to develop a solution that allowed the blender to be stored in a greatly reduced space compared to that of current products on the market. Both the use of a slim profile motor to reduce height required for the power unit as well as the innovation of the use of a collapsible cup in this application provide a solution, which can store in one third of its operating height. These amendments from my design to the way current products are made without losing any of the functionality provides a solution to not only the issue of blender storage size but also shows the opportunities to create similar solutions with a range of products in the future.

maxharper

UTE

This project began as an investigation into assistive design. An active research process and prototyping was pursued, involving users of assistive devices and various healthcare professionals. As part of this iterative process a generic walker was used for design development and experiential testing.

The project outcome, ‘Ute’, is a multifunctional device that is retrofitted to a generic walker. Primarily, ‘Ute’ enables less abled people with poor dexterity to move objects around the home without the fear of dropping them, This is done with a tray combined with a lift which can height match many home surfaces. This allows the user to slide objects on and off the tray without compromising their stability or risking injury by letting go of the walker whilst handling difficult objects. E.g, food can be moved off a benchtop, on to ‘Ute’ then to a table. ‘Ute’ also transforms the walker into a tray-table suitable for eating off, and provides a full backrest to a walker, a major improvement over the standard padded tube.

‘Ute’ is an enabling device that enables less able individuals to be more independent by providing a stable platform for the safer transfer of food items, plates as well as other items from one location to another, while ensuring the stability of the individual.

nathanhollins

Guiding White

Products for the vision impaired have had a sudden surge in popularity as a design focus: in particular mobility. Project Guiding White fuses the attributes of a guide dog and the existing mobility cane to result in a product providing the best of both worlds. Through intimate consultancy with the end user, it was found canes were preferred for their cost effectiveness and mobility: where guide dogs were favoured for their increased safety and companionship. Guiding White was to hybridise these elements to bring mobility for the vision impaired into the 21st century.

Through a process of form following function, attributes such as the Flex-band for softening collisions, therefore increasing safety, an increase in ergonomics through form and weight distribution, and the inclusion of the latest materials and processes allows for Guiding White. The manufacture of the cane utilised numerous computer-generated technologies to provide the accuracy and precision needed to achieve the end result.

The materials selection of carbon fibre, metal and leather were both requirements for the project, as well serving to become familiar with their manufacturing process whilst within a university environment: benefiting the knowledge bank of the designer. The end result is a product ready for production for the consumer.

angeloupapageorgiou

FIVE FINGERS OF FREEDOM

The game is set in the year 2040, the GFC has become a huge problem. It was theorised that MACQAURIE BANK injected money into financially unstable companies to cause the crisis. The crisis has hit an all new low and MACQAURIE BANK is controlling most of the government agencies. There is worldwide poverty, and anyone who even comes close to threatening the stability of MACQAURIE BANK is either killed or has been wiped off the radar never to be seen again. The people have had enough and a group of Robin Hood inspired vigilante fight back.

The project is focused on the design of the main characters. This also includes the design of a range of weapons. It is done from more of an industrial design orientation; there is more focus on the idea that ‘function’ and ‘form’ are not mutually exclusive. There is heavy weight placed on the illustration and artistic aspect of design. There is also an exploration into scenes: landscapes, cityscapes and interior in varying styles (i.e. matte painting).

jessalynsalim

ONE LESS CASE

One less case focuses on what design can do to resolve some of the health problems that are rising in children at the moment, such as food allergy/anaphylaxis, and other conditions like heart condition, asthma, diabetes, etc.

The project focuses mainly on the health system in primary schools, particularly in first aid care at schools. The attending teachers or school nurse would need to be aware of the health of the students. The outcome of the project is a portable first aid kit, which is supported by a digital students’ health database. The database would help the teacher to keep track of each student’s condition and be aware of particular students needs. The digital system would make it easier to update the information than having it on paper. Furthermore the first aid kit can be carried for field trips, sport events, camps and other activities.

dianasaridewi

MACARON 101

The project, which is targeted at home bakers and bakeries, aims to introduce designs to simplify the process of making macarons. This will improve the consistency as well as efficiency of time and the amount of washing that goes into the kitchen. The making process is in fact pretty complex and the successful production of macarons is very time consuming due to inevitable human errors in the manual labor process. The project itself consists of two designs, where the first design is an attachment to the existing kitchen aid standing mixer, which enables the user to mix the wet and dry ingredients at the same time, to help improve the efficiency of time in the making process. The second design, which is a silicon baking matt for macarons with circles printed on it, is aimed to improve the accuracy of the size of the batch piped, as consistency of size has been one of the main problems experienced by a lot of bakers in making macarons. With both designs, the production waste due to human error can be minimized.

dimitri stronghilis

Making Way

“Profile” was the ultimate way in which I could demonstrate both my ability and capability as a young designer with great ambitions. The aim of my work was to create a multifunctional adjustable lighting solution that would allow users to manipulate the way in which a light source could be utilised for different requirements within the same space. The idea of less being more was a fundamental area of exploration to create something new and innovative whilst still embodying a simplistic aesthetic that could give more to its environment by being less intrusive upon it. Through the exploration of magnetism, aerospace technologies, electronics and numerous other fields a vast amount of information was collected and in its own way implemented into the design of this illuminate. Materials and processes were imperative to the success of this design but these attributes were linked directly to the constant and consistent testing of theories and proving them in order to achieve an efficacious outcome. It was my intention to demonstrate to any potential employer that I can anticipate all aspects of the design process relevant to a project in order to achieve a profitable outcome, not only for the manufacturer but for the user as well.

carsontully

STAIR AID

The outcome of this project focuses on the emergency services, particularly the role of paramedics and their need to transport patients down stairs in sometimes difficult situations.

Development of multi story housing is becoming a growth trend and most housing projects with less than 5 levels do not require an elevator system within the building; so the issue of patient transfer is of a growing concern.

OH&S legislation demands that the employee is provided with a safe working environment and of course equal opportunity laws give women the opportunity to work within this field, so it is imperative that through design and engineering we can provide them with the tools to safely perform their duties and avoid serious injury, particularly those that develop over time.

The proposed design may not eliminate aspects of the job which are labour intensive, but it will eliminate the actions that cause strain leading to serious injury in contrast to procedures and equipment available today which are outdated.

In the hierarchy of controls, design and manufacturing it is an important key to providing a safe workplace and I believe the outcome of this project and its implementation through industrial design will achieve that.

lawrencewong

Helmet

The inquiry in this project was sparked off by the recent Queensland floods: how can the public help in the rescue efforts in disaster situations? the solution proposed was that of people utilizing their own vehicles which were equipped with the options-features-capabilities to convert an agricultural vehicle effortlessly to a rescue vehicle.

The research for the project looked at the agricultural industry, and queried people about ways to adapt agricultural vehicles for rescue purposes. The solution comprises both product design and service design, sharing system, aspects.

In refining the uses and applications of the product, he project gathered information from the public and conducted additional research with the rescue crews. The aim has been to collaborate with stakeholder agencies targeting thus CFA, and MFB members as well as the public. The marriage of these problems has helped Lawrence to develop a helmet that will be widely accepted within the firefighting volunteering communities

This helmet will add just that little bit of information contributed by fire fighters, participants to answer their concerns, to be functional as well to be adaptable to the ever changing groups.

Associate Professor, Soumitri Varadarajan

Social SuStainable deSign

The Social and Sustainable Design studio has a focus upon design as a socially engaged and negotiated creative practice. With a strong sustainable design or service design focus the process in this studio typically includes stakeholder consultation, co-design and co-creation. Project outcomes in this mode of practice are, the designs of products and services or product service systems and, in some instances the visualization of social innovation enterprises that extend up to the construction of service blueprints and business plans.

The projects presented engage with social issues (such as urban violence, disability and shame, and women’s body image), and sustainability (micro power generation and recycling). Additionally a few projects work from an expanded notion of social and sustainable design to include cultural theory, art practice and contemporary aesthetics. Contexts in which these broader approaches were applied included dealing with an urban community of parkour practitioners, and a collaborative art practice that focused upon the body and sensory perception, where the design process significantly used visualization by making.

timdenshire-key

Everyday Studio

Everyday Studio has evolved in response to community interviews conducted in the pre-major phase of the project. The interviews looked at perceptions of violence amongst the community in the regional city of Albury, NSW.

Everyday Studio is a service proposed which looks to build creative confidence and problem solving skills. Everyday Studio takes the design studio experience out into the real world. Everyday people involved in social issues, become studio participants to create solutions for their own problems.

Creative confidence is that ability to put together disparate dots. Not being too worred about failure. Instead taking measured (or a complete stab in the dark) risks. Slowly learning, failing, building, going forward, getting side tracked. But being able to reflect and learn from the process. I’m interested in getting people to experience that feeling which melds surprise, excitement, satisfaction and independence. The feeling you get from creating something yourself.

The scale and scope of the effects of Everyday Studio will be down to the individual. But holistically the aim is to encourage a more stimulated, connected community.

GeOrGiA hUtChisOn

Wild Order

Wild Order is a design project exploring aesthetics for living. Informed by research into the aesthetic themes of impermanence and imperfection, Wild Order interrogates the relationships we have with the objects that we surround ourselves with.

The home in this account emerges as a personal museum that reflects the ethics and ideals of the inhabitant. Objects in this context become manifestations of the way we connect with the world.

Amplifying design practice as the industry of one, the Wild Order project adopts practices such as craft, the bespoke, the tactile - embracing in this fashion both the ordered and chaotic in processes and materials. The project generates a collection of domestic artifacts from an aesthetic study.

Honouring honesty in materials and exposed processes, this project aims to set up a re-engagement with materials and their sources in the environment. Drawing from a palette of ‘resonant and responsive’ materials, the project alludes to a beauty which is found in attrition, wear and time.

simOn LOWther

The Euphony Maze Project

We live in a predominantly image based culture wherein visual interaction lies at the forefront of our everyday life; in the way we navigate our surroundings, identify objects, and interpret the world. This heavy reliance on the virtual and the visual has caused the other senses to fade somewhat into the background. This phenomenon is impoverishing the potential of the human body as a knowing entity.

The euphony maze is a hand-held marble maze, contained within an opaque facade that disallows the user to visually gauge where the marble is. This concept aims to encapsulate rich and meaningful multi-modal interaction with an object while intentionally disengaging visual interaction. In doing so, an interactive experience that engages the mind and body in focussing on tactile and auditory feedback is created.

This project is a re-examination and re-development of a first-year educational toy design project. The desire to expand on this concept comes from recognizing the inherent value and philosophical relevance the idea holds in its relationship with human perception and experience.

steven LUC

walk-run-fly

Le Parkour (Parkour or PK), a method of movement focused on moving around obstacles with speed and efficiency. Traceurs (those who practice Parkour) who run up, off and through buildings, railings and other urban built forms wear out their footwear quite quickly. Traceurs modify their footwear to improve their performance, as no currently available shoe design focuses upon their particular needs. The project – walk-run-fly – worked with the Parkour community through stakeholder consultation and co-creation sessions to develop the design. The project proceeded in a visible fashion through sketches and digital drawings keeping the stakeholders in dialogue through the process. Alongside this I worked with makers of handcrafted shoes to co-create the upper of the shoe. The sole of the shoe was made on CAD to enable it to be digitally printed. The resulting shoe prototype is to be trialled by the Traceurs for feedback and further development.

frAnCismCArdLe

Piezo Power

This project is an exploration into micro power and how we can generate our own energy. While we heavily rely on grid power, a lot of the things we use only need a small amount of electricity to run. Many products exist which have the ability to produce small amounts of power and each achieve this goal in numerous ways, many by human power; I have explored the use of a technology that hasn’t readily been used in such an area. Piezoelectricity is an effect by which certain materials, when placed under mechanical strain, produce an electrical charge. I have explored this technology and its potential to be applied within a product powered by people. The outcome of this investigation is a finished product which uses a piezoelectric element as its power source and encourages the use of an alternate charging device.

miCheLLevAnspALL

As we grow older, our body slowly starts to lose the abilities that once made us feel like we could do anything! To just name a few: our metabolism slows down, our bone mineral density decreases, we lose muscle mass and our joints lose the synovial fluid that allow for smooth movement. My design picks up on the current paradigm shift in the fitness industry, to realise the most effective methods and reasons for exercise as we grow older. By exploring the shift from isolation to compound exercises, as well as the expanded age and gender bracket for weights training, I have aimed to design a product that would appeal to women.

The solution combines the two aspects of the fitness industry that are already directed at women – resistance bands and fashionable fitness wear – to create a fashionable resistance suit. The aim here has been to come up with a solution that encourages women to combine their regular cardio training with a level of resistance, opening the potential benefits of weight training without dealing with the common disillusions revolved around weight lifting.

hUi minGWOnG

Out and Proud

Hearing loss is a common disability, though what is not commonly known is that a lot of people with this condition do not wear hearing aids. The project focuses upon this sense of ‘shame’ and challenges the traditional design responses that have focussed upon making ever smaller and hidden-behind-the-ear hearing aids. By using the title ‘out and proud’, the project proposes an alternative approach to the design of hearing aids: one where the device is larger (so it can accommodate better electronics) and has a design value as a fashion accessory.

The project has been informed by collaboration with hearing aid users and manufacturers. Utilising contemporary capabilities such as interfacing with smart phones and computers, the design enables high quality and user customisable audio sound. The project also separates the electronics from the casing to enable the potential for an interactive service enterprise where the user can freely customize the form and features of the device, or even be the owner of a system product with multiple user-generated configurations. The project ‘out and proud’ has aimed to unpack the paradigm of hearing aids by a formalistic approach of interpretations and images.

hArrisyU

Bot Craft

BotCraft aims at creating new functions and providing a new life to the common glass bottle that becomes waste. Manufacturing companies through to households throw away enormous amounts of waste every day. Metal containers, timber structures, plastic bags, glass bottles just to name a few. Most of these objects become waste as soon as they accomplish their intended function. However, such objects continue to retain qualities of aesthetics and durability which could be utilized for another purpose.

Australia produces a large waste stream of glass bottles partly due to its rich culture of wine making. Most of the bottles are beautiful which is a shame just to be thrown away. Some restaurants just re-use them as water jugs. Bot Craft intends to do much more than that.

Bot Craft aims to design decorative products which utilise recycled glass bottles as the main material. Variability within products is the key. What if a product could change its appearance at the will of the user? What if it could change its shape, colour or surface pattern? The project explores technologies and mechanisms that allow users to play with the form aesthetics and surface detail of everyday glass bottles.

transport mobility

Lecturers, Simon Curlis & Marcus Hotblack

The Transport and Mobility Design studio concerns issues of sustainable transit solutions that service the practical requirements of communities and desires of the individual. The approach to vehicle design is located within a larger research project, ‘Car of the Future’, which addresses emerging technological and social issues and investigates the synergies between sustainable energy production, storage, use and the potential that this offers to the design and production of vehicles. The approach to concept vehicles in this studio offers students the opportunity to invite industry into the possibilities of new design directions by elevating community expectations of vehicle design, mobility services and transportation systems. Throughout the year long learning program industry-based transportation designers reviewed the projects as they developed and offered specialist expertise, criticism and advice to students.

The projects include: the HSV-R2 that presents alternative ‘performance’ strategies to local manufacturers; car design projects that promote physical exercise and community development throughout Asia, thereby raising questions of social benefit from vehicle design; public transport oriented projects that feature share-car and mini-bus propositions explore an ease of transit comparable to that of surfing the internet, and finally the O2 Pursuit project that engages local manufacturers to realise a motorcycle prototype propelled by compressed air, suggesting a vehicle of the future, free from fossil fuel dependence.

deanBenstead

O2 Pursuit

The O2 Pursuit motorcycle gives recreational motorcyclists a sustainable future featuring the DiPietro air-powered engine. The project has two separate but connected outcomes:

The first is a proof of concept prototype motorcycle. The prototype provides a functioning example of what the future may hold. Test riding the O2 Pursuit is just the first glimpse of future transport. A product designed for low cost and local manufacture at this point in time.

The second is a concept motorcycle exploring the air engine’s future potential. This design features emerging materials, processes and design trends. The concept pursuit utilises a structural transparent air vessel with sprouting printed titanium hard points and mounts. A quick release, road ready setup or motocross setup wheels provide users with choice of purpose and performance. This ultra-lightweight motorcycle, presents two wheel drive via in-wheel motors which serve as functional and sculptural design.

Alternative energy production sources can compress air off peak and store inert fuel within cities. This vision of a ‘wind to wind’ motorcycle scenario provides the ability to ride for the fun of it and lead a sustainable transport future.

michaelgray

HSV R2

This ‘superlight’, sporty, two-occupant vehicle is targeted toward younger singles and couples, and as a second vehicle for sustainable leisure. It will enable the user to enjoy fun, impact neutral and cost effective transportation.

This vehicle features 4 wheel stability, all weather protection, and rollover protection with an integrated monocoque safety cell structure that sustains the occupants in comfort to optimise the overall user experience.

Electric engines linked to green energy in the domestic solar system enable lower running costs when compared to conventionally-powered passenger vehicles, while infinite range is made possible by the interchangeability of battery packs at e-service stations.

It has been designed to function as a practical commuter, as well as an exhilarating recreational vehicle. The physical properties of a passenger car and sports motorcycle cross over within this vehicle, providing similar levels of comfort and security to a car, and some of the raw and exciting character of a motorcycle or quad bike.

My design vision is to enable people living throughout the broader metropolitan areas of Australian cities to continue enjoying independent mobility and undiminished access to the varied leisure driving potential this country offers.

seanminahan

FORCE – 2030 POLICE PURSUIT & EMERGENCY RESPONSE VEHICLE

Project FORCE brings to the near future a powerful, intelligent and energy efficient concept vehicle to take a central role for a future film, based in a dystopian Victoria in 2030.

The scenario requires a multi-purpose all terrain, police pursuit, rapid response and rescue vehicle for challenging situations involving high impact scenarios and harsh terrain. As a central ‘character’ in the story, the vehicle displays performance capabilities and intelligent approaches to accomplishing tasks that are hazardous and unpredictable.

Equipped with state-of-the-art interface systems including heads up displays, multiple vision modes, communication capabilities, weapons and rescue equipment, the vehicle is specifically designed to negotiate any challenge it may encounter, by adapting to the environmental terrains.

The exterior styles assert strength and authority through both defensive and offensive capacities, providing both community safety reassurance and an uncompromising response to criminal activity. Featuring independent intelligence and stealth systems, this concept diminishes conventional police vehicles. The design combines the latest in Hydrogen fuel powered technology for power and range whilst featuring nomadic battery recharge capability to keep batteries charged.

In the near future no challenge is unattainable when your mode of transport actually knows who is in the driver’s seat!

mirandanesci

SpaceFORT

SpaceFORT’s aim is to enhance experiences of passengers travelling in economy seating, changing people’s perceptions of economy flight from an affordable but fatiguing option to a personalised and comfortable experience.

The SpaceFORT features adjustable seat pitch, customised to each passenger’s height giving a uniquely personalized experience. This ensures every passenger has satisfactory ergonomic requirements including adequate leg space. Additionally, the seat folds up to facilitate standing or exercise within the passenger’s own space.

Entertainment is provided by smart devices presenting passengers with personalised greetings and access to an increased level of interaction with applications, games, movies and connectivity to amuse passengers on extended journeys. The touch screen controls all movements of the aircraft seat, interior and communication with crew, other passengers and post-flight services.

Reading lights, Audio Visual and ventilation controls are design features integrated into the seat, removing visual and physical clutter from the space to provide a non-stifling environment. Emerging additive manufacture provides lightweight solutions and an effective plug and play seat that enables quick replacement reducing delays due to maintenance.

The project is all about intelligently using and manipulating the space available within long haul aircraft whilst maximizing the comfort and passenger experience.

danielnguy

Nike, Pegasus

This is a car that takes inspiration from revolutionary sneakers and presents a mode of mobility for the future that addresses the requirement for sustainable transportation. The Nike Pegasus encourages active mobility through a rewards exchange system that earns active users mobility mileage.

The vehicle is a three seated electric sports car suitable for an urban environment and capable of exchanging electricity with the grid in the event of a power surge or deficit to provide instant demands for electricity. The car is also equipped with data receivers that identify traceable items and objects (such as Nike+ technology embedded in shoes and mobile devices) which help monitor and reward the sustainability profile of the user. The significance of the profile data is portrayed in different colours emitted through lighting and certain dynamic colour panels. Green hues represent sustainable travelling practices whereas red hues require attention by the user. This informs users of their travelling behaviours and also serves as an incentive for them to desire preferable colour combinations through ethical mobility practices.

mohamednur

‘Tie’ mobility

Based on the ideal that ‘mobility is a fundamental right of an individual regardless of one’s status in society’, ‘Tie’ is a project that tries to capture notions of social design within a form of a vehicle. The purpose of Tie is as an inexpensive electric vehicle that brands itself on notions of utility and function rather than as a financial status indicator.

This project facilitates the poorest citizens in two of the world’s largest emerging markets of China and India. ‘Tie’ endeavours to answer the question, “Is one able to create a simple well designed vehicle that will not only meet the varying needs of users throughout Asia but make it economically viable to the poorest of society?”

Electric vehicles require established and stable energy networks to sustain them. Utilising Vehicle to Grid theories, ‘Tie’ employs alternative power arrangements designed to resolve some of the major issues with conventional electricity networks. ‘Ties’ intention is to facilitate localized power co-operatives, which are charged, used and operated by the communities that establish them.

This is ‘Tie’, a project that envisions vehicles used in the system and establishes infrastructure to sustain it.

ryano’donnell

Google Transit

The ‘Google Transit’ addresses the potential synergy between conventional public transport services and Information Technology’s capacity to provide a flexible transit experience to the masses. The Google Transit provides service within the urban environment through a public transport system capable of ‘demand based public mobility’ with diversified flexible utility and potential for new services. The project seeks to change the way in which people engage with public transport within the local community.

This vehicle features an automated driver with intelligent collision avoidance and real time updates to routes to adapt to traffic trends and obstacles. Removing the requirements of rails and power lines reduces infrastructure implantation and maintenance costs. Driverless technology allows for 24/7 services in a safe and secure mobility. The Interior can accommodate goods during off-peak facilitating deliveries then automatically redistributing to high demand localities when required.

Rapid evolution of battery and drivetrain technology means that the Transit will recharge in minutes instead of hours using wireless charge bays, accessing the grid when the cost of power is low. This will keep operational costs low, enabling the savings to be passed onto the public.

When you want it, where you want it for a fraction of the cost.

jamespatrick

MOTOZER0

MotoZer0 is a zero emission electric powered racing motorcycle. Competition fosters technological innovation, hence racing is the optimal platform for the development and desirability of electric vehicles.

Climate change is the issue that is defining this century. An emerging market of aware and ethical consumers is seeking viable transportation and automotive leisure opportunities whilst maintaining a minimal eco-footprint.

Electric motors have far better power-to-weight ratios than fossil fuelled engines and generate higher torque and faster acceleration at low speeds. Electric racing motorcycle technology is filtering into commercial production, however the design evolution has been lagging.

This design presents an aesthetic departure from conventional motorcycle design which evolved with internal combustion requirements, limitations and potential. This style features potential directions for Aerodynamics and air management combined with weight minimisation to achieve optimal performance and minimal environmental impact.

MotoZer0 seeks to demonstrate that clean-emission transport technologies have matured and can be fun, fast and exciting.

acknowledgments

The Industrial Design students would like to thank:

The fourth year students of Industrial Design would like to thank all of the Industrial Design program and sessional staff members for having made this the enjoyable and educational experience it has been. We all feel very fortunate to have had the variety of expertise available to us throughout the program, and we are grateful for the passion with which it was taught. We would also like to thank all of those involved in the administration and organisation of the program for making it run as smoothly as it did and for always being quick to assist any of us needing help. We couldn’t have done it without you.

The Industrial Design program staff would like to thank:

Maree Cassar for supporting the students with academic administration. Our technical staff members who have assisted the students with the development and realisation of their design prototypes, Bramha Kondaiah, Alex Edwards, Adam Stewart, Andrew Thompson, and Kevin Mumford. Additionally the program would like to acknowledge the technical expertise provided to students by Dr Mike Burton and Nigel Brockbank at the RMIT University Advanced Manufacturing Precinct.

Finally, a very warm thank-you is extended to the very long list of academic and technical staff that have opened up and imparted their experience and expertise to students throughout their studies in Industrial Design.

Particular thanks are extended to:

Scott Mitchell for his leadership of the Interactive Systems studio.

Michael Trudgeon, Johnathan Duckworth, Andrew Burrow and Brandon Hur for their roles on the examination panels for the Interactive Systems studio.

Gyungju Chyon for her leadership of the Object Design Studio.

Nick Rennie, Nigel Brockbank, Kathy Fox, Adam Cornish for their roles on the examination panels of the Object Design Studio.

Ian Wong for his leadership of the Product Design Studio, with support from Bernie Walsh.

Professor Kjell Grant for his leadership of the Furniture Design Studio.

Michelle Hyams, David Burke and Mark Watson for their roles on the examination panels of the Furniture Design Studio.

Associate Professor Soumitri Varadarajan for his leadership of the Social and Sustainable Design Studio.

Gyungju Chyon, Scott Mayson, Simon Curlis, Georgia McCorkill, Liam Fennessy, Juliette Anich, Leyla Acaroglu, Leah Heiss and Nigel Brockbank for their roles on the examination panels of the Social and Sustainable Design Studio.

Simon Curlis for his leadership of the Transport and Mobility Design Studio.

Angelo Dipietro from Engine Air Australia; Nick Eterovic, Scott Ferrier and Peter Jones from Ford Australia; Warrick Leach from GMHolden; Choi Hunchal; Peter Hutchinson from Toyota; Michael Chijoff from Jones Chijoff; Sean Goldhawk from Yamaha Motorcycles; and Alec Simpson from 2Wheels Magazine, for their roles on the examination panels of the Transport and Mobility Design Studio.