Workshopped Design Talks @ The Strand Arcade, 11th Aug
5 Designers (Stefan Lie, Karina Clarke, Rina Bernabei, Matthew Conway & Danny Cheung) having different experiences and educations spoke about their individual works within the context of “From Prototype to Production”.
Virtually none of the designers spoke of or made reference to Sustainability, Ecology or Social Responsibility.
During question time I asked “ All designers spoke of design in terms of aesthetics, manufacturing, costing and marketing. Where does sustainability and the ecological impacts of these designs come into your methodologies?”
After the initial hung heads and smirks from the panel members and the gasps of fellow audience members of such a ‘morbid’ question at the end of such ‘excellent talks’, 3 designers took on the challenge.
Karina: Coming from a craft and artisan background where there are only 10 or 20 made, the metals and plastics used are all recyclable.
Rina: I won an international award on sustainability of one of my products. But, I was doing this when I was in college 10yrs ago; I would hope that design has moved further on. Where things are not ‘oh, look at how sustainable it is’ but rather sustainability is considered subconsciously and is in every design.
Stefan: All packaging I use are leftovers from Harvey Norman that I turn inside out, simply because I can’t afford otherwise.
Heidi: (organiser, not panellist member) There are designers who are turning junk for rubbish dumps into beautiful works.
The Talks:
Stefian Lie
Mainly Spoke of a ‘Strip Screen’ (space divider) he designed as requested by DeDeCe, to compete in terms of aesthetics & cost with the European imports.
His aim in keeping cost to a minimum lead him to begin designing a screen which had no fasteners (i.e. nuts, bolts etc). He used a series of slits and bends out of one sheet of material. Eventually developing the design to be made from ‘strips’ of material rather than a single sheet, still no fasteners were used as the strips slide into metal extrusions. The design accommodates any width and height to suit any space.
Karina Clarke
Opening with her design philosophy “From little things, Big things grow”, as in the case with her ‘Button Stool’. Influenced by crafts and artisans she collaboratively worked with technicians, wood turners and stainless steel fabrication specialists. Her central theme was when designing from prototype to production you must keep in mind the “control of the big picture of the product”, “Who’s going to make it?” and “How do I get it on the market before it gets taken over by the Chinese manufacturers?”
Clarke developed the stool by reducing weldings down to two, for the legs, and for the seating plane ceased using lacquered wood to a rotational moulded piece. Clarke also breifely spoke of marketing, positioning, placement and distribution.
Rina Bernabei
Approached topic under the title of ‘Design Entrepreneur. Briefly speaking of her work as a designer of lighting products; her design of a piece sewn with LED’s which, by day is a Scarf, and by night is a light source in the home when hung on a hat rack. And another which consists of 228 parts!
Bernabei’s, main points of discussion were
· Manufacturing culture in Australia is a fearful one. Where by manufacturers are not eager nor are they willing to try something new, or be the first to try it.
· This paves the way for young Australian designers whom the Australian market has accepted.
· Listed the pro’s and con’s of design and being an entrepreneur, mainly covering the standard issues of costs, manufacturing techniques and juggling a job and entrepreneur-ing.
Matthew Conway
Spoke of many pieces all spurring from foam and fibreglass. However honorary grabs goes to Conway as he was the first (and last) to make any reference to the consumer furniture and its interaction / impact on ecology. This while taking of a ‘turf bench’ he designed to allow people to still have green grass, but less of it so it would require less watering, do this by incorporating patches of turf in outdoor furniture.
But unfortunately he told us of the 3000kms he drove during the development of a prototype because he couldn’t find a manufacturer or studio space geographically close enough willing to help with the developments.
Danny Cheung
All of his works are designed using vast amounts of plastic and metal, which primarily, serve from rather than function. This was emphasised when he spoke of a piece being ‘mainly sculptural’ even though it was supposed to function as a chair; and referencing ‘sophisticated design’ to ‘aesthesis and cost’.
Why are questions regarding the integration of sustainability in design practice frequently received with a ‘how hum, here we go again: another one on the band wagon’ in such contexts? Is it that the questions are pitched as accusations? If genuine interest is shown into how practicing designers take account of sustainability I don’t understand the problem with the question, especially from students confused by the seemingly contradictory demands of the design curriculum. When Newson spoke a few years back at SDW, the same question was pitched. The audience sighed and yawned and Newson skimmed over it as quickly as possible, making shakey claims that his design practice does of course consider the environment as evidenced by his spec for a hydro fuel cell in his concept car for Ford. hmmm. Are we asking the wrong questions? Are designers integrating sustainability so deeply into their practice that they need not explicate it (to the detriment of those of us who would love an account of such embedded knowledge?)
Posted by on 08/11 at 11:51 PM
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