MADE Product Design Issue Two

Issue 2 Product Design

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Internship Interview with Angus Lewry and Emily Mackenzie

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Entertainment

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A4 Poster

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Cutlery Grips Interview with Ryan Horrel

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Best Awards Graduate Project Ian McDowall and Francis Bingham

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Vege Based Crayons Interview with Ben Taylor

MADE is a small run print publication focused on everything about design. At Otago Polytechnic we share our stories of how we creatively discover, engage, learn and lead with our communities and with each other.

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Internship Interview with Angus Lewry and Emily MacKenzie about their intership with Farra Engineering

What was the brief for this project?

We did an internship over the summer for Farra Engineering and this opportunity came up through networking in the product department through our lecturer which lead to an interview and ending with a paid internship. The internship started in October of 2020 and we did one day a week while studying. We then went into full-time over the summer and kept employment with them while we went back to study in 2021.

Now we are doing it one day a week again. We have been doing a lot of brand development, social media, and marketing sales. We were tasked with creating a range of Brasiers which are fire pits. We wanted a low-high price range to fit a large target market and making them quality New Zealand made.

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What attracted you to taking Product design?

Angus: I had no idea product design was offered until I moved down here.

I did two years of architecture at Victoria University in Wellington but it wasn’t what I wanted. I realise now that it wasn’t about people, it was about myself, and that was something I wasn’t enjoying. I came down here to do a random design course because I had no money, no job and I had to study because at the time it seemed like I had no other options. I stumbled upon this course through one of the lecturers, Gavin.

Emily: I came into the Open day and walked into the wrong course talk.

Andrew Wallace was talking and I thought to myself “That’s me, that’s what I want to do”.

Were your expectations met?

Angus: Yes, they have been exceeded.

There have been so many things I have learned even within the first six months of the course about myself and people within fundamentals of design than what I learned in two years at the architecture school.

Emily: I think the freedom the course allows you to bring in your personal values and your own learning style which creates creative freedom. The lectures are willing to help expand your learning with certain projects you’re interested in.

What are your values as a designer?

Angus: My design values are authentic, curious, and inclusive .

Emily: My design values are peopleorientated design, designing for purpose and integrity.

What were the outcomes you created for your project?

We made 100% New Zealand made fire pits for Farra Engineering. We did all the design work, drawings and we took our process from what we learned at the Product course at Otago Polytechnic. We did a bit of prototyping and product testing. We then sent jobs through to the workers and they would send them back with feedback for us to work on and change for the product development.

What inspired you to create this style for your project?

Emily: There was a bit of market research done to find a point of difference and finding out what the target audience wants. Since COVID-19 there was a change in behaviour from consumers to support locals and to buy local.

Angus: We found gaps in the market and what the point of difference could be. We figured out what the market was missing and designed a product with a new style/purpose. As well as keeping in mind to support a local industry that is dying a little bit due to COVID-19 and trying to bring it back to life by pushing the idea of buying local and supporting local businesses.

What skills did you learn doing this project?

Angus: I think the skill I learned the most was communicating with people, which has been really important.

Visually and verbally this skill is really important and I also learned a lot about social media. It was a very independent internship.

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Emily: I think working for the industry has expanded our design role. Here at Otago Polytechnic, we have never really had to market a product. We just design it and get a grade but at Farra, we were part of the whole design process from start to finish. Putting it on the website, product descriptions, marketing aspects, social media, and how to communicate it within a team and then to different teams and people.

Were there any challenges you faced during this project?

Angus: The company was really busy at one point so it was hard to get some tasks done so that was tricky to navigate but we flipped that around.

Emily: We had to push for some interests in our process and for some support. It goes back to communication and learning how and when to communicate your ideas.

Do you feel like your skills have improved since starting this course?

Angus: Definitely with my design skills but I think my personal growth has developed a lot and my confidence in my designs has gotten better. My confidence really changed when we did our first client projects at the start of last year. Everything sort of fell into place and I knew what I was doing and what questions I needed to ask to be able to get all the information I needed.

Emily: Not even just as a designer but personal development and realising values and personal growth.

What advice would you give to someone working with a client?

Angus: Being clear about support and the information you need and if you don’t get it try again. Lots of the time you can overthink about what the response would be from the client and then you waste time overthinking it when you could just be straight up with the questions you’re asking to get the information you need. Doing things that the client wants are necessary for what they envisioned but, taking the brief and offering them more is a great way to put your own design style into a client project.

Emily: Don’t be afraid to ask any questions because there have been points where it wasn’t just about money. Look beyond the brief because that’s where some deep values lie.

Did working for a real client influence your design practice?

Angus: It was an opportunity for our design to be taken seriously. It’s not just going into a portfolio or getting a grade, it’s actually a real product that you’re making that customers can purchase and have in their homes.

Emily: I would 100% recommend getting an internship. I think it is putting your learning from here into a real-world, real team environment and it brings different elements to it that you wouldn’t have thought about before.

What are your thoughts on bicultural practices as an emerging New Zealand designer?

Angus: I think it’s super important to consider and respect. Understanding

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indigenous culture’s design values are totally valid. If you look at our current climate, over 150 years, we have almost destroyed our plants from the industrial evolution whereas indigenous cultures have survived over hundreds of years living off the land which is very impressive.

Emily: I would agree with that, it is becoming more and more important with the changes to our design practices and design values. We need to acknowledge it and do better to make a positive difference.

Emily: I think the environment here is quite unique, you get to know everyone in your course and the lecturers are so supportive because of the small class sizes. The lecturers get to know us and we get to know them and their values. As for the opportunities that are given out you need to take them and make the most of them.

“As product designers you are adding something into the system so whatever the outcome of that product will be you need to think about it because it is going to effect the environment in some way”.

Do you think about sustainability when it comes to your design practice?

Angus: Definitely. A lot of work we were doing for our internship at Farra there was greenwashing language but we need to align these values and do more things sustainably within the design world. Purposeful design is very important to think about when it comes to sustainability.

Emily: It is important to push those values and share these values with the older generation. The education about sustainability is super important and we have learned a lot about it through our course.

-Emily MacKenzie

What would you say to someone thinking of studying design at Otago Polytechnic?

Angus: Just do it, I think it is worth your time and money. I think there’s a lot of different opportunities even outside the course and I think you should take every opportunity you get given. The value you get from the course is pretty powerful stuff.

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Product Design

Complete the crossword!!

Across 3. Used to cut out wood in a straight line 4. Used to cut fabric or to score tougher material 6. Used to wear down material or to give a smoother finish to a product 8. Used to apply force to a nail when joining two bits of wood together, and can be used to remove nails from wood by using the claw 10. Used to cut wood in a curved line

Down 1. Used to heat up a stick of glue which then becomes applicable to stick two or more objects together 2. Used to electronically connect wires in a circuit by melting solder (a metal) 5. Used typically to add force to a chisel in order for it to break up the material 7. Used to drill a circular hole through material

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Can you make a picture out of these shapes?

Can you be the Master of Sudoku?

Can you spot ten differences?

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Cutlery Grips Interview with Ryan Horrell about the cutlery grips he made for people with Osteoarthritis

What was the brief for this project?

Ergonomic Cutlery Grips. People with Osteoarthritis struggle to grip and use cutlery effectively. The aim of this project is to design a product that will assist people with Osteoarthritis when eating. My stakeholders for this project were Occupational Therapy lecturers. The product developed in this process will replace the commonly used cheap foam products and give the users a product to take out with them when they eat at a restaurant.

Ergonomics is to give grip strength and hand positioning on cutlery, having lightweight cutlery so people with Osteoarthritis can easily hold them without putting extra strain on joints.

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What attracted you to taking Product design?

I like to be creative and I see product design as a good way to express my ideas and explore the forms of products and shapes. Product design is a creative outlet that I can use to help people to improve their lives with products. I came across this course through the Otago Polytechnic open day and my high school teacher pushed me towards studying something which allows me to be creative.

Were your expectations met?

Yes, I didn’t have many expectations for the course itself so anything I did within the course allowed me to learn more than I ever thought I would. This course has given me endless opportunities to learn new skills and to create products with a purpose.

What are your values as a designer?

My values are sustainability, I like making memorable and meaningful connections with the user and the products as well as focusing on honest design and designing for purpose.

What were the outcomes you created for your project?

Ergonomically designed cutlery to suit users with Osteoarthritis. Knife, fork, spoon, and soup spoon all with laminated, laser-cut grips.

What inspired you to create this style for your project?

The project was to work with Otago Polytechnic lecturers to improve existing products that they give out to their clients. One of the products they showed

us were these foam-covered cutlery pieces. Pieces of steel cutlery with a piece of foam inserted onto it.

I saw that there could be more value-added to them to be more aesthetically pleasing as well as being functional.

What skills did you learn doing this project?

I improved my Computer-Aided Design (CAD) skills by working on 3D design designing in the program’s solid works.

Were there any challenges you faced during this project?

It was hard to make a complete product without user testing as I only had six weeks and therefore I didn’t get any user testing of the product done. I struggled to put the product into context as I couldn’t ask a user to test the product with ethical approval.

Do you feel like your skills have improved since starting this course?

Yes, my skills have improved and I feel more confident with the products I make. I have a lot more skills to make better design outcomes.

Is there anything you would change about your final outcome?

Not really but I would like to carry it on into the future and make a refined finalised model. I would like to make a website to sell these through as well as a range of products to help people with Osteoarthritis. I’d like to make

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packaging for the cutlery so it is a completed finished product outcome.

What are your thoughts on bi-cultural practices as an emerging New Zealand designer?

I think it is important to respect cultural differences and use design appropriately so it isn’t offending anyone’s cultural values and views. I think it is important to get approval from appropriate groups before a final design come is made.

Do you think about sustainability when it comes to your design practice?

Yes, quite a lot. It started when I first start mocking up products and using leftover materials, using materials wisely and I aim towards zero waste. Trying not to print things out and using digital work booking is a great first step.

What would you say to someone thinking of studying design at Otago Polytechnic?

I personally think it is a great design course that offers a large number of opportunities with hands-on work to develop useful skills. There are small classes so there’s more one-on-one learning with the lectures and making personal connections with lecturers and students in the class compared to other large universities around New Zealand.

Lecturers are flexible with what you want to make and will always back your ideas and help to make them become a reality.

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Best Awards Graduates Work Ian McDowall Francis Bingham Yellow eyed penguin monitoring system

The weight station is designed to resist long exposure to rough coastal Otago weather and repel the build-up of sand and debris. The drafted lip around the housing tray creates a seal, capable of deflecting highpressure water and sand. The textured outer shell provides grip for the penguin, creating troughs for water and material build-up to flow away.

Textured outer shell

2mm ABS Hair-cell thermo plastic

Upper Load plate

2mm Aluminium sheet metal

Electrical components tray

Injection moulded polypropylene

Lower load plate

2mm Aluminium sheet metal

10kg Load cell

HX711 weight sensor

Plate securing

Zinc Plated Cr3 M4-5 machine screw

The housing tray also features two elevated supports, making it simpler for the workers to stabilise the device.

Fastening clips

Injection moulded polypropylene

Load cell connection

A triangular load cell configuration aids in the weighing accuracy. Securing the entire device watertight are custom webbing clips, which connect via the underside, preventing disturbance to the load cells.

HX711 Amplifier

Stability housing tray 2mm ABS thermo plastic

Webbing

Industrial polypropylene

Water proofing seal Rubber

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The control box stores and relays information gathered from the weight station back to the trust office. The device uses a universal Raspberry Pi circuit board which allows for the attachment to a variety of devices, including Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) antenna for identifying penguins.

The system saves trust workers time and resources, whilst reducing the response time for at-risk penguins.

Outer housing

Injection moulded polypropylene

Over moulding Rubber

Fish-eye lens camera 5MP Raspberry Pi

Battery

12 V long-life cell

Raspberry Pi A+

Circuit board + Micro SD card

Cooling fan

5V DC Brush-less

Inner housing

Injection moulded polypropylene

Waterproofing bung Rubber

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Vege Based Crayons

Interview with Ben Taylor about the vegetable based crayons he wants to start producing to help limit organic food waste.

What was the brief for this project?

The project is part of “Audacious” which is a business start-up. This project aims to solve a problem with a business idea. My idea is to use vegetable waste to create a sustainable crayon.

What attracted you to taking Product Design?

I originally came to the Otago Polytechnic open day with the attention of studying architecture but accidentally turned up to the product design talk and was instantly attracted to it. The opportunity to help people and change the world while still having fun is the best thing about product design for me.

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Were your expectations met?

Yes. Overall, my expectations were met or even exceeded. However, there are a couple of things that I wasn’t expecting. For example, Design Culture and Context (DCC) which is an essay submission is something I was not expecting but I quickly found out there will always be essay writing when doing a degree.

What are your values as a designer?

The values I take into my design tend to be the same values in my life. when designing I will make sure I am not discriminating against anyone. I will also make sure my designs are fair.

One of the most important things for me is the environmental impact I have.

This is one of the biggest issues in design in my opinion.

What were the outcomes you created for your project?

I have created a solution of plantbased crayons using natural vegetable based colours.

What inspired you to create this style for your project?

I work part-time at a supermarket and noticed the food waste problem was really bad. I noticed there was something similar to my idea in Japan but not globally, so I saw an opportunity to pursue food waste crayons.

What skills did you learn doing this project?

The project is still in the early stages but so far, I have learned a lot of

people skills and communication in the design and business field. I have also learned the skills to start a business in the early stages.

Were there any challenges you faced during this project?

The challenge I have faced so far is working in a team can be quite difficult at times. Everyone has different opinions and coming to a decision can be tricky. Also, working on this project as well as doing my product design, and working part-time was tough to manage my time.

Do you feel like your skills have improved since starting this course?

Yes. My skills are improving and I hope they will continue to improve.

What are your thoughts on bicultural practices as an emerging New Zealand designer?

I think biculturalism in design is very important as everyone has different values in life and allowing for that in my designs and services. Involving different cultures in my design is something I want to keep when I work in the design field. I think designers should try to be bicultural as the level we are at nowadays is not good enough.

Do you think about sustainability when it comes to your design practice?

Yes. Sustainability is one of the biggest values I hold in my design practice.

I think a lot of the world pollution is thanks to designers and they could do a much better job in that regard.

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What would you say to someone thinking of studying design at Otago Polytechnic?

I would highly recommend it to someone who likes to think creatively and outside of the box. There are amazing future job opportunities and the ability to help people. However, for people with a less creative mind, I would not recommend it as it is heavily based on being creative and coming up with new ideas.

“Make the most out of whatever you choose to do.”

-Ben Taylor

MADE Publication Issue 2 2021 Edited and Designed by Kylie Woods Credits: All work is credited to the designers Typeface: Noto Sans, Janda Manatee Solid Sloppy typeface made by Kylie Woods Paper: ECO100 Recycled Middle spread made by Kylie Woods Photography for Post Cards taken by Riley Smith

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