KKDU Plum Bike Trailer and Rack

Melbourne startup KKDU Plum has just unveiled their brand new website, in which their very clever Bike Trailer and Rack are showcased.

Charlwood Design recently had the pleasure of working with startup KKDU Plum to develop what we think is the best bike trailer on the market today. This is a great example of someone identifying a solution and doing something about it- and a great inspiration for someone planning to dive into the scary world of the startups!

Founders Astrid and Haydn Sharratt came knocking on our big blue door about 2 years ago with a dream of developing a combined bike trailer and shopping trolley. The initial brief was a bike trailer that could carry all your "stuff"- and easily detach to be taken into the supermarket/shopping centre/market/beach/park/etc. Easy, no?

A page from the first concept presentation.

Well, as with most product development stories, there were plenty of hurdles. First issue was nailing the aesthetics. The "pram" aesthetic was briefly explored- and just as quickly abandoned. Plastic wheels were dismissed very early on. And rolled tubular steel was favoured over aluminum extrusion, to provide a more traditional look. It was very quickly established that this trailer needed to look perfectly at home being pulled behind something like a Pashley, or wandering the aisles of Prahran Market.

An early prototype. As with many projects, we find Water-Knifed Plywood to be a great method of creating mock-ups.

Ergonomically speaking, the trailer needed to not only suit all bike sizes; but also all users. The solution was an incredibly easy to adjust handle that also doubles as the hitching location. The handle rotates up and down to suit a variety of heights of both users and bikes, and connects to a very neat little hitch hanging off the custom bike rack. This also allows for a push or pull configuration when removed from the bike. The rack itself has a multitude of length and height adjust-ability to fit onto most adult bikes, and is an amazing product in its own right.

Head over to the new website to have a look at all the other features. From there you can register your interest and keep up to date with release dates and more.

kkduplum.bike

Hydrawise acquired by Hunter Industries

Smart Home Irrigation company and previous client of Charlwood Design, Hydrawise, has recently been acquired by irrigation giant Hunter Industries.

The news is fantastic for the Australian technology start up, who specialises in Wi-Fi controlled, smart irrigation systems. 

Charlwood Design were approached by Hydrawise back in 2013 to re-design their controller housing. Hydrawise had previously been using an OTS housing for their main controller unit, but after experiencing some growth, felt they needed to create something unique to represent the same level of intelligence and sophistication that their software and system design displayed.

The brief was to create a simple, low cost, water resistant housing that stood out from the competitors and was easy to install. The finished product met all criteria, and helped boost Hydrawise sales three fold.

Congratulations to both Hydrawise and Hunter Industries, we look forward to what the future holds!

The initial concept sketch presented at the first meeting.

Charlwood Design on Instagram

Charlwood Design has finally jumped onto Instagram! 

You will now be able to keep up to date with project releases, news, staff insights, inspiration, event information, manufacturing processes, job offers and more via our Instagram. The whole purpose is to provide you with a bit of an insight into the Charlwood Design studio, by showing you what we do, what we like and who we are.

Search Charlwood Design on Instagram or follow this link to go to our page. And be sure to follow us to keep to up to date with everything!

Charlwood Design mentors the James Dyson Award Winner

The studio had some great news this week with design student Sarah Heimeier's project developed for a Charlwood Design lead studio with RMIT university industrial design winning the National prize for the James Dyson Award. 

The studio focused on future healthcare innovations and Sarah's device, Jana is a wearable ultrasonic sensor that can monitor an expectant mother and baby’s heartbeat, blood pressure and glucose levels with a focus on helping rural families get better levels of care.

Charlwood Design has now been involved with three semesters with RMIT focusing on connected healthcare, with Paul Charlwood recently giving feedback and insights to the students on their ideas. He was very impressed with the exceptionally high standard of work that came out of an empathetic design process.

More information about the James Dyson Award Winner:

http://www.jamesdysonaward.org/projects/jana-remote-pregnancy-monitoring/

Hills Young Australian Design Award

The Charlwood Design office recently received some great new when we found out that two students from RMIT had become finalists in Hills Young Australian Design Awards.

Sarah Heimeier and Victor Bejan both attended the Charlwood Design Medical Device studio that we ran at RMIT University in 2013 (see here and here). We are pleased to see that both of them have pursued their interest in the Medical Device world!

Sarah has developed a rather clever Remote Pregnancy Monitor aimed at rural women. The system monitors a pregnant mothers body- recording any symptoms, blood pressure readings and development she may have. The information is then sent to their doctors in an effort to reduce the amount of visits needed.

Victors project is an Anaphylaxis Monitor aimed at reducing the life threatening allergic reaction that can happen to sufferers. The wearable device automatically administers adrenalin whilst simultaneously contacting emergency services when an allergic reaction happens. This helps to remove human error, which has previously been the cause of multiple avoidable deaths.

Charlwood Design wishes both Sarah and Victor the best in their future endeavors. It's great to see young designers with a thirst for helping people!

Kickstarter record broken, $13.3 million raised

Who would have thought a seemingly simple Cooler (or Esky to us Aussies) would raise over $13 million (USD) in funding, garner the attention of over 60,000 contributors, millions of onlookers, and cause industrial designers and backyard inventors alike to start salivating at the thought of achieving such success?

The Coolest is the Brainchild of Ryan Grepper, a serial inventor who ran a campaign through the popular crowd funding website, Kickstarter. The Coolest features a blender for mixing cocktails, a water proof bluetooth speaker (looks to be a Jawbone Jambox), USB charging output, plus many more clever additions that help it stand out in a seemingly simple and rather boring market.

Kickstarter, for those unaware, is a global crowd funding website for projects- which include consumer products, films, music, stage shows, comics, journalism, video games, and food-related projects. Everyday people can develop a campaign based on their project, and other everyday people can pledge money towards it in an effort to see it funded. Each pledge is rewarded depending on the amount, whether it be a limited edition t-shirt or receiving one of the first products off the assembly line. It is a great opportunity for people with great ideas but limited cash flow to see there projects come to life.

Amazingly, this isn't the first time Grepper has tried to fund the Coolest, running an unsuccessful campaign late 2013. With his confidence low, Grepper went back to the drawing board and re-jigged the design, gathered more supporters, adjusted the date of the campaign (July instead of November), and set the funding goal lower- from $125,000 down to just $50,000. Withing 36 hours of beginning the second campaign, that $50,000 goal was smashed, and people kept contributing right until the end- with over $2 million raised in the final 24 hours. The final figure was $13,285,226 from a total of 62,642 backers, and now Grepper has the arduous task of finalizing the design and sourcing manufacturers.

Even more amazingly, is that this record is predicted to be broken before too long. Kickstarter has seen incredible growth since its founding in April 2009- at the height of the GFC- and has proved itself as a viable alternative to the more traditonal funding avenues that faltered during that period- banks, investors and venture capitalists. Last year, donors funded an average of $1.3 million (USD) per day, and as of last quarter funded an average of three projects each hour- with a dozen of those breaking the $1 million mark.

This is promising news for those of us with an idea we want to see come alive- whether you are a Director of a small startup, backyard inventor or a group of mates who have had that lightbulb moment. However, despite its instant appeal, you don't read much about the unsuccessful campaigns- which there are many.

There are a few factors that can contribute to an unsuccessful campaign- poor idea, poor design, poor marketing, poor timing, limited target demographic or perhaps an existing similar product on the market.

Engaging an Industrial Designer at the beginning is a crucial make or break step, and can help to eliminate the above factors. Industrial Designers can help grow an idea into a product that appeals to the masses, and then develop it into a visual or functioning prototype- something that Kickstarter requires of all Product Design campaigns. Once funded, Industrial Designers will help to further develop the product to a mass production stage and help source local or international suppliers and manufacturers.

Additionally, a great product that no one knows about is also not going to achieve success. Kickstarter features thousands of different projects, so spreading the word is crucial to stand out. Campaign runners need to find the right marketing avenues be it blogs, local newspapers, friends or family. Finding your key demographic and targeting them is another aspect of the campaign in which an Industrial Design firm can greatly help. Simply relying on the exposure of being on Kickstarter will most likely lead to one thing- getting lost in the crowd.

Whilst it should be in no means considered easy money, crowd funding certainly has its benefits. With 21 years experience, Charlwood Design can guide you and help you achieve the most out of your idea and turn it into reality. Now all you need is that $13 million dollar idea!

Emerging Designers Inside Nights

Charlwood Design is proudly participating in the Emerging Designers Inside Nights for 2014.

The event, ran by DIA Victoria Tasmania & Emerging Designers, provides an opportunity to meet the creative design talents behind a bunch of studios across Melbourne. Students and recent graduates will be granted exclusive access to some of the cities top rated studios, giving an 'inside look' at their day to day routines.

This year will showcase a whole range of different disciplines, and it is recommended you get in quick as tickets will most likely sell out.

So if you want to see what we get up to here at our Collingwood Studio, get on board! It should be a great night. Tickets can be purchased here.

For more updates follow Inside Nights on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Premiers Design Awards 2014

Good Design Australia and the Victorian Government recently announced the 38 finalists across six categories for the 2014 Premier’s Design Awards.

Charlwood Design is pleased that two of our designs have been selected as finalists within the Product category, with the Elevare Shower Step and Classical Fingers being nominated. There are only nine finalists in total, which made the announcement even sweeter! We look forward to the Awards Presentation Ceremony in September this year.

The news of the Premiers Design Award finalists follows on from our recent award at the Good Design Australia Awards held in Sydney earlier this year, in which Classical Fingers took home a Good Design Award. Additionally, Classical Fingers was also selected as part of the prestigious Powerhouse Museum selection, where it will be added to the permanent collection of Australian Industrial Design and exhibited in "Success and Innovation" gallery for one year.

We want to congratulate and thank our clients Elevare and Cloudbreak Music for allowing us the opportunity to develop these amazing products. Be sure to check out both the Elevare Shower Step and Classical Fingers websites for more information on each product.

2014 Brisbane International Tennis Tournament

The Brisbane International Tennis Tournament recently took place up in Queensland, with Australia's very own Lleyton Hewitt and the USA's Serena Williams taking out their respective finals.

The tournament is quickly gaining respect from the tennis world as it continues to draw big name players, with this years event showcasing world No.2 Victoria Azarenka, Russian powerhouse Maria Sharapova and superstar Roger Federer.

Charlwood was lucky enough to team up with branding company R-co in 2012 to design a unique range of trophies for the Brisbane International event, and has been happy to continue supplying the trophies ever since.

Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt both holding their Charlwood designed trophies. Image: brisbaneinternational.com

The striking design is crafted from machined and polished aluminum, sitting atop a highly polished acrylic base. The swooping nature of the aluminum represents the Brisbane River and is also reminiscent of the iconic join line found on all tennis balls. Along with the perpetual and take-home trophies for the winners, Charlwood also designed the runners-up trophy- a minimal yet beautiful polished stainless steel, self standing plaque.

The trophies lined up at the Charlwood Studios before shipping.

world No.2 Victoria Azarenka, Russian powerhouse Maria Sharapova - See more at: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/2013/11/federer-and-williams-to-lead-all-star-line-up#sthash.Ff3BrTtw.dpuf

world No.2 Victoria Azarenka, Russian powerhouse Maria Sharapova - See more at: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/2013/11/federer-and-williams-to-lead-all-star-line-up#sthash.Ff3BrTtw.dpuf

world No.2 Victoria Azarenka, Russian powerhouse Maria Sharapova - See more at: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/2013/11/federer-and-williams-to-lead-all-star-line-up#sthash.Ff3BrTtw.dpuf

world No.2 Victoria Azarenka, Russian powerhouse Maria Sharapova - See more at: http://www.brisbaneinternational.com.au/2013/11/federer-and-williams-to-lead-all-star-line-up#sthash.Ff3BrTtw.dpuf

Charlwood Design Tumblr

The team at Charlwood Design have recently begun our own Tumblr. We will be treating the Tumblr as sort of a mood board for the studio, featuring designs from many different disciplines that inspire and intrigue us. Whether it be the iconic Braun SK 61 by Dieter Rams and Hans Gugelot, or a students latest work that we spotted on Behance or Coroflot- if we like it, we will post it up! Feel free to follow along.

charlwooddesign.tumblr.com

China International Creative Design Week 2013

 

Charlwood Design was privileged enough to be featured at the Design Institute of Australia stand at the China International Creative Design Week Exhibition at the China International Exhibition Centre (CIEC) in Beijing China recently (October 26th-28th).

The Charlwood designed and developed Mittstrom Mid-Stream Urine Collection device was exhibited at the stand, which showcased Australian innovation in medical and scientific device design.

Melbourne Design Awards 2013

Charlwood Design was delighted to be awarded ‘Best Design Studio” at the Melbourne Design awards recently. We won three different product categories:

• Winner Best Design Studio. melbournedesignawards

• Winner, Medical and Scientific for Mittstrom- Mid Stream Urine Collection

• Winner, Consumer for Classical Fingers

• Winner , Homewares for UpperCup also Best Start-up award.

• Finalist Concept or Prototype MCHUMBA

This adds to the recent BASF Plastics Innovation Award, Sydney Award and Finalist Premiers design Award for the Mittstrom in recent months.

Charlwood Design and Monash University China

The Mittstrom Mid-Stream Urine Collection device and the 321 water bottle, both designed by Charlwood Design, were exhibited as part of the opening ceremony events at the Southeast University - Monash University Joint Graduate School (Suzhou) opening in China this week.

The Mittstrom Mid-Stream Urine Collection device has recently won the BASF Plastics Innovation Award and the Melbourne and Sydney Design Awards, as well as being a finalist in the Victorian Premier's Design Awards 2103. The 321 water bottle was also included in the Suzhou H20 exhibition for World Industrial Design Day 2013.

The exhibition at the new Monash campus in China showcased Australian innovation and industrial design expertise in medical and scientific device design.

Plastics Innovation Award 2013

The Charlwood Design team was delighted to win the BASF Plastics Innovation Award for the Mittstrom Urine Test Device on 18th September, at the PlastixANZ Plastics Industry Awards 2013.

Mittstrom is an innovative device for the hygienic collection of midstream urine for analysis. It is a low-cost, fully biodegradable corn-starch saddle into which a standard pathology collection jar is placed. Initial urine is diverted from the jar by a thin membrane which dissolves over 3 seconds allowing the midstream urine to flow into the collection vial. Once finished the user simply removes the filled jar and flushes the device down the toilet. This innovative product has been granted patents internationally. Charlwood Design created the simple solution to the problem, using the unique (Plantic) material and tested it for performance.

Paul Charlwood said "this really shows how design can create a new business opportunity through innovative application of materials and insight to the end user’s needs."

Uppercup - Charlwood design client launches Crowdfunding campaign

'Uppercup' - a sustainable, reusable takeaway coffee cup designed by Charlwood Design has just been launched on the crowdfunding site pozible.
The unique, double wall tumbler is made of Tritan plastic and is ultrasonically welded. The result is a BPA free design that not only insulates the cup but also doesn’t absorb odours and flavours and is fully recyclable. The sturdy plastic construction ensures it is not fragile like ceramic or glass.

The unique rotating lid can be turned to reveal a tilt-up spout and then resealed flat to prevent splashes. The PP and LDPE parts separate for easy cleaning and recycling at the end of life.

Designed and manufactured in Melbourne Australia the cup is available in white/black in two sizes - 8oz and 12oz. The campaign ends on 19th September 2013 so get your pledges in to be the first to receive one.

www.pozible.com/uppercup

www.uppercup.com.au

Ideas that could change your life - Charlwood Design's concept for a better future for Melbourne

Charlwood Design's Director, Paul Charlwood was recently featured in an article in The Age Melbourne Magazine showcasing innovative design research for the future of Melbourne.

What is it? Commonwealth Avenue - a conceptual design for Kings Way that would create a shared transport route for trams, cars, bikes and pedestrians and incorporate water and solar energy collection.
Who's doing it? Charlwood Design - who created the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Queen's baton - came up with the concept as an internal exercise to try and add beauty and function to a major traffic feeder into the city. The team wanted to bring different modes of transport - bicycles, cars, trams and pedestrians - together in a sustainable way. "It's a reflection of Dandenong Road and the avenue down there," says Paul Charlwood. "I always loved the old overhead tram poles that are Victorian structures in their own right." The joint carriageway would be better than Copenhagen-style lanes "that are an afterthought", he says. "Kings Way is crying out for something to be done and this could be a great example - making a feature out of the overhead tram poles so they are more elegant and then the water and solar collection are the sustainability side. They could feed down to street plantings or parks nearby."
Could it work? With government backing, Charlwood believes construction could start within a couple of years. "It's already starting to look more logical and contemporary. As we start to swing out of the GFC," he says, "sustainability issues will come back onto the agenda."

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/ideas-that-could-change-your-life-20130312-2fxo6.html#ixzz2ODktjs7w

More on the project: http://charlwood.com.au/sustainability/commonwealth-ave-concept.aspx

Sydney Design Award winners

The Charlwood Design team was thrilled to win a 2012 Sydney Design award for the best product design - business and technology category for the stage management desks designed for the Sydney Opera House.

The project also recently won a Melbourne design award.

2012 Melbourne Design Award Winners

The Charlwood Design team was thrilled to win a 2012 Melbourne Design award for the best product design - business and technology category for our design of the Sydney Opera House's new stage management desks.

The stage management desk controls everything to do with the performance at the venues in the Sydney Opera House in both the front and back of house. The six existing units were well past their use by date and needed to be replaced with a state of the art design to serve for the next 20 years.

This is the second Melbourne design award Charlwood has won, having previously been awarded best consumer product for the catch-all broom design for Oates in 2010.

Charlwood Design's Director discusses the Victorian Governments New Design Strategy in the Age

Charlwood Design's director, Paul Charlwood was recently interviewed in the Age regarding his opinion on the new design strategy launched by the Government.

Besides being the director of one of Australia's leading design consultancy, Paul is also a councillor and government liaison of the Design Institute of Australia.

A short excerpt of the article:
''We need someone in the 'C' suite - whether the chief executive or chief financial officer - as opposed to someone behind the engineering team going, 'I understand design, I've got a black shirt','' he says
It's those decision makers who need to adopt design, Charlwood says.

Additionally, encouraging international companies to establish design offices in Victoria and sending our designers to overseas expos are the measures Charlwood looks to.

''It's not a massive move on [from the previous government strategy],'' he says.
''The proof will be in if they can actually engage business and offshore.

''In Australia, design answers to the engineering manager, so if these programs can assist in getting businesses to incorporate design rather than just being a styling thing at the end, that will be positive.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/premier-finally-raises-the-curtain-on-his-grand-design-20120913-25usx.html#ixzz26lydnko2

RMIT industrial design studio

Charlwood Designer Luca Abate has been invited this semester to teach a design studio for RMIT industrial design students, giving the opportunity for students to experience life as a consulting designer. Focusing on future medical technology students will get a valuable insight into Charlwood Design’s product development process developing a new product from initial brief, to concept and through to prototype.

The design brief is inspired by a number of medical projects developed by Charlwood Design in particular award winning products for Simavita and Nanotechnology Victoria.

More information about RMIT upper pool industrial design studios available here. 

Insulin Inhaler - Designed by Charlwood Design for Nanotechnology Victoria