BAT Logic wins gold at Rio 2016

BAT Logic were recently proud to announce that their ShoePlate Pro foot plate was installed in a total of 1 Gold, 6 Silver and 1 Bronze medal winning boats at the 2016 Rio Olympics Rowing events.

The BAT Logic team have been developing the innovative ShoePlate Pro QuickRelease foot plate for the past few years, and have seen the devices installed in boats worldwide. 

The click in-click out system offers rowers increased performance by enhancing leg muscle use, reducing injury through better gluteal control and enhanced stability and connection. Additionally, it also allows the user to click in and out of boats or ergometers and retain their own shoes and settings- contributing to not only an easier to use system, but also improved hygiene. 

BAT Logic approached Charlwood Design to re-develop the click in and out function of the foot plate, as well as consult on material selection, tooling design and manufacturing decisions.

The end result has seen positive results worldwide, and has been installed on many winning boats at various competitions and regattas. The BAT Logic team have been tirelessly representing their product at most events, and the results speak for themselves.

The Rio Olympics saw several medals won by teams using BAT Logic products, with the final tally as follows:

GOLD

W2- GBR

Glover / Stanning

SILVER

M4x - AUS

McRae / Girdlestone / Belonogoff / Forsterling

W2x - GBR

Grainger / Thornley

LW2x - CAN

Obee / Jennerich

M4- - AUS

Hill / Booth / Dunkley-Smith / Lockwood

W8+ - GBR

de Toledo / Lee / Bennett / Carnegie-Brown / Eddie / Swann / Houghton / Wilson / Greves

LM2x - IRL

Donovan / Donovan

BRONZE

M2x - NOR

Tufte / Borch

Congratulations to the BAT Logic team and all athletes involved!

Check out the BAT Logic range at batlogic.net

Embed from Getty Images

Embed from Getty Images

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.

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

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.

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

Insight from Richard Seymour - Seymour Powell

Some of Charlwood Design's team had the pleasure of meeting Richard Seymour, founder of leading UK industrial design consultancy Seymour Powell a few years ago when he spoke at the AGIdeas conference.

He was recently asked on what he thinks the big game-changers will be in industrial design in the next two to five years. His thoughts were really insightful:

“There’s a storm coming. The design world as we know it is separating into the Polymaths and the Guilds. The Polymaths are the broad-bandwidth thinkers who can see across cultural and technical boundaries to find meaning in new future combinations…and the Guilds, the specialist capabilities that can facilitate those ideas once they have been envisioned.
The designer as we know it is already an endangered species. What is a service and what is a product in the 21st Century is up for grabs. Where does the Product end and the Metaproduct begin? How many ‘services’ as we know them today are going to have to migrate to ‘this side of the glass’ and articulate themselves through physical metaphors of their virtual self? Is NEST an object, a service or part of a synthetic-aperture radar gathering big data for the highest bidder? I guess it depends who you are and what your agenda is.
The next five years may witness the most important shift in consumption patterns we’ve seen for centuries. Buckle-up Dorothy, you’re going to have to be on your toes. And if you’re going to continue to call yourself a designer, better work out what that means….”

Air powered motorbike video

Charlwood Designer Dean Beanstead's award winning graduation project - the 02 pursuit, air powered motorcycle was recently featured on Scope - a children's science show on Channel 10.
Click here to watch the video - The motorcycle is featured approx 2 minutes in.

This is Your Life Cycle

 

Exploring life cycle assessment and eco-design for young design students.

Charlwood Design was the first Australian design studio to join the Designers Accord which rallies for the integration of sustainable design principles in all practice and production. Paul Charlwood drew on this model when he established the Design for the Environment Partnership between the Design Institute of Australia , Sustainability Victoria and RMIT’s Centre for Design. This partnership led to the software tool Greenfly to assist designers with eco-design strategies and the environmental impact of their products.

Inspiring Industrial Design - CNC milled, honeycomb surfboard

We loved reading about this honeycomb surfboard project by Kiwi Mike Grobelny. He also has an interesting philosophy behind the project, redesigning the production process and removing the toxic materials associated with traditional surfboard manufacture. Also a great timelapse video of the process.

Via Core77
http://cargocollective.com/mikegrobelny/

Digitial Fabrication Inspiration - Tom Dixon at the Milan Furniture Fair

In collaboration with machine fabricators Trumpf, Tom Dixon did a live demonstration of the Stamp chair and Stamp lamp being fabricated on-site at this years Milan Furniture Fair. The studio has been really inspired by this process which allows product design's to be created and sold directly to the end user off the machine without the need for tooling.

Charlwood Design - in-house rapid prototyping

Charlwood Design's in-house FDM rapid prototyper in action. We offer this as a service for all our clients and it has become a valuable part of our design process.