charette: Breville mixer

Pulling stuff apart is fun. And because we didn't have to put it back together and make it work it was even better. Seriously though, work was done and the Professional series mixer was given a thorough rethink in respect to environmental impact.


Disassembling the mixer, as with most things, I was reminded of how much thinking is required to give parts the harmony to become a refined product. However, the shear amount of parts was reasoned to be the largest ecological short fall of the mixer.

Reasoning came about from a still-in-construction design tool "Greenfly" that assisted in categorizing and highlighting material issues in the PCB and multiple ABS housings. Although, cutting down the number of parts and making them work harder was a theory outside the scope of the program.

Essentially, the upper portion of the mixer (stainless steel shell, polycarbonate insert and numerous fixings) was made into a single piece and the most damaging part, the PCB, was replaced with an integral button to eliminate it from the design altogether.

A sketch should make this easier to understand


The reconsidered version of the device scored markedly better then the standard product from the Greenfly tool, highlighting heavily processed parts as something to be avoided in ecological product design.

the eleventh hour

Shockingly confronting, the episode of the human species is exposed as a tumor on the earth's natural complexion. I had never reflected on the cost of my existence and, although I knew that it was environmentally costly, never really did the maths on how much we have "borrowed" from the land.

Irrespective of whether responsibility has not been solely placed in the lap of the designer, there are startling concerns about our impact to society and the environment. Moreover, rising and proven instances of asthma and disease worldwide illustrate a need for urgency in tackling the global environmental crisis.

We have all experienced this depressing picture painted about society and for the most part we have done little about our consumption habits. The eleventh hour demonstrates why change is important, and makes relevant the extent of society's predicament.

Personally, I have seen most of my design theory develop with little input (unless required) of ecology and sustainable design. It has always seemed to take a backseat to aesthetics, semantics and practicality. Change has been a dynamic constant that has followed design through our existence, however I can realize the enormity of the change that must occur to ensure our future.

I believe the stigma of eco design having a prerequisite of 'uncomfortable' and 'unfinished' must be left behind for progression.

"Environmentally superior products are not niche 'eco' or 'green' products but everyday products that have been designed to minimize or eliminate harm to the environment or society" A Year In Design, Autralian International Design Awards 2009

charette: IKEA stefan chair

Fast paced, dynamic and instinct based, one day design challenges force us to rapidly produce feasible alternatives to a failing norm. The Stefan chair is exposed as a design with little tangible and individual features that deviate it from the norm and make it a perfect candidate as an "interim chair," used for an intermediate time frame and inevitably discarded. Below are snapshots of an evolving design process to add visual and tangible design value to the IKEA stefan chair.

Mind mapping determines design flaws in the current product that allow for design opportunities later in the process.