The Lattice disaster tent design, one of 12 designs by Massey University staff, students and graduates honoured at the 2017 Red Dot Awards in Singapore.
The School of Design at Massey University has been named the number one ranked design school in the Asia-Pacific at the Red Dot Awards in Singapore - coinciding with the presentation of best of the best honours to three of its design staff and graduates.
The annual international celebration of design presented by global design award agency Red Dot, an internationally recognised quality label for excellent design, saw 12 entries from the School, based at Massey's College of Creative Arts, acknowledged in various categories at the awards ceremony last night. It culminated in the announcement of the School of Design's number one ranking.
Industrial design graduates Holly Wright who designed a modified equestrian saddle for disabled riders and Felix Turvey, who designed a high-performance LED lamp were joined by fashion design programme leader Sue Prescott in being honoured with Best of the Best awards.
Ms Prescott’s design entry Global Nomad combines furniture from everyday life with layers of clothing to provide temporary shelter. Once the temporary shelter is no longer required, the inhabitant can dress in its various components to form various layers, until there is nothing left of the space but the outfit being worn.
Ms Wright’s saddle design, called Contak, focuses on safety, experience and adaptability for the rider, volunteers and the horse involved.
The high-performance light, called Alineo, designed by Mr Turvey, uses modern LED technology paired with analog control dials, allowing the user to tune colour, temperature and brightness to suit a range of applications.
Red Dots were also awarded for seven projects, some of which involved cross-college collaboration between academic staff, students and graduates at the University.
Rachael Hall's electronic, portable and tunable pasifika-inspired drum.
Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences partnership director Lachlan McIntyre led the Lattice disaster tent project with Associate Professor Rod Adank and graduates Michael Jones and Sam McCafferty from the School of Design and lecturer in product design Andrew Drain from the School of Engineering and Advanced Technology. Designed for rapid deployment in a disaster situation, the tent offers instant temporary accommodation. Once the need for it has ended, the tent material can be recycled.
Mr Adank, along with graduates Holly Wright, Nicole Austin, Peter Fulton and Michael Jones, was also involved with the design of the product Octave. It filters, cools, carbonates, stores and dispenses water, direct into a glass or to carry bottles for the whole family. It serves to protect healthy hydration at critical times when piped or reticulated water and electrical services are affected in events such as civil emergencies.
Other designs honoured included an io lamp by graduate Josh Bruderer in which the lamp switch is a focal point of the design; a Pasifika-inspired electronic, portable and tunable drum by graduate Rachael Hall that brings the sounds of the South Pacific into the modern digital musical environment; a tote bag designed by graduates Annabelle Fitzgerald, Avara Moody and Amy Blackmore that is versatile enough to carry gear as diverse as gym equipment, shoes and a laptop while keeping them fresh and dry at all times; an online platform called Fidget by graduate Tyree Gunn that seeks to enhance the education experiences of those with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and an interactive design project called Flatease by Maia Visnovsky and Dayna Northwood aimed at helping the flat-hunting process.
Honourable mention was also given to graduate Cody Tucker who designed an all-in-one camp kitchen cooker that brings all the home kitchen comforts into the great outdoors. It only takes 10 seconds to set up and take down and is of standard bench height, complete with drawers to access cutlery, condiments and storage.
VoteLocal, an online youth engagement tool devised by Professor Claire Robinson, and fellow Massey staff Karl Kane and Tim Parkin and graduate Thomas Le Bas, was also highly commended. Devised for the 2016 local body elections, the game-like questionnaire asks users a series of council-related questions to determine which mayoral candidate was best matched to their political and community values.
Global Nomad by Sue Prescott combines the furniture from everyday life with layers of clothing to provide temporary shelter.