In this awesome and inspirational interview, award winning New Zealand Industrial Designer, Tim Cox shares details on some of his latest projects, thoughts on Industrial Designers and Engineers working together, his Design philosophy and his take on the current state of New Zealand Design.
Enjoy and please take the time to leave your own thoughts in the comments.
Highlights
- “Have fun and you can’t go wrong!”
- “Design is about finding a balance between your own personal perspective and that of everyone you what to benefit.”
- “I think New Zealand could do with being more aware of the process products go through to get on the shelf. It seems only a small proportion of people have any idea of what really goes on and why it is necessary to design products and invest in the process.”
- “The main thing is to enjoy it, don’t let design become a monotonous task”
1. Tim, Welcome to Design Droplets. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us, could you please give us a quick introduction on yourself.
Firstly a big hi to the team at Design Droplets! Thanks for the opportunity to share a bit of what I’m up to. To all the readers and keen designers I hope this can be of some enjoyment…and if your lucky inspiration!
Picture this: it’s the year 1999, you’re in sub Antarctic conditions because for some peculiar reason you are hanging out in Mataura, New Zealand. Then suddenly your blinded by some skinny white boy charging around in Canterbury shorts trying to chase down a run away lawn mower. That’s basically my early days in a nutshell. It’s about as removed as you can get from the design scene but an awesome upbringing all the same. The rural lifestyle was a big influence down there as was my amazing family who encouraged hard work, creativity and loads of music. I had a design slant from early on which I developed through my study at Massey University in Wellington. More often than not I was burning the midnight oil while learning how to party to make to up for the constant over kill of work. Now mature and grown up (of course!) I work for iDesign Solutions, a consultancy based in Christchurch, an environment where you can’t help but have fun and somehow manage to be really productive!
2. You recently won the Dyson Product Design Awards in New Zealand with Tretech, your concept for an ultrasound tool set designed to quickly measure the commercial worth of forests, can you tell us a bit about the project?
Tretech was the outcome of a yearlong project and was my final and most resolved work before taking the big step into industry. Through the family business I had the chance to use many tools of the forestry trade and realised there was vast room for improvement. I undertook four months of research with forest technicians and professionals to help clarify what changes were necessary. My intent was to rethink the entire process so that data could be collected more efficiently, with greater accuracy and above all with more consistency.
The outcome of the project is more accurate and relevant data for less cost, at the right time. This benefits all parties involved in the growing, harvesting and processing of timber by allowing more effective planning and execution. On top of issues such as performance and function, the project was also about building a form that had an aesthetic relevant to the user, which conveys a sense of pride and technicality.
Tretech is the converging of new and existing products that includes the benefits of new technology in a more user orientated and practical sense.
Tretech Systems - Complete tool set for standing tree evaluation
3. You currently work designing rock crushing equipment, this job must certainly involve a large portion of work with engineers – many Industrial Designers can get stressed out working with engineers or have trouble engaging in successful dialogue with them – as engineers have tendencies to change large portions of their designs, can you tell us about how you navigate the designer engineer relationship?
Haha I love this question! I’ll set things straight first. Unfortunately the company I was designing for got hit by the recession in a hard way. Many positions were made redundant due to a lack of demand across the entire aggregate industry. This meant there was inadequate finance to sustain a complete redesign project; the outcome meaning my position was also made redundant.
However to answer your question, I would say the best thing to do is accept that engineers will always think in different terms, but rather than clash heads about it, turn it into a benefit. For example, I work with four engineers who share strong opinions and will often attempt to ‘take the piss’ out of industrial designers in a round of meaningless but hilarious banter. Step one is to join in. Accept their perspective but don’t let it go unchallenged! To do this is criminal! Once you begin to realise what they are aiming to achieve, make it work with what you are doing. Always provide an alternative solution as opposed to saying ‘that just doesn’t look good’ or ‘people won’t like that’. Ask them to help you work through a problem. If they can be involved through the whole design process there shouldn’t be any need to change large portions of your design, disagreements will be ironed out as you go.
The thing is to clearly communicate your opinion with justified reason for everything you do. Don’t style a product for the sake of it, this will only get engineers knickers in a tangle as they struggle to come to terms with curves you have used when it could be a square box…(I am enjoying writing this!)
Realise that as an industrial designer what you have to offer is very valuable. Every product will require human interaction in one-way or another, and therefore it should always be designed with this in mind. Talk all the time to the engineers about your design intent and why. Engineers are generally smart people and will be able to understand your perspective if you let them hear it first!
You will find yourself developing some valuable skills in debating, stand up comedy and of course design in both product and engineering aspects. Have fun and you can’t go wrong!
Sketches during the development stage - Ball point pen, coloured pencil and Marker
4. In your opinion, what is the best thing about being an industrial designer? And what is the worst?
Being an industrial designer requires having a varied and well-developed skill base. I often appreciate being able to not only design a product but present and convince others that it will be the best solution. Our job is interesting and constantly changing as the world develops around us. We have a large and exciting part to play in how all this change happens…however this soon equates to responsibility so as designers we must be aware of why we design and what our motives are. Are you designing to benefit others or to simply create stuff that gets you noticed?
There aren’t many bad sides to being a designer although industry certainly presents it challenges. Having your design process crammed into a week isn’t nice and soon turns your brain in a mangled mess. Its tough when people simply don’t understand what we do and why we do it. This means our allocated resource can be somewhat limited at times.
Sketches using sketchbook pro - There were done towards the final design stage.
5. Can you talk about your personal design philosophy?
I wrote the following statement for an exhibition back at university and oddly enough I still agree with it. In an indirect way it describes my own approach to design and the philosophy behind what I do.
“Design is about finding a balance between your own personal perspective and that of everyone you what to benefit. If you get this right you will have a solution that doesn’t need explaining or justifying, rather a product that installs a desire to be used and appreciated”.
I’ll leave that up to you to decipher.
Transponder and Resonating hammer
6. Can you give us a quick walk through of the typical process you go through to come up with a design?
Before I begin design I like to be well informed. I find it hard to design when there are just no limitations to what a product should do or be like. This means doing some good solid research that involves the end user.
I then go through the process of identifying the top priorities in the form of design criteria and a brief that serves as the driver and direction for the design to come. Brainstorming ideas and visualising these into concepts through sketching and 3d studies is always fundamental to a well-resolved design process.
Throughout my entire process I am gathering new information and will implement anything of benefit during the development and detailed design stage. I am always reminding myself of the core need behind the project and will refer back to the brief constantly. Final design for any client is just the beginning, there is so much more to be done to commercialise a product so it pays to be conscious of all aspects involved with taking a product to market. I find myself feeling far more satisfied with my design if I take the time to learn about what is happening and going to happen at all stages of the process.
Lunar Lighting, created using polypropylene sheet held together by a system of tabs.
7. You drew on your families own history in the New Zealand Timber Industry to create Tretech, where else do you draw inspiration and insights from?
As most designers will be aware, there is an underlying urge to look at anything from the cutlery at your favourite restaurant to the lines of a passing car. You know how you find yourself searching for part lines or scratching your head at how amazing or pointless an object may appear. I find this kind of inspirational. I like learning from things around me, and simply being observant to a point that it rubs of on my design.
I enjoy people and seeing what they do, wear, drive, use and all that good stuff. Music, Fashion, Culture, Nature, Sport and a good bit of beautiful New Zealand all form a large part of my design inspiration.
Flow Sound, illustration work during the design of a speaker system
8. What is your take on the state of the New Zealand Industrial Design scene? What are the best things about it? What is it missing? How could it be improved?
For a small country we do well, there is definitely a pool of very talented and creative people out there. Unfortunately it is only a very small industry and that struggles to support emerging talent that leave design schools every year. It’s a shame that New Zealand can’t retain more of its own designers. I know a lot of amazing designers who are striving hard to get work and I wish they could all have the chance to put their stamp on the New Zealand and Global design scene.
I think New Zealand could do with being more aware of the process products go through to get on the shelf. It seems only a small proportion of people have any idea of what really goes on and why it is necessary to design products and invest in the process. Very little time and resource is put into this area but this is improving!
Render using illustrator and photoshop. Exploring drawing style to create mood and energy.
9. What do you hope the future holds for yourself & Tretech?
I am going to make every effort to learn more about design and people. That means working for companies that will push the limits and go beyond what everyone expects. I want to continue getting work experience and make that a global adventure to expand my design influence. When the time is right I would like to start up my own design consultancy that will be renowned for great design!
I am also aiming to commercialise the Tretech product which has had a lot if interest to date. I am dealing with investors now to get this underway. It’s a big step into the unknown but I am enjoying it and learning a lot about the business and legal side of product commercialisation.
Outside of design I hope to release some music and gain another kilogram haha…mission! Watch this space!
Framework furniture - 2008
10. Tim, thanks for taking the time to talk with us here at Design Droplets. Do you have any final thoughts or advice for Design Droplets readers?
Cheers to all who take the time to read this and to Design Droplets for letting a Kiwi invade your space!
To everyone, work hard at what you do. The main thing is to enjoy it, don’t let design become a monotonous task! Give yourself plenty of balance between your job, social time and get outside! Fill your week with all sorts of cool stuff, that way your head will be bursting with ideas and creative things just waiting to get out. Go watch some bands, ride your bike, splash out on some new jeans, hang out with your mates and then put all of that into your design.
REMEMBER…Work to live, live to design!
Tim
Tim you are such a superstar!!!