Be Seated - Mid Century furniture

The Danish Deluxe Inga arm chair was manufactured in Victoria in the 1960s. Danish Deluxe was a major Victorian furniture manufacturer from the 1950s to the 1980s. The company was formed by Neville Askanasy, John Westacott and Borg Gjorstvang.

Be Seated from Portland Victoria specialise in restoring Mid Century modern furniture including; Danish Deluxe, Fler, Featherston, Meadmore, Parker and Tessa.

Danish Deluxe Inga arm chair restored by Be Seated.

Be Seated - Mid Century modern furniture.

Christmas Gift ideas - Australian Design

A few suggestions to encourage support for Australian design this Christmas. Most of the listed products have featured in previous posts. Search top left if you would like some background.

Christmas gift ideas - Australian design

Knog Blinder Bike Light - Catalyst
Cyclone garder pruner - D+I
Crumpler camera case - Crumpler
Popper pendant - Andre Hnatojko
Alessi Nut Splitter - Jim Hannon Tan
Weave lamp - Ed Linacre
Autobiographics - Alex Stitt
Knog Milkman Bike Lock - Catalyst
Wynns Coonawarra - Label design 1953 Richard Beck
Alessi Fruit Loop - Lisa Vincitorio
Alessi Scoup Egg Cup - Helen Kontouris
Tate Anson - Solaris Clock
Cascade Beer - Bottle design Julian Ditchburn
Curve magazine subscription - Belinda Stening
Alessi Piccantino Chilli Cruncher - Jim Hannon Tan
321 water bottle - Charlwood Design
Knog Kransky Bike Lock - Catalyst
Alessi Zucch - Lisa Vincitorio
Willow cooler - David Flynn
Dosh Wallet - Henri Spalle and Mark Armstrong
Globe shoes - Globe
Shady Table Lamp - ISMObjects - Daniel Barbera
VoVo vase - Marc Pascal
Keep Cup - CobaltNiche

If you have more suggestions post in comments below.

Australian Design Icon - Regis Glassware

A world first with production and export totalling more than 170 million units the Regis glassware range truly is an Australian industrial design icon.

Regis glassware range logo - Australian design icon.

Australian design icon the Regis glassware range designed by industrial designer Edward Kayser for Crown ACI.

Stuart Devlin - Archive drawings

It has taken me almost three years to get to Canberra to view the archive sketches of our iconic decimal coins designed by RMIT University alumnus Stuart Devlin. I interviewed Stuart in London and have wanted to views his sketches and study his process ever since.

Researcher Ian Wong examines Stuart Devlin original drawings for Australia's iconic decimal coins.

Stuart Devlin plasters for Australian decimal coins.

Ian Hutchison and Kerri Daniel at the Australian Mint Museum.

Australian Design Icon - Audio-tactile pedestrian detector

Designed by Neilsen Design Associates the Audio-tactile pedestrian detector ATPD is an Australian Design Icon.

Australian design icon the Audio-tactile pedestrian detector. 

Irwell Taps - Design classic

The Design Award winning taps by Paul Schremmer for Irwell are well documented as icons of pioneering Australian industrial design. They feature in the 1967 Australian industrial design promotional video I have referred to previously.

Today I was proudly able to post to my facebook page ispyid an image of the taps still in use taken at the Victorian College of the Arts.

Iconic Australian industrial design by Paul Schremmer for Irwell.

Paul Schremmer original sketches for the iconic australian designed Irwell taps.

Monash University Industrial Design - Blue Sky

The vivid blue sky at Monash University Caulfield campus this week welcomed Professor Mark Armstrong to Melbourne and to his new role as the Eva and Marc Besen International Chair in Design in the Faculty of Art, Design and Architecture. Mark has begun to use his industry knowledge and contacts to contribute to Monash University’s design-based research capability and the position is structured in such a way as to allow Mark to continue his very hands on role at his design consultancy Blue Sky.

Associate Professor Arthur de Bono welcomes to Monash University the Eva and Marc Besen International Chair in Design, Professor Mark Armstrong.

Iconic Olympic torch designed by Mark Armstrong and Blue Sky for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.

Perry King - Valentine Typewriter

Industrial designer Perry King worked on the Valentine typewriter for Olivetti which is a twentieth century classic and also was the feature in the exhibition 'my valentine' at the Design Gallery recently.
Today whilst at the Salone Satellite Melbourne Movement stand in Milan I was visited by Perry King.

Industrial designer Perry King with researcher Ian Wong and the iconic Olivetti Valentine typewriter.

Olivetti Valentine typewriter.

Kjell Grant - Montreal Chair

Professor Kjell Grant was a colleague at RMIT industrial design over the past four years and his office was next to mine in building 87 and also in building 88. We would often chat as he sorted through his massive archive of drawings, publications and photographs.

This image from a photo shoot of the Montreal chair at Moorabbin golf course appeared recently. I have seen the archive images of this setting in Montreal at the 67 expo pavilion designed by Robin Boyd. It was a delight to see Kjell with the setting in Australia before it was shipped to Montreal.

Australian designer Kjell Grant pictured with the Montreal Chair and setting for the Australian Expo67 pavilion designed by Robin Boyd.

Professor Kjell Grant shares an archive photograph from 1967 of the iconic Montreal chair outside his office at RMIT University Building 88 - March 2012. 

Regis Glassware - Edward Kayser

I have written several posts about the iconic and highly awarded 'Regis' range of glassware by RMIT alumnus industrial designer Edward Kayser. I had not seen this page from the Australian Design Index until recently.

Australian Design Index - Iconic Australian Regis Glassware by industrial designer Edward Kayser.

Link to other posts on Iconic Australian Regis Glassware.

my valentine - Exhibition introductory text

Inspired by the fact that the pop icon the Olivetti Valentine typewriter was released on Valentines Day 1969 the exhibition opens on February 14th themed around passion.

Passion for industrial design, the passion of italians and the passion of collecting.

My Valentine celebrates the passion of italian industrial designers Mario Bellini, Aldo Magnielli, Marcello Nizzoli, Ettore Sottsass and Perry King in their practice of industrial design for Olivetti.

These machines were the ‘ipads’ of their era.

The latest technology in communcation and business equipment developed by Olivetti designers with a committment to outstanding industrial design.

These 20th century design classics were highly awarded with many winning the Compasso d’Oro award and they feature in the collections of museums including the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

The influence and evolution of the practice of industrial design on the object is boldly demonstrated in these items. We see the application and development of new materials technology, the transistion from pure mechanical machines through electromechanical to electronic devices. The simple action of the keystroke changes from the highly physical and mechanical to the abstract and the sensual. Machine control evolves from the lever, gear and sprocket to the button, dial and switch. Forms once flowing sculptural skins over mechanisms evolve into the pure geometry of the circle, square and triangle.

The design processes developed by designers for Olivetti were documented and published influencing the practice of industrial design the world over. In the mid 1980s industrial design students at RMIT University here in Melbourne studied the design practices of designers like Mario Bellini first hand. Lecturer Dario de Dianna worked with Bellini and shared techniques like ‘foam modelling’ that would significantly influence the practice of many of our current generation of award winning Australian industrial designers.

my valentine - Curated by RMIT industrial design alumnus Ian Wong

The exhibition also celebrates a passion for collecting that began over twenty years ago with a single dusty Valentine typewriter purchased for $25 in Williamstown and now thanks to ebay numbers 37 typewriters and calculators.

Consider as you swipe your finger across an ipad touch screen that it is an evolution of device control that has it's origins in these 20th century design classics.

Ian Wong
RMIT University

'my valentine' - Exhibition introduction by curator Ian Wong.

Baby Capsule - Australian Design Icon

The Britax Safe n Sound baby capsule has been in production for close to thirty years and is still manufactured in Sunshine Victoria.

This brochure was produced in 1984 when the product was first launched and represents the beginning of an Australian Design Icon. Millions of Australians have travelled safely home from hospital in this iconic product designed by RMIT industrial design alumni Robert Pataki and Phillip Slattery.

Original brochure from 1984 for the Australian design icon the Safe n Sound baby capsule.

Australian design icon the Safe n Sound baby capsule designed by industrial designers Robert Pataki and Phillip Slattery.

AWA P4 Television - Archive Video

The AWA P4 17inch television design by William Moody featured in the recent ORANGE- Living in the 70s exhibition at the Design Gallery of the Design Institute of Australia. A rare insight is provided into the history of Australian industrial design and in particular the AWA P4 television project in the film produced by the Industrial Design Council of Australia in the early 1970s.

AWA P4 17 inch black & white television featured in the ORANGE - Living in the 70s exhibition at the Design Institute of Australia Design Gallery curated by Ian Wong.

Concept sketch for AWA P4 television set designed by industrial designer William Moody.

The film shows a briefing meeting, preliminary layout sketches, technical layouts, model making, detailing, and production specification overseen by industrial designer William Moody.

The garden sprinkler by Rosenfeld and Geradin is featured as well as the Bill Iggulden Studio K task lamp for Planet, Regis glasses by Edward Kayser, and the Caroma bath stool.

Archive film from the 1960s produced by the Industrial Design Council of Australia.

AWA 17" television designed by industrial designer William moody was awarded the 1968 Sebel Design Merit Award.

William Moody first worked as an industrial designer at GMH commencing in 1954 and later was given the opportunity to establish a styling department at British Motor Corporation in Sydney. In 1960 he accepted a position as industrial design manager for Amalgamated Wireless Australasia.

Studio K task lamp designed by industrial designer Bill Iggulden.

Waterbird sprinkler designed by pioneering Australian industrial design consultancy Rosenfeld and Gherardin for Ogden Industries. 1964.

Australian iconic industrial design the Regis glassware range by RMIT alumnus Edward Kayer.

Dolphin Torch - Australian Design Classic

The Dolphin Torch is an Australian classic design. Growing up in the country where outside was always "dark" the trusty dolphin would come in handy for locking up the chooks or even a game or torchlight 'tiggie'. The rugged durability of the design made it as popular as vegemite and the trusty blue healer. Designed primarily as a floating torch for boating and marine applications the Eveready Dolphin was for many years the largest selling torch in Australia.

Sydney industrial designer Paul Cockburn through his studio Design Field received the commission in the seventies to redesign this classic product. This project was critical in establishing Design Field as one of Austrialia's foremost industrial design consultancies. Born in Australia, Paul studied in London in the late 1960s returning to Sydney in 1970.

The yellow Dolphin version 2 has been in my family for at least thirty years and whilst we once had a pale blue version 1 this 70's orange one was acquired at an op shop recently for my collection.

Classic Australian design - the Eveready Dophin torch.

Iconic Australian design the Dolphin Torch.

Original Eveready Dolphin torch.

Orange original Eveready Doplhin torch (above) with yellow 1970s redesigned version 2 by Design Field.

Plan view of two versions of the classic Australian design the Dolphin torch by Eveready.

Marc Newson - Sydney Fireworks

As the hands of our clocks reach midnight tonight around the world we will celebrate the coming of a New Year. Concepts for clocks, watches and timepieces have often been on the drawing board of industrial designer Marc Newson, so it may well be that many of us will count down to the Sydney fireworks with one of Marc's pieces. This year however in Sydney and around the world via television images we will be treated to the latest Marc Newson project - the fireworks themselves.

Marc grew up in Sydney studying at the Sydney College of the Arts and was a young child when the Sydney Opera House was opened in 1973.

Marc has specified a strict colour palette of blue, violet, green and yellow but we will have to wait and see what his vision is for the iconic midnight harbour bridge effect.

Designer Marc Newson.






Video courtesy -  The Australian.

Lockheed lounge designed by Marc Newson. 1986

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Pod Watch designed by Marc Newson. 1986

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Atmos 566 clock designed by Marc Newson. 2010

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Nike Zvezdochka Shoes designed by Marc Newson. 2001

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Gemini Grinders for Alessi designed by Marc Newson. 2001

IMAGE marcnewson.com

Qantas First Class lounge Sydney designed by Marc Newson.

IMAGE marcnewson.com

www.marcnewson.com

Kjell Grant - Museum of Modern Art Permanent Collection

Kjell Grant and I often chat because our offices have been next to each other for the past four years. Today we had a great chat about Melbourne Movement and his early career work for Stanford University with Roy Grounds, the ceremonial furniture for Monash University and a lot about the commission for Montreal Expo 67 with Robin Boyd. Kjell's face lights up as he pays tribute to the craftsmen who he had the pleasure to work with on projects like the Montreal Chair which is in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, New York and the Powerhouse Museum. "They were bloody good.....". It occurred to me as I sat in this iconic chair that I had not seen before an image of Kjell with his most notable work. He kindly agreed to my request for an image.

Designer Kjell Grant with the iconic Montreal Chair designed for Montreal Expo 67.

http://www.melbournemovement.com/

Powerhouse Museum link here.

Murray Camens - Philips Roller Radio design icon.

Murray Camens studied industrial design in South Australia before following his career to London. Murray first worked for Conran before gaining a position with Philips in Eindhoven.

I met Murray in 2010 at his office in Amsterdam during my PhD research into Philips CID in Melbourne. The iconic Roller Radio was often a feature of my lectures to students on design practice so I was delighted to learn of the Australian connection. It has taken over twelve months but I have recently added a bright yellow Roller Radio to my collection.

Iconic Roller Radio by industrial designers Murray Camens, Graham Hinde and Bob Vranken

Industrial designer Murray Camens.

Text below from an interview with Robert Blaich. Here

In the mid 1980′s a Philips Consumer Electronics marketing survey revealed that by the age of 20 brand loyalties are already well established. The study also had some bad news for Philips. It documented that young people in Europe considered Philips Consumer Electronics products as stodgy and uninteresting to young people and that they preferred Japanese products. A Youth Task Force was established to study the problem and set the course for action.
As a member of the Task Force I proposed that we concentrate on the “Life Style” of the Youth” (A new term at the time) and we put forth a new design of a radio-cassette recorder called the “Roller”

The design was based on a concept by a young English Designer Graham Hinde (who’s in practice called GRO Design in Eindhoven, The Netherlands). Together with designers Murray Camens and Bob Vranken the idea was developed and Philips launched it with much fanfare. It caught the fancy of young people in Europe and was very successful. The “Roller” has been celebrated in design award competitions and was featured in articles about product design trends. It became a “Design Icon”. The “Roller” was also the spark for a full scale program called “Moving Sound” The program was designed to capture the hearts and minds and lifelong loyalty of young people worldwide. “Moving Sound” was also a breakthrough for Philips in introducing a coordinated program of promotional materials . Design was the key element in driving the highly directed marketing and communications effort; Product Graphics, and Packaging design were the basis on which all subsequent sales displays, advertising and promotional material were developed. The term “Moving Sound” indicated that the radios were portable ( moveable) and that they Moved You (Emotionally)

From the “Moving Sound” program was conceived as a long term strategy in which successive generations of products, promotion and advertising would be launched. Each year a new “Moving Sound” series would be introduced, just as sportswear and other fashion products present new looks to the fashion conscious youth. The “Moving Sound” program had benefits not only to Electronics but to Philips image in general. ” Moving Sound” was in it’s fifth generation by 1991 and had sold millions of radios. The “Roller and Moving Sound” programs are excellent examples of a Design Led program. We did the basic research, designed the products, packaging and display materials and strongly influenced the advertising design. The designers themselves were young and multi-national ( English, Australian. American and Dutch)

ORANGE Exhibition - Extended to November 25th

ORANGE - Living in the 70s has been invited to remain at the Design Gallery for an extended period and will now close on November 25th.

Wiltshire Staysharp Knife designed by industrial designer Peter Bayly.

Grant Featherston - Contour two seater

The Boyd House II at 290 Walsh Street South Yarra is home to this classic Grant Featherston contour two seater.

Iconic Grant Featherston contour two seater

Prince Philip Prize - STILL winners

The iconic status of the Safe n Sound baby capsule, the Cafe Bar, and the Decor BYO wine cooler as outstanding examples of Australian industrial design is without question. They were innovations, professionally designed and have been commercially successful with all three STILL in production today.

The current visit by Her Majesty the Queen and Prince Philip Duke of Edinburgh does remind us that these products were also awarded the prestigious Prince Phillip Prize for Australian Design. It is worth considering the benefit that this recognition and the significant support to industrial design in Australia provided by Prince Philip with the prize offered from 1968 to 1986. The profile provided by Prince Philip also saw the awards telecast nationally on the ABC on a number of occasions.

The GE K12 kettle designed by Barry Hudson was a winner of the prize in 1978. Finalists and Awards of Merit were also awarded to the Gold Phone (Paul Schremmer) 1986, Wiltshire Staysharp knife (Peter Bayly) 1972, Sebel Integra chair (Charles Furey) 1978, and the Caroma Dual Flush toilet cistern. 1982.

Decor BYO wine carrier designed by Richard Carlson

His Royal Highness Prince Phillip with the iconic Decor BYO wine cooler. Insets: Presenter Stuart Wagstaff, Decor CEO Brian Davis and industrial designer Richard Carlson.

Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design 1980

IMAGES: Decor Corporation publication with images from ABC TV.

Safe n Sound baby capsule designed by Robert Pataki and Phillip Slattery - Robert Pataki Design and PA Technology.

Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design 1986

Prince Charles and Lady Dianna inspect the Safe n Sound baby capsule. 1985

Cafe Bar designed Neilsen Design Associates

Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design 1974

GE KE12 electric kettle designed by Barry Hudson

Prince Philip Prize for Australian Design 1978 awarded to the GE K12 Kettle.