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.

Kjell Grant - Melbourne Movement

RMIT University Professor Kjell Grant founded Melbourne Movement in 1999 and his enthusiasm in 2012 is just as great.

The interest from students has also been as strong with invitations to join Melbourne Movement for Milan drawing to a conclusion.

Today Kjell discussed with a great deal of satisfaction and pride the careers of the many members who have benefited from the start that Melbourne Movement has provided. It is obvious that Kjell is enormously proud of his role in mentoring and encouraging design talent in Melbourne.

President of Melbourne Movement Professor Kjell Grant.

Designers like Jim Hannon Tan who was featured in DQ magazine Issue 41 recently have benefited directly from the experience Kjell brings to the table on every trip to Milan. Kjell recalls the contacts and opportunities he was able to establish for members like Jim and others with international manufactures like Alessi.

2001 Portfolio of Melbourne Movement works featuring the Clamp Leg Table by RMIT alumnus Jim Hannon Tan.

Clamp Leg Table (2001) designed by Melbourne Movement member Jim Hannon Tan.

www.jimhannontan.com

Get your Wacom Inkling - In stock now.

If you are looking for a Wacom Inkling contact RMIT Computers Now. They are a bit like hen's teeth at present.

Computers Now RMIT : Apple Authorised Campus Store
Building 10, Level 4, Room 17 RMIT Campus,
Swanston Street Melbourne VIC 3001
P: 03 9654 8111
F: 03 9654 8911

Wacom Inkling in stock at RMIT Computers now. Hurry!
Bernie Walsh demonstrating the Wacom Inkling in the RMIT Wacom Lab.

Marc Pascal - Paff Clock

RMIT industrial design alumnus Marc Pascal designed the Paff clock in 1996.

Paff clock designed by RMIT industrial design alumnus Marc Pascal.

Sketching Chess - Traditions

Chess is an age old traditional game but children today can benefit from the strategic thinking necessary to play. Industrial design sketching skills are also traditional but I believe are as important as ever.

In the communications course at RMIT Industrial Design the fundamentals of sketching and visualisation are encouraged and developed responding to industry feedback that these skills remain vital. Students continue to build capacity with digital tools but figure drawing and rapid visualisation of concepts are key course components. The work shown is from first year Semester 1 student Glen Tay.

Sketching existing common chess pieces develops perspective, scale, proportion and line quality.

Figure and context are vital in presentations of original concepts.

Wacom and sketchbook pro hand visuals build form, surface, tone, light, and color skills and appreciation.

CAD modelling of final design of chess set.

Shepherd Castor - Patented innovation

George Shepherd was a wealthy Melbourne oil company executive who regularly played bridge with his society chums, sitting around in big, comfy, club sofa chairs. He found that the tiny castor wheels fitted to the chairs made them very hard to move.  So from 1934 until 1939 Shepherd researched the physics of existing castors and proposed a new type of wheel that swivelled on an angled axle. Shepherd castors were patented and made under licence in 17 countries and an estimated 300 million have been sold.

A recent cleanup at the family shed in Shepparton produced these die cast original Shepherd castors for my collection. The patent numbers for Great Britain, United Stated of America, Canada, Australia and New Zealand were cast into the parts.

The Shepherd Castor featured in the exhibition 175 Years of Design in Victoria curated by Ian Wong.

Australian inventions. Patented Shepherd caster designed by George Shepherd.

Australian innovation - the patented Shepherd caster designed in Victoria by George Shepherd.

Patent drawing for the Australian innovation the Shepherd Castor.

Car sketching masterclass - Bernie Walsh

Bernie Walsh  - Masterclasses in car sketching will be held during February. Contact details below.

Bernie Walsh Masterclasses - February 2012.

http://berniewalsh.blogspot.com