Unitec BDes Object Design catalogue 2007

For any number of years the New Zealand design community may well have appeared to the occasional observer from abroad as an isolated bunch of strong willed individuals. Thirty or forty years ago it would not be too much of a stretch to assume these individuals desire for modernity would at once appear to have unencumbered design from traditional craft forms whilst maintaining a connection with the notion of quality production values and an exploration of what it meant to reside here, south of the equator and “out in the sticks.”

Still a small creative community with the same can-do spirit, New Zealand design now has numerous examples of designers who have achieved prominence both nationally and internationally. This gradual evolution, which along the way spawned the introduction and ensuing refinement of several tertiary design education programmes as well as an expansive period for the design and applied arts communities in general; today means that young designers have more opportunities than ever before.

The 2007 Object pathway graduates of Unitec School of Design Bachelor of Design suggest a discursive approach to design practice. Issues such as environmental and professional sustainability, the role of the handmade, functionality and obsolescence are all addressed by these six young designers. With a variety of practices between them, these graduates address design as a flexible career choice capable of bringing about positive change.

Able to draw upon recent examples of practitioners who have successfully forged careers both locally and internationally, graduating object designers are currently emerging into an interesting period for local design. Without the constraint of focusing from day one solely on one area for the duration of their studies, for instance industrial design or the applied arts, contemporary object designers occupy a middle ground, able to navigate the territory with a cogent desire for good design.

Matt Blomeley, 24 October 2007, for Unitec Bachelor of Design Object graduate students.