02 February 2010

Nick Rennie

With entries opening for Launch Pad 2010, ex-Launch Padder Nick Rennie offers advice to emerging designers.

The founder of Happy Finish Designs was singled out four years running by the judges at Launch Pad for his inspired product designs.

Since graduating in Industrial Design from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2001, Rennie has exhibited his designs – which encompass a broad range of products from jigsaw tablemats to handmade ceramics – worldwide to great media acclaim.

“It is part of my story”, says Rennie of the impact of the annual event on his career in design.

"With the limited number of competitions in Australia, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity to promote myself.

"I also loved the fact that the entries were anonymous to the judging panel. It gives the opportunity that for a first year student or a five-year professional to win.

"I had already established myself internationally as one of the new generation of Australian designers, but my focus had been on Japan and Europe. Launch Pad gave me the opportunity to expose myself to the Australian manufacturing industry."

With wide exposure in the local media, the event allowed Rennie to meet some of the most influential designers and manufacturers in the world and push him to prototype some projects that had been on his mind.

One of his projects, which was originally displayed in Launch Pad 2005, was a design called 'Mori' – a wooden and glass shelving system design as if wooden poles were intersecting the glass shelves.

“Two years later the Italian manufacturer Porro expressed interest in this project and it was redesigned and launched at the Milan furniture fair in 2008 under the new name 'Chiku'.”

The 'Chiku' shelves are now available from Space Furniture nationwide.

A word of advice from the Launch Pad veteran? “Get it out there!”

"There is no point having something at home because you are too scared to show it. Send out emails, enter competitions and post it on blogs and send in to magazines.

"I'm currently gearing up for the Milan furniture fair. Getting projects ready to present to manufacturers I have built up relationships with over time. It's still a lot of hard work and disappointments, but it does get easier as your skin grows thicker.”

Living Edge are proud sponsors of Launch Pad.

Nick Rennie

Happy Finish Design
happyfinishdesign.com

'Chiku' shelves by Nick Rennie

nick rennie mori

Original 'Mori' shelves, later redesigned and launched at Milan 2008 as 'Chiku' (above)