The macadamia nut, usually enjoyed for its sweet flesh, is given new life by product designer Marc Harrison and takes to New York.
November 5th, 2008
In 2004, product designer Marc Harrison took an iconic Australian food and turned it into a design innovation: Husque. Using the ground-up shells of the macadamia nut, he created a material for food wares that is not only beautiful, but also sustainable and unique.
“[It] isn’t homogenised design that could have been designed anywhere,” Harrison says. “Detail makes a big difference.”
The shells of the nut, usually discarded, are now recycled – creating unique products such as bowls, serving platters and vases.
Despite initial scepticism that his design would make it internationally, after only a couple of years Husque has appeared in exhibitions worldwide – including the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney, and now the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.
“MoMA has always been the ‘holy grail’, ever since I heard of my idols of Australian design brands like Robert Foster’s FINK, and Dinosaur Designs starring there,” he says. “I never imagined that it would happen to Husque.”
With 16 years of experience under his belt, Harrison believes the key for international success is simple: have products that are truly unique, with good marketing tactics.
“My strategy has always been to not take every opportunity that comes along, and choose wisely,” he says.
Husque
husque.com
INDESIGN is on instagram
Follow @indesignlive
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Schneider Electric’s new range are making bulky outlets a thing of the past with the new UNICA X collection.
How can design empower the individual in a workplace transforming from a place to an activity? Here, Design Director Joel Sampson reveals how prioritising human needs – including agency, privacy, pause and connection – and leveraging responsive spatial solutions like the Herman Miller Bay Work Pod is key to crafting engaging and radically inclusive hybrid environments.
The Sub-Zero and Wolf Kitchen Design Contest is officially open. And the long-running competition offers Australian architects, designers and builders the chance to gain global recognition for the most technically resolved, performance-led kitchen projects.
It’s widely accepted that nature – the original, most accomplished design blueprint – cannot be improved upon. But the exclusive Crypton Leather range proves that it can undoubtedly be enhanced, augmented and extended, signalling a new era of limitless organic materiality.
The Buoy chair is specially designed to support seat movement, and is so light and comfortable you’ll want to take it with you wherever you go.
Developed in collaboration with Earp Bros, OMNI is an entirely new design direction for designer Tom Fereday. We get the insights about the winner of The Object category from the 2019 INDE.Awards.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Teddy, a new collection from Zenith, offers a cohesive design language that extends across a versatile suite of tables and workstations, catering to the dynamic realities of the modern workplace.
Fine art that informs commercial design has authenticity and soul, and Ross Didier is at the forefront of creativity that is infused with passion.