Let’s break it down:

It can be a scary world out there for our local designers and manufacturers. We subsist in an economic climate of dwindling margins, our property market continues to be shorted one second and inflated the next, and meanwhile the penetration of the global design houses on local shores continues to swamp the boundaries of competitive advantage, home turf, as well as consumer- and creator-confidence.

So, who’s feeling the pinch?

… Manufacturing.

Within the past decade our manufacturing capacity has dwindled exponentially. Within the space of a single year, however, the damage wrought has become too apparent. At the end of 2016 Financial Year, the Australian manufacturing industry brought in a little more than $29,210million for our national Gross Domestic Product. As of June this year, it contributed only $15,598million …

While unquestionably shocking, there is very little need to throw our hands up in despair. The inclusiveness, resilience and spirit of bravery that is so characteristic of our national A+D community is beginning to make waves in recouping our manufacturing prowess, growing a culture of confidence around locally designed and made product, and cultivating a manufacturing workforce rich enough in skill and resources to contend with our international counterparts.

An Australian exemplar comes to the rescue.

One of our stalwart manufacturing companies, Schiavello, is proving especially assertive in this arena. Having recently relaunched MAP: Makers of Australian Products, this brand is dovetailing an intimate understanding of the local market and an impressive facility to elevate local design on the global stage with a seemingly unparalleled ability to bolster our national manufacturing sector.

Off the back of their inaugural showcase at 2017 Denfair, MAP’s latest is currently journeying a little further north to New South Wales for Sydney Indesign this August 11 and 12.

Having wowed Melbourne with a relaxed, simplified, confident and innovative suite of new designs, MAP is principally designed and co-founded by Chris Connell. Speaking directly to our dreams of an uncomplicated, timeless and quality-driven design culture, MAP’s offering to the market is undoubtedly forward-thinking.

Showcasing a functionally and visually diverse suite of pieces to reflect the increased flexibility and modularity we require in our lives, MAP’s latest celebrates design that attempts at all avenues to support a holistic design scheme across many environments. MAP’s Lean storage units are a flexible assortment of sleek compartments able to adapt to the spatial dimensions of any space; the bold yet seemingly weightless Plane tables, available in a mix of zesty citrus colours; the classic, timber-oriented Rib chair and barstool; the two-toned collection of Split tables available in an expansive range of heights and widths to suit any office or home setting; as well as the linear and spatially open wire bar stool and chair.

MAP’s design and marketing director, Anton Schiavello commented that “[a]s Australia enters an exciting phase of design, we strive to be a key contributor by combining our iconic design aesthetic with updated technologies and new materials. It’s our clear vision and instinctive understanding of the industry, which will empower us to provide customers all around the world with the best of Australian design for years to come.”

MAP has been exhibited internationally from Milan to Bremen, Los Angeles to New York City, MAP’s portfolio graces the permanent collections of MOMA NYC, the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney and the National Gallery of Victoria. We cannot tell you how exited we are to welcome MAP to Sydney Indesign this August 11-12.

MAP is joining SID17 at Pioneer, where the local A+D community is putting a spotlight on our home-grown success stories: our people, our achievements and our unflagging innovation.

Join MAP at SID17 and register now to immerse yourself in the rich, bright future of local design.