Manufacturing is quickly becoming recognised as the third essential element in the trifecta of Australian creativity – design, manufacture and retail, Nicky Lobo explores this notion

This year at Saturday in Design, one of the coolest places to be was the ’MAKE it’ precinct in Richmond, where How We Create and Palamont showcased the part they play in the design process.

Christina Waterson’s lily-pad installation

The temporary installation itself was impressive – a scaffold structure set the industrial theme, with oversized white lily pads (designed by How We Create’s Creative Director Christina Waterson) arranged in a dangling array.

On ground level, shipping containers provided covered seating areas and shielded the working machinery from the elements.

Demonstrating the manufacturing process

But as well as the space, which described different manufacturing processes (rotational moulding, wood turning, metal spinning), the precinct brought roto-moulding to life with the Create a Cup competition.

The mould for Henry Hidayat’s design

Two winners were announced on Friday night, their cups being manufactured on site through the event for people to take as their very own piece of Australian design.

Henry Hidayat with his winning entry.

One of the winners, Henry Hidayat, described the concept of his cup as a representation of the Korean activity of drinking Soju [like Korean vodka], mixed with beer and a shot of coca cola. The physical cup embodies the idea of layering, a little bit spun off centre. “I’ve never really done anything roto-moulded before,” Henry says. “[The result] is awesome. First time I saw it, it was really close to what I’d drawn up.”

Christina Waterson, Henry Hidayat, Norman Johnson , Adele Del Signore

The other winner, Adele Del Signore, for her Jaffa Cup says, “It was a fantastic up-close and personal experience, in particular talking to the team at How We Create about their processes and approach. This highlighted a growing network of multi-disciplinary designers who come together through manufacturing to explore creative, original ideas and promote Australian design and production.”

 

How We Create

Howwecreate.com

Palamont

palamont.com.au

 

Images © How We Create and Gus Kollar