NEWcastle Products Exhibition 2013
Industrial design students inspired to design products that help to solve real-world problems and improve productivity.
Compact ventolin inhalers and portable work lights are just two of the many innovative projects to go on display at the 2013 NEWcastle Products Exhibition at Watt Space Gallery from November 26.
Industrial design students from the University of Newcastle have been inspired to design products that help to solve real-world problems and improve productivity or quality of life.
Luke Trainor's enthusiasm for working on old cars motivated him to develop a workshop lighting system for mechanics.
"All existing things on the market were based on so many lights or so many hours, but when it came to the user experience they weren't that great" Luke said.
He found many problems with the current products on the market that dramatically decreased productivity, such as glare from too much light and an overall lack of durability.
Luke has designed a pack of compact lights that are light, durable, induction charged and make for a much more user-friendly experience.
Brent Fisher has tackled a different problem; according to the National Asthma Council of Australia, most studies show that 50-90% of users don't know how to use a ventolin inhaler properly. Combining the inhaler with a device known as a spacer makes it easier to take asthma medication correctly, but spacers are often bulky and fiddly to clean.
Brent has created a product for asthmatics that combines the traditional inhaler with the spacer. The product can fit in your pocket, is more convenient, hygienic and environmentally friendly.
"Up until now you have the big spacer that you have to carry around or just the inhaler on it's own, and if you are just using [the inhaler], you don't get the benefit that you should."
"What I was working towards this semester is making something that is more intuitive," Brent said.
After four years of hard work, both Brent and Luke are excited to present their projects to the public and industry professionals.
"To have something that people can grab and use and see that they actually work is the most satisfying thing," Brent said.
"It will be interesting to see what some of the industry people around Newcastle think," Luke said.
The NEWcastle Products Industrial Design Exhibition will be on display at the Watt Space Gallery, corner of Auckland & King Streets Newcastle, from November 26 to December 1, 9am to 5pm. The Public opening night is Tuesday November 26th.
There will be an industry evening on November 28. Tickets can be booked online.
For more information please contact the NEWcastle Products 2013 team.
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