Otago Polytechnic design students who will have their
products sold in Port Chalmers Design Store following a
retail-design partnership are (from left) Sam Cooper,
Hedwig Keek, Sharon Cunningham, Finley Hitchen, and
lecturer Machiko Niimi. Absent: Zach Hornblow and Sholto
Lee. Photo by Craig Baxter.
Products designed by Otago Polytechnic students could be
wrapped lovingly and placed under Christmas trees across the
country, if a retail partnership is successful.
Port Chalmers Design Store and the polytech have joined
forces, for the fourth time, to offer students real life
experience in design, marketing and client relationships.
Six students worked in two teams to create five products
which will be launched at the store tomorrow. They were given
12 weeks and $400 to design, manufacture, brand and deliver
their products, which had to retail for less than $80.
The second-year design students came up with a plywood photo
album, non-rip paper wallet, perspex magazine rack with a
cut-out image of an art deco house, glass coasters printed
with nostalgic New Zealand holiday images, and magnets.
Student Hedwig Keek said the experience was worthwhile,
although a lot of "blood, sweat and tears" went into it.
Sharon Cunningham enjoyed working with local manufacturers to
create products.
Lecturer Machiko Niimi said the project was the only one of
its kind in the country which let students experience being
design professionals.
"The students work in a real pressure-cooker environment. We
start from assessing both product and price gaps in the
market, and then put the challenge of meeting that gap to the
student," she said.
Design Store owner Becs Wilson said the project was a "great
success".
"We provide somewhere safe where the students learn about
dealing with clients and how to get the product to fit with
the market need. If the products do well, we then offer to
distribute them to design stores around the country."
- ellie.constantine@odt.co.nz
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