Industrial Design Students
Student Experience
- Liam Petrie-Allbutt
- Rima Permatasari
- Nathan Kotlarewski
- Carl Turner
- Adam Cochrane
- Maximillian Aji Wijoyoseno
Liam Petrie-Allbutt
Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design)
"The Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design) provides you with the necessary tools for design. At Swinburne you have the opportunity to get practical experience in an on-campus workshop environment including manufacturing processes such as laser cutting, milling, 3D printing (rapid prototyping), metal, timber and foam work. The staff in particular are real designers and they incorporate their industry experience into their classes.
This year I entered my light in the Melbourne Design Awards to test my skills and ability as an industrial designer. I received a large portion of votes and won a spot prize of Adobe Photoshop and the Product Design – Lighting Award. The Falling Leaf light project began in a practical studio class, the brief required the creation of a prototype based around the sheet metal process. During Winter, I spent the snow season working in the alpine resort of Mount Buller. In a particular photograph I captured, gum leaves covered in snow, this was the aesthetic I explored and transformed into a concept.
I am very eager to complete the next version of my light for industry with a few minor refinements and possible aesthetic tweaks. Many opportunities have emerged as a result of winning the Melbourne Design Awards but I am focused on completing the final year of my undergraduate degree. I am currently completing a minor in Architecture at The University of Melbourne through the Cross Institutional Study program at Swinburne."
Rima Permatasari
Master of Design (Industrial Design)
"I have had the opportunity to work with design students from multiple design disciplines and have made friends with people from different parts of the world. I like how the lecturers at Swinburne always show genuine concerns about our work and they always evoke our sense of critical thinking.
I have gained more confidence through presenting my work and speaking in front of people, not to mention in my second language. Studying at Swinburne has helped me to explore and refine my interest in certain design fields, particularly furniture design. I am definitely looking forward to working in this field in the future."
Nathan Kotlarewski
Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design)
"Studying Industrial design means I get to be creative and have fun designing, researching and testing new products that consumers will buy and use in the near future. Having the freedom to impact on everyday consumers through design is an amazing achievement and very rewarding.
Thanks to Swinburne I have travelled to Poland for the World University Shooting Championship in 2010, Germany and Switzerland for a European study tour and I have also studied abroad in Finland. Each experience has opened my eyes dramatically and revealed the global differences in relation to design through culture and history. These experiences have not only exposed me to new knowledge but have also extended my career opportunities once I graduate."
Carl Turner
Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design)
"Prior to returning to study I was working as a Petroleum Drilling Engineer. While I was well paid and many aspects were quite challenging, overall I didn’t find the work and environment very stimulating. I wanted more creative expression in my work. The Dean at Swinburne's Faculty of Design, Ken Friedman, suggested Industrial Design would provide a good challenge and complement my engineering background. I wasn’t really aware of the existence of the Industrial Design discipline but I’m glad I took his advice – I’ve found something I really enjoy.
In my engineering roles I enjoyed being involved in a broad range of project activities. Industrial Design offers an even greater range and I particularly like the close ties to human elements, like ergonomics and psychology, areas that are reasonably new to me. The academic staff are very approachable and are sensitive to students’ individual backgrounds. They put a lot of effort into ‘real world’ contact; a major project in my first year was undertaken as part of a larger Victorian Government initiative with some student works exhibited in the Victorian State of Design Festival 2010.
The idea of a career change was not easy to digest, I’ve found it an extremely worthwhile experience on both academic and personal levels and I look forward to an exciting future in design."
Adam Cochrane
Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design)
"I had the great opportunity to go on international exchange to Germany in my third year of study. This to me was the single greatest experience of my student life. It matured me in such a way that upon return I felt that I could handle the real life challenges that were ahead of me and filled me with a confidence that I could make it in the professional world.
I now have a much broader understanding of what design is and what it is you need to be able to work in the industry. I have learnt a basis of all the practical skills needed to be successful and have seen these skills work in the international realm."
Maximillian Aji Wijoyoseno
Bachelor of Design (Industrial Design)
Maximillian transferred from Malaysia in 2009 and has already won international recognition for one of his designs.
"We were asked to consider the case study of a 37 year-old male suffering from type-two diabetes and Parkinson's disease."
Maximillian's glucose monitoring device combines three steps: finger pricking, blood transferral and blood sugar analalysis. This design also requires minimal hand movement to suit people with hand muscle problems. The device was entered into the 2010 Australian Design Awards and was short-listed to represent Australia in the James Dyson Awards.
"It's hard to believe I only arrived in Australia last semester and now I am in the finals to win a great international award."
