Interview with Dave Colliver Industrial Design (DCID)

Initially, I suppose my reasons for getting into design were quite selfish. I liked nice things and wanted to create them. Enter the real world. Years of delving into marketing and manufacturing and I now see that the benefits of design are far beyond my own desires and even those of the consumers. Now, my motivation is to create great experiences that make the world a better place in the most economical and environmentally friendly manner.

It was a choice when I was young and a burning desire now.

I love designs that focus on the simple things, transforming activities we often take for granted into experiences that we can take pleasure in. Ideally there will be visual, tactile and mechanical elements with an appreciation that can grow over time and endure. I’m more into lasting cherished experiences than an instant wow factor that fades.

I’m a long way from seeing myself as a design legend but I do believe young designers should learn everything possible about what consumers want and what is needed to turn that into a real and viable product. This is an ongoing process in an ever changing environment.

A great designer creates something really new in a concept, process or product. The market ultimately determines this to a point but may not see the gold that lies underneath in many cases. This is part of the value to the design community in awards, competitions and exhibitions such A’Design where these things can be dissected and communicated.

Beyond being viable, I’d say that it’s how well the outcome meets the intent. You could be out to design something that lots of people like, something a few people love, something that prompts vigorous discussion or even something that plants a seed and can grow with consumer input. There are a myriad of different purposes for design projects and the measures will be different for each one. With this in mind, some tangible and intangible goals should be set in the initial brief. These can be tested throughout the design process, in prototyping, with focus groups and ultimately with market response.

It’s a part of human nature to progress and design is an inseparable part of that. Good designs that produce new and lasting paradigm shifts, no matter how large or small, represent ratchet steps. These ratchet steps prevents us from slipping back and wasting time, effort and resources covering old ground.

It will be something that aids a healthy, active and social lifestyle.

It’s over the horizon still, I know it’s there, I can feel it drawing me in, I’ll let you know as soon as I do.

Many of the greatest products throughout history, in terms of market success, have been the result of great design, timing and exceptional marketing all of which make a strong connection with people. Even then, the companies responsible for their success often struggle to fully explain the specific reasons for it. One thing they do seem to have in common is an understanding that people want to be both individual and a part of something bigger than themselves.

Philippe Stark is one that comes to mind who has inspired me with some of his products.

Mostly, my Zippo lighter with the lifetime guarantee engraved in the case. It provides a pleasurable experience that engages a number of senses and emotions while meeting a basic need very well. The engraved guarantee openly celebrates the reliability and durability of the product and the focus on quality and customers. The replicated 1935 shape also gives it a little personal uniqueness.

This one - so far. It’s honest in its appeal, no trick or exaggerations, and there are people who have really fallen in love with it which give me a bit of a lump in the throat.

I read a comment from Austen Angell, CEO of Modern Edge that I thought had great merit. "It's all about getting away from the old world design of ‘we're going to perform magic’… now the magic is this process of collaborating.”

I would have been a disillusioned want-to-be designer probably. I have had many roles throughout my career and in every one I have valued my training and background in design. I think design knowledge forms a great foundation for so many things. There is a design component in creating anything new.

Design is about pulling emotions and ideas together to create new ways of meeting needs and desires. Design for me has always been about using inherent forms, properties and forces to their utmost, in the simplest form possible, to achieve interesting outcomes. It’s not about making things happen – it’s about removing the barriers so they can just happen the way they are meant to, physically and emotionally.

My fiancé has been very supportive during the ups and downs that come from being passionate about design and that simply must be acknowledged. The greatest encouragement has come from Sandy Walker, a former lecturer of mine from UniSA. Thanks Sandy.

I don’t really see myself as great yet. There is a lot more still to accomplish. Using and honing my design skills in all areas of life has helped me get where I am though.

Taking the time out of my career to go it alone on a non-commissioned project has tested my resources, resolve and at times my self-confidence. Knowing the challenges that others have faced in similar situations and the commitment they have shown to get where they are has helped me put it in perspective though.

It depends entirely on the audience but for presenting commercial products in the market place, by emphasising benefits rather than features.

For now I’m mainly focused on taking the if… pen to the next stage.

To make peoples’ day.

Profitability.

I think by giving people fresh new experiences and showing what is possible. There will be some hits and there will be some misses but ultimately, society will get a choice in shaping its future.

Getting a product to market that will hopefully sell the merits of Design for Lean.

I have gained a great deal of satisfaction designing the if… pen, as much for the verification of the approach taken as the end result.

More emphasis on design for Lean will I think yield better results for business and the environment simultaneously. I only hope though, that people truly understand what Lean is about before embarking on that journey. Unfortunately many text books look only at what they think are quick fix pills rather than the underlying principles.

There is a lot of glamour around new and experimental technologies at the moment with the desired user experience being defined as less effort is better. I think in some circles this is reaching a kind of utopia of “no effort is better” or “synthesized can replace reality” and may not represent society as a whole. I think attention may start to shift back to design meeting the needs of real experiences and simple pleasures.

In a designer’s mind, no design is ever finalized.

I explore the market, see what is around, how people use it, how they want to use it, what emotions are expressed, what issues and opportunities there are and what longer term potential there is.

I like the quote credited to Einstein that “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result”.

Design can influence direction but society creates the field of play. If you fit degrees of innovation with a standard bell curve, the outliers will not immediately gain enough traction to have a lasting influence. Innovations that are only a few standard deviations from existing centered trends and gain the greatest following can have a far greater effect in skewing the curve.

Technology definitely helps visualize complex concepts and explore a large number of ideas quite quickly. I find it valuable though to also spend time getting a more intimate feel for chosen concepts through manual methods.

I use Solidworks. Gladly, I’m still at a beginner to intermediate level where what I can create in a CAD model can also be made without huge expense.

I think we should try to involve as many of the senses as possible in designs in a way that brings clarity to the purpose and method of use for a product but also brings life through movement.

Where can I get one?

I see a designer, design team or company with a clear unified vision and a great sense of collaboration.

I do believe in co-design though I’m yet to go down that path. As a yachtsman I have had a very successful and enjoyable time with a crew whom I knew very well where we could act in unison without the need for too much communication and could trust each other beyond question. The same would hold for a design partner.

I have had the good fortune of meeting many business people through local networks. The ones that have influenced me the most are those who have a set of simple over-arching goals that include customer, quality and people.

“In Search of Excellence”. It gives some great insight into, among other things, what innovation means and how important it is.

Through a very long apprenticeship in many varied aspects of product realization with my eyes and ears open.

Henry Ford. I want to know his true philosophy and understand how he pulled together so many different aspects of product realization.

Well I’m not famous and don’t feel a need to be but the recognition is a huge boost to my self-confidence and I can carry that forward with increased conviction in my approach and ideas.

Personally, my favorite color is PMS 285. In a design, different colors evoke different emotions so to use more than one at a time I feel can be a bit confusing for the soul. My favorite place is anywhere that I can see the ocean. My favorite season is spring as it brings a sense of new life and lifted spirits. My favorite thing will soon be the wedding ring I am designing with my fiancé. My favorite brand, for the story behind it, is R.M. Williams.

In one project when I was still at university I came up with an amazing product that was perfect in every way except meeting the brief. I have never done that again.

Hearing how my design has had a positive impact on someone makes my day and is an invaluable source of motivation. What more can you ask for?

Not to me but my parents were often bemused by my continuous questions about how things worked and why things were the way they were. I think they may have had a clue but they also always reminded me that whatever level you are at there is room to strive for better.

A thousand years is a long way off, too far off to accurately predict, but I think what people fantasize about in science fiction movies they will find a way of seeing happen. Just not tomorrow.

I’m a one man band with a great number of local Australian contacts and resources that I can call on. I am keen to keep focusing on non-commissioned works where I can give attention to the areas I see most important in my chosen markets.

Design for me has always been about using inherent forms, properties and forces to their utmost, in the simplest form possible, to achieve interesting outcomes. It’s not about making things happen – it’s about removing the barriers so they can just happen the way they are meant to, physically and emotionally.

I love designs that focus on the simple things, transforming activities we often take for granted into experiences that we can take pleasure in. Ideally there will be visual, tactile and mechanical elements with an appreciation that can grow over time and endure. I’m more into lasting cherished experiences than an instant wow factor that fades.

This one – so far.

It’s not one that would impress someone in a bar conversation. It was a specimen container used for collecting biological samples for medical analysis. That was nearly thirty years ago and elements of the original design are still prominent in the current product. I’m very proud of that.

My imagination. But my observation too. I love seeing and hearing how people interact with and feel about products they want and use.

As a trigger for being creative, ideas come at the strangest times and in the strangest ways but generally not when trying to force it. As a result of being creative, in the early concept stages and when the end result works well. Everything else in between is a lot of hard work though with occasional moments of joy.

Once the concept is the right fit for the market and the resolution starts I ask “what can be done with less?” and “are there any elements that can be used to perform other functions?”

The complete spectrum. The enjoyable moments are the ones that drive you and the frustrations that come with trial and error need perseverance and self-belief to get you through.

It’s strange. There is a great euphoria in that ah-ha moment but then there’s also awareness that it came about as part of a process, The solution was there all along and just needed to be filtered out from the noise.

When people really want it and you have created a chance to make someone’s day.

It may sound strange but firstly, if it looks like it has been designed with a purpose.

I think to create something that endures in making peoples’ lives better.

I think technology is helping designers visualise and prototype more ideas faster which is great when you’re in a trial and error phase but I hope young designers also see the value in taking the time to really get a feel for a concept too. As for where design is heading. I think the great work of past designers in establishing the benefits of good design now means the consumer is more aware and will expect to have increasing input into what they get. Designers will need to interact with their chosen markets more intimately to truly understand them.

The greatest exhibition for me would be getting this design out to the world so people can enjoy it.

Inspiration comes from everywhere, without limits. If something generates a powerful emotion, it is a source of positive inspiration.

I tend to lean towards a minimalist style, at least in appearance. I like that designs which appear simple can have layers of interest that can continue to unfold and encourage a growing appreciation. I look at how someone uses a product over time and how their emotions may evolve.

I live in Australia and more specifically Adelaide. Our short heritage is one of resourcefulness and a desire for simple functionality which I do value a lot. It tends to encourage a no-nonsense pragmatism. Acceptance by the local market is often a result of products working well and lasting forever. What I have gained from travels through Europe is a greater appreciation of the emotional aspects of design.

My broad experience definitely helps here. Having a good understanding of their needs and capabilities is important. I always choose companies with an appreciation for quality and I always deal with them face to face where possible.

Get to know who they are beyond just a few ticked boxes.

I tried mapping that out in specific terms once, and only once. It’s more useful to have a head full of knowledge and kit bag full of tools and possess the ability to adapt and apply the best of it as the need arises.

My Zippo lighter with the lifetime guarantee engraved in the case, Pilippe Stark Cantilevered watch, Sony Vaio laptop, Microsoft Arc Touch mouse and le Corbusier chase lounge.

There’s really no typical day.

Look around you at all things and ask what is it that makes you or others feel the way they do about it. Not just products or even visual things but natural things, music, food, whatever. Find what you can take from it that can be useful in your designs to create positive emotions.

Being able to pull ideas together to create something real and tangible is something that is hard to rival. The emotional ups and downs in the process of getting there can be quite challenging.

Get the basics right first.

Asking the right questions and listening to the answers.

A pencil and paper and Solidworks for the grunt work. I also have a collection of products that inspire me close by but inspiration can come from anywhere.

It’s a very flexible thing depending on where I’m at in the design process. There can be times when you just need to take a break to clear your head and there are also very late nights when you have ideas in your head that just need to be resolved. I think this is one of the things that differs between commissioned and non-commissioned works.

I’ll defer to the 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration cliché. More than you think when you start the process.

I can’t say anything really stands out in-particular.

Customer issue resolution and continuous improvement. These two roles have taught me many things to avoid in a design.

I’m only working on my own designs at this stage.

In a general sense, non-commissioned works. I like to think of the consumer as the ultimate client.

Firstly, manufacture the if… pen.

Despite lots of experience spanning from market research through design, manufacturing, sales and marketing, I always involve others throughout the design process as early and often as possible. Overall though, I still have ultimate control.

The first priority is getting the if.. pen to market. There are irons in the fire for future developments too. That’s enough to focus on for now.

By e-mail (dave_colliver@internode.on.net) first. I love a good face to face chat though, so if you’re ever in Adelaide, South Australia look me up.