Tamarind Studio

My name is Nic and I'm an Australian industrial designer interested in learning about sustainable materials, processes and products in design. I'll explore other designs and designers and try and learn something every time. I'm documenting the things I learn in the hope that I can inspire myself and other designers to make a change in our industry.

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Honda recently released their prototype of last year’s concept. Interesting that they’ve lost so much of the boxiness and 80′s vibe that was so charming on the original concept. I do really like where it’s gone though.

Source: honda.com

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This cute little fella feels like a wonderful breath of fresh air in the current climate of super-edgy auto styling. I love how this thing feels innately playful and old-fashioned. I really can't wait to drive this around! 

Source: honda.com

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Something I've thought about often, is how to be discerning with who and what you work with. Better working conditions in the factory means paying higher costs for your parts and so if bottom dollar is the decider, then working conditions suffer. I think Fairphone’s commitment to better working conditions and engagement is really cool, but I feel it has to be done on a company-wide basis like this as it's almost impossible to implement project-by-project.

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I'm impressed by the level of detail that Fairphone seem to have gone to to   understand the whole supply chain that they're working within. This is something that I've never considered about my own work, but I'm challenged that there's a lot more to thinking about designing more sustainably than just environmental factors. Considering hazards in manufacture and the social impacts of other businesses involved is a much more holistic process that I think I can learn from if not implement at my own job.

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Fairphone is also completely modular! The whole phone has been designed in modules so you can replace old and damaged pieces easily and quickly. There's a nice simplicity to how it all goes together and I don't think I've seen such well executed modular tech before. I've always wanted to do some awesome modular tech, but have never been able to convince a client. I think the coolest bit is their open source software, which I hope helps customers improve the product beyond what the company produces off the bat.

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I would love to build a product where it's feasible to send your old one back for recycling! It must take a lot to build their network of local return centres that service and recycle phones when you're not Apple-sized and I'm really impressed that Fairphone has actually followed through. They've even recently brought out refurbished old phones to reduce waste and keep parts in the system. Awesome!

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As the election draws near we're being barraged with political propaganda, but this one really stood out so it's worth sharing!

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I’ve recently discovered Fairphone and I’m inspired by their commitment to ethics and sustainability. ⠀ Currently working at finding a place to document my thoughts. Looks like Tumblr is winning for hosting my stream of consciousness. ⠀

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My name is Nic, I'm an Australia Industrial Designer and I've been working in the Industry since 2014. I've been frustrated for a long time about how to implement more sustainable practices and the way that most of the design decisions in my work are driven by the bottom dollar, not by quality or sustainability.

I've been talking about trying to be more sustainable in my work for a long time but doing nothing, so I want to make a start on actually doing something. I'll be sharing successful products that I find that have an inspiring environmental/social conscience.

I picked this name for no real reason other than that it sounds interesting and a bit relevant. Tamarind is super yummy and tamarind wood is pretty great too.