What we do
The Otago Institute of Design engages in a number of design-related activities and projects throughout a number of facilities. These include:
Sustainable Design
Sustainable design sees the development of products and services as also taking into consideration factors of environment, society and affordability. At the heart of sustainable design is often innovative thinking and the goal of reducing environmental impact – aspects which lend themselves well to design-led thinking.
Interaction Design
Design-led interaction design is about how people systems behave towards on another. Typically, interaction design analyses and improves human interaction with software, mobile technologies yet, more subtly, interaction design engages in interfaces of any kind.
Interaction Design is user-led, so research and testing is often conducted and informed by people interacting with systems and services.
Strategic Design
Strategic design is the practice of employing future-orientated design principles to create innovation and improve competitiveness of your company, business or organisation.
Strategic design encourages businesses to not only embrace change, but seek it. Not doing so risks leaving innovation and advantage to competitors.
Delivering breakthrough design requires a high-level vision, insight into future trends, understanding the relationship of technology to social change, user-centered design expertise, and recognising your business as part of a bigger whole.
Strategic Design development through the Otago Institute of Design can engage this process.
Products and Services
Design can often tangibly be recognised in the form of products, from mobile phones to furniture to specialist equipment. Increasingly, design is also being recognised in service providers – such as planning and organizing people, infrastructure, communication and material components of a service. Design thinking is being used more and more by companies to improve quality and experience of customers and employees.
Want to find out more about product development? Call the PDC
Want to find out more about service development? Call the ADRC
Do you have an idea for a product and are ready to create a prototype? Call the PDC
Do you have a product that is ready for commercialisation? Call Evolver
Design Assessments
A design assessment is an holistic process that looks at all aspects of your business – your strategy, your people, brands, products, communications and processes and through an action plan will seek to improve your business through design thinking.
Our design assessment process called Design Steps Otago will help your business move forward with intention. It can be undertaken to help develop a singular new product or strategy, seek new markets and opportunities, develop new brands and communications, consider applications of new technologies or to re-connect with your customers.
Call Jan Hudson at Design Steps Otago to find out more
Research and development
New products and services are often the make or break of a company. At the OiD we see research and development as the key to success. We use design-thinking and design processes to ensure that our clients to have the greatest potential to succeed.
Want to find out more about research and development at the Product Development Centre?
Contact Mick Abbott to find out more about research and development in our postgraduate programmes?
Contact Alistair Regan to find out more about research and development for your industry project?
Advanced Prototype Technologies
The OiD is proud to house the Product Development Centre - a catalyst for conceptual design and the whole pre-production process including pre-production prototyping and short-run sampling. Within the PDC is a range of cutting-edge equipment including water-jet cutter, polymer vacuum casting machine, large-format five-axis router and 3-D printer. The PDC’s advanced prototyping facilities enable the production of prototypes at all levels of the product design and development process. We offer the capability to produce designed components and assemblies to enable pre-production evaluation and decision-making.
Contact the Product Development Centre
New Product Innovation
At the Product Development Centre we engage with clients from across a spectrum of backgrounds in order to facilitate innovation and the development of new products. Our own expertise is enhanced by our relationships with industry, business, research and education sectors, enabling us to pursue the development of a new product from concept to commercialization.
Contact the Product Development Centre
Education
Education is at the heart of the Otago Institute of Design – it is after all a collaboration between two educational institutions, the Otago Polytechnic Design Department and Design Studies at the University of Otago.
We provide a number of postgraduate courses from Graduate Diplomas to Masters to PhD’s – there will no doubt be something there for you.
Find out more about our postgraduate courses here
The OiD also engages in executive education and training. We offer tailored workshops in design thinking and design assessments.
Interested in finding out what workshops and training we provide? Email info@oid.co.nz
Community-led Design
“How do you want to live? How do you want your tomorrow to be?” These and other questions are challenging ones for any community. The Otago Institute of Design sees its role as working closely with people from the not-for-profit sector and use design thinking for the benefit of our entire community.
All across UK and Europe, people are becoming more aware of how design processes can be used to tackle problems and help develop solutions in areas such as public transport, sustainable communities, health and our environment. The Otago Institute of Design exists to make the benefits of a user-centered approach to projects available to groups and organisations around the region. If you think we can be involved, let us know!
Want to find out more about community-led design, or have a project that you would like the OiD to take part in?
Contact us now! info@oid.co.nz
