Fisher & Paykel Appliances won a prestigious ‘stringer’at the 2008 BeST Design Awards for its CookSurface gas cooking appliance. Better by Design talked to Mark Elmore, General Manager Design, Fisher & Paykel Appliances about their internal design process.

Better by Design’s Design Specialist John Hatrick-Smith recently organised a series of workshops on Design Metrics which were facilitated by Chuck Pelly and Joan Gregor. John compiled some of the top tips for implementing a metrics programme from the workshops.

Better by Design client Compac has signed a multi-million dollar contract with one of Chile’s largest growers’ co-operative – Propal - to install a complete packhouse solution.

Clinging on upside down like geckos, copying nature’s patterns – Interface Inc has broken ground internationally with its biomimicry designs in carpet tiles, and has become widely recognised for proving green initiatives have commercial value.

Sports equipment manufacturer OBO has been able to test its safety gear like never before, thanks to a unique partnership with Nightside Test Design with assistance from Better by Design.

Biomimicry Institute founder Janine Benyus has launched the world’s first online database of nature-inspired design strategies.

The key point of biomimicry is that in nature’s 3.8 billion years of research and development, failures are now fossils, says BRR senior writer Mike Hodge.

Solving car drivers’ biggest complaints about their roof racks’ noise and drag has won Hubco Automotive international acclaim and a spot in Europe’s foremost automotive industry “Green Directory”.

Formway Design Director Mark Pennington has become the first industrial designer to be inducted to the Massey University College of Creative Arts Hall of Fame.

Two coveted Stringer (supreme) awards for product design have been awarded at this year’s BeST Design Awards, going to Fisher & Paykel and Formway Furniture.