Andrew's back from the SOS (supercycle our souls) exhibition at Milan Design Festival. The exhibition was a great success generating a tonne of interest for the cause. Dedece also did a lovely little writeup on their blog on each of the designers and some of their pieces.

Here is a lovely little video on Brett from Scott Sails on their history, his own practice and how he came to make the Balmain Boat Company sails.

Andrew is off to the Milan Furniture Fair tomorrow with the supercyclers, and he's taking the Incalmo vase along with him. The Incalmo vase is not made from any ordinary glass but is actually produced from recycled solar panels. The square shoulders on the vase balance the top shoulder and conveys specifically masculine connotations in comparison to most vases.

As can be expected from Object the digital magazine is a succinctly curated and well layed out collection of written word, images and video. Object magazine issue 62 continues to deliver exciting and original content from Object: Australian Centre for Design. Issue 62 of Object magazine opens the doors to modern design Studios, from architecture to handmade jewellery, fashion design & industrial design. Read the magazine here or download the free App for iPad.

Good Design Australia is dedicated to driving greater demand for well designed pieces and services which according to the council is indicative of: form, function, quality, safety, sustainability and innovation. We're excited & humbled that the Bestaxx Bung Plug has been considered in the Medical & Scientific category. Wish us luck!

Internationally renowned artist and friend of Vert Design, Maria Fernanda Cardoso's success sees no limit. Making her mark in the mid 90's when she created Professor  Cardoso’s  Flea Circus featuring real fleas performing real tricks; trapeze artists, high divers and the odd flea funeral when there was an accident.

Towards the end of last year we worked on a project with Sydney based contemporary jeweller Sonya Scott. Sonya designed a range of sporks, serving tongs and cake slides in collaboration with &Company for Black Star Pastry in Newtown. Sonya initially made the prototypes out of copper sheet then moved to nickel silver to perfect the feel and surface finish of the final product which was to be produced in stainless steel. We produced the tooling for Sonya, a hydraulic press tool which was mastered out of mild steel allowing Sonya to create the bend in the cutlery.

How hard is it really to build your own boat?

Find out in the first testimonial from the Balmain Boat Company featuring Vince, who recently completed his rowboat, 'Henrietta.' Credit must also go to Samuel Andruszkiewicz for creating such an amazing video.

Designed for 'The Grounds' in Alexandria, these taps are a revolutionary way of dispensing milk using vacuum seal sachets as opposed to milk cartons. The taps reduce waste as well as being a quick and effective way for a barista to dispense coffee.
 
'The Grounds', when complete will be a coffee lovers dream, which includes a 'research facility' to test blends and roasting processes as well as running barista courses. The design has allowed for the rush of people which will no doubt ensue, with four button controls to mediate rate it dispenses for different amounts of milk, and is all fully made in Australia.
 
The milk taps were created using investment cast brass and include an intricate laser cut drip tray.

Also part of the fit out for custom coffee roasters 'The Grounds', opening next month in Alexandria, we designed these coffee silos.
 
The Grounds, spear headed by Jack Hanna & Ramzey Choker, is designed to get people interested in the entire process from seed to cup.
 
Coffee is the main feature of The Grounds with on-site roasting of coffee beans as well as barista courses, with the coffee silos positioned as a feature on the wall.
 
The design of the silos needed to complement the interior fit out of what was once a deserted heritage warehouse which now exudes a post-industrial aesthetic featuring exposed vents and state-of-art coffee equipment.

These stunning sculptural glass pieces were created by the internationally renowned artistic duo Ben Edols & Kathy Elliott . Their current series of sculptural forms display a beautiful tension and sense of rhythm, while at the same time exploiting the wonderful qualities of the glass that unifies all their work. Their exhibition 'Tutti' is opening tonight at the finest Australian contemporary glass & ceramics studio Sabbia Gallery.
 
Included in the exhibition are two pieces glass blown sculptural pieces that needed a way to attach the base piece to the main body. We used the process of 3D laser sintering, an additive metal fabrication technology that fuses metal powder into a solid part by melting it locally using the focused laser beam. Parts are built up additively layer by layer, typically using layers 20 micrometres thick. This process is faster & cleaner than sand casting & requires no post finishing, so it's ready to go straight away. We produced 3 pieces in bronze and 1 in stainless steel.
 
We hope to see you at the opening tonight at 6pm at Sabbia Gallery, 120 Glenmore Road, Paddington.

We're ecstatic to have received a bag full of rubbish collected from the beaches near Byron. Of all the debris collected from beaches all over the world, 85% are hard plastics. Currently, all this debris collected from the clean ups is either thrown to landfill, or in remote communities, burned. There is the potential to wash and break down these plastics and then actual recycle these plastics so we're fascinated with the opportunities for what could be done with what is essentially, rubbish.
  
We'd love to get your feedback and ideas for this project so head over to our facebook page to let us know you're thoughts.

We've started assembling the samples for the dog leads we've been working on as part of the new robust line of pet accessories for Purine Petlife.
The functional handle to the lead can be twisted to seperate and easily attach to a pole.

These are the next installment from the Purina PetLife collars that we've been working on. The clips are a new design that has a dual clip, first clicking in and then a flip cap to lock it in and should be available soon. Watch this space.

We're excited to be featured in InsideOut magazine twice in their March/April 2012 issue. The first piece of ours to pop up in the magazine was our 'Otto' glasses which were in the article on 'Supercycling'. Supercycling, according to Sarah King is a term created to talk about designers who are considering waste in a particularly clever way. The definition has grown to encompass all the different ways designers are tackling this issue. The second feature we were in was the 'Editor's Choice', which featured our Steel Grey Incalmo Vase which was made rom recycled solar panels which was included as one of a few of Richard Waller's favourite things! Both articles are great reads and there's plenty more in the issue to check out so if you don't already have a copy of the issue, it's definitely a worthwhile read.

Benjamin Shine has updated his website to include the Pill-Packet Portrait we collaborated on him with to create. Ben was commissioned by the CEO of Helsinn Pharmaceuticals, and he created a portrait made from the white blister packaging of one of the company's leading products. When switched on, selected blisters light up to reveal the portrait image. I got lost looking at all the great work on his site, especially the images look fantastic and we love the elephant that looks like a taxi! Check it out here.

SMH have written an engaging article discussing the possibilities of 3D printing for the mainstream consumer, asking the question "What if people could print spare parts and consumer goods on site?"

Very happy to see our 'Cup & Jug' featured on wewish.com.aua great site that serves up daily design inspiration from Sydney. Their occur is on local designers which we love and feature a curated selection of fun furnishings, accessories, art and design or you to covet.

We're really excited to have our geo-cubes featured in the first exhibition for the year at the Damien Minton Gallery in Redfern. The Five Bells group exhibition is a 'Visual Ode to Sydney 2012' which will be running until 18 February.
 
The exhibition will be starting this Saturday 4 February from 2-4pm, and will be opened by Geoffrey Lehmann, Sydney poet and friend of the late Kenneth Slessor. There are also a series of readings, talks and performances taking place on Saturday 11 and 18 of February which will feature Geordie Williamson (chief literary critic of The Australian) in conversation with Gail Jones (author of the book 'Five Bells') as well as Fiona McGregor (author or the book 'Indelible Ink') and Martin Edmond (author of the book 'Dark Night, Walking with McCahon'). All are welcome so we hope to see you at the opening!

Andrew has produced two modern patterns from the primal, volcanic process of sand casting. The first is a fence that was inspired by the ubiquity and veiled menace of spear fences which take their forms in a sharp, flinty, Neanderthal style. Significantly more interesting than the mediocre Victorian & Georgian styles that are used at the front of every second house. The second piece is an architrave which was inspired by modern tattoos, a bit cooler than a spiral heart design on the front of your fence wouldn't you agree!

We're so excited to hear that the innately talented artist Maria Fernandez Cardoso has received a well deserved grant as well as being included in the Biennale of Sydney 2012, one of the largest exhibitions of contemporary art in the Asia-Pacific region.
Looking forward to seeing what she has in store for the Biennale.

Shapeways have included the Marcello glasses as part of their Valentines Day gifts for him guide. Take a look at the guide here, they've got some really creative alternative gifts for him and her, far more interesting than roses and socks.

We've been working on some point of sale fixtures for Optus' pre-paid services. Similarly to the other pieces we've created these slat walls can be flat packed to lower transport costs. The walls also work in conjunction with other merchandise we designed including pods and handset bars.

This dog lead we've been working on is part of a new robust line of pet accessories for Purine Petlife which has a handle you can twist to seperate and easily attach to a pole.
Now you can pop into the coffee shop knowing your furry friend will be there when you return.

These are the renders of the Petlife animal collars we have been working on. The clips are a new design that has a dual clip, first clicking in and then a flip cap to lock it in.
These should be available in March so stay tuned for more details.

Cake wines are a wine brand built around supporting, celebrating and contributing to Australia's thriving creative culture. Cake have created some great leather bottle holders that can attach to your bike and needed the straps to be branded too.
We came up with a simple solution and used a regular solder iron, unscrewed the soldering pin and screwed in a branding iron we made. To make the branding iron we used 3D rapid prototyping to create the head of the branding tool, now you can just plug it in and off you go!
So grab your bike, grab a bottle of Cake and have some fun in the sun while supporting Australia's creative culture.
Cake.
Create.Culture

This is the second piece designed for global icons, which means you will soon be able to take home a miniature Opera House or Harbour Bridge. The pieces are cast in bronze, a precious metal that allowed us to capture Sydney Harbour in all of its detail. These are just the the first prototypes as the pieces are not yet in production, so stay tuned for more details.

Optus came to us wanting to save on their transport costs, so we developed these cubes that are flat packed for easy transport and assembled in store. These are the next generation point-of-sale material developed for pre-paid services. Keep an eye out at your local Optus dealer for a closer look!

Second generation door remotes developed for Elsema, this will be sold alongside our first design from 2007. Gone are the days where your remote will break if you drop it in water, or run over with your car (or bike) as these remotes are heavy duty, and can handle all our clumsy little accidents!

Andy from our friends next door at ‘thINK’ came to us with the idea of using a giant thumb tac as a vibrant large scale display for their new studio. What do you think!

New offices call for new interiors, so we're customising each detailed section of the new studio, and we're starting from the top down. The inspiration for these came from a previous job where a nose comb of a cessna aeroplane was used, so we moulded the copper on the actual engine turbine propeller of an aeroplane. These precious metal's vibrant colour perfectly complements the studio and the warm tone fills the room.

Our 3D Desktop printer arrived today. Lots of fun to be had.

We have designed these "Fake Crap from China" stickers. Great design should be appreciated. If someone told you they saw Elvis live, you'd be amazed. Then to find out, they were passing off "The Elvis Show" at the local club two years ago for the real thing, is laughable. Fake Furniture demeans both the designers and the people who own it. Owning a fake chair is like going to see a tribute band at an RSL; the notes are same, the words are the same, it's cheaper but clearly something is a miss. If you are interested in the stickers send us an email andrew@vertdesign.com.au or call us on (02) 9698 7770 and we will send you out a pack.

We have designed a half size boat - for kids for the Balmain Boat Company.