CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR INNOVATION
The business and R&D landscape of Australia is rapidly changing and we believe that the only way to stay ahead of the curve is to use design thinking and co-creation methods to discover new offerings.
Our interdisciplinary teams work together on real world projects, with local and global partners, using human centered design methods to co-create extraordinary insights and outcomes. This diversity of minds, skills, and experience drives R&D capability and impact.
THE LATEST FROM DFM
Innovating without fear: My experience at Design Factory Melbourne
In early 2019, I made the move of leaving my home in Mumbai, India to pursue a two-year-long, Master of Design course at Swinburne University. Three months into the course, I was accepted into Design Factory’s Global Program where I immersed myself in a different way of learning and culture – both of which have had a lasting impact and value on me today.
Creative Collisions: Collaboration with The Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing
Design is a universal approach to problem solving across disciplines. What if we applied this to the field of astronomy? Stars were aligned, when Design Factory Melbourne and The Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing joined forces by exploring creative solutions for reducing the carbon footprint of astrophysicists.
The paradox between the value of spending time in unpacking challenges and the urge to jump into solutions ‘to get things done’
The ability to unpack and scope problems is essential to creating innovative solutions and outcomes. However, there is a tension between the value of spending time in unpacking challenges and pressures of having immediate answers and providing solutions quickly. This thought piece outlines some of this tension and shares our key insights on how and why we should focus on unpacking challenges and flipping them into opportunities to drive action.
Swinburne and Aalto University Joint PhD
Established by Design Factory Melbourne (DFM) Director Prof Anita Kocsis at Swinburne, with Prof Tua Björklund from Aalto University, the Design Factory joint PhD program started last year.
Design Factory Melbourne Aligns Design, Science and Tech in Philadelphia
Design Factory Melbourne joined Design Factories in the Global Network in November for the annual International Design Factory Week (IDFW) to share best practice and plan future international design collaborations.
RECENT PUBLICATIONS
DAILY PRACTICE OF INNOVATION
Small actions, big shifts
What makes up a typical workday? It can differ vastly from creating new ideas for a program launch to framing customer needs in a compelling way for a project proposal. How can we then make each day as productive as possible?
Over the last two years, we at DFM have gathered a range of productivity perspectives to the core work we do around innovation. Now, we are sharing our insights with everyone through this Daily Practice of Innovation: Small actions, big shifts book.
This book is a collection of insights and activities to find new perspectives in your daily work. In it, we explore how to set the foundations for a productive day, leverage the most of your time, find opportunities hidden in plain sight, boost energy, and gain new perspectives at work. The activities are brief and require no prior knowledge, so you can jump right into the doing.
We also love to thank Jaiden Gusti, our DFM alumnus, for the design of the book!
RE-THINK. RE-FRAME. RE-IMAGINE
A Year of Resilience
Is there a better time than now to illustrate the importance of innovative practices in the face of uncertainty?
The last 18 months have forced a lot of us to take a step back and assess our approach to challenging circumstances.
At DFM, we took this opportunity to embrace resilience and continue to convert our expertise into action. We remained curious and open to new opportunities and experimentation, seeking new ideas from a variety of perspectives. We directed our focus towards the future, imagining the possibilities of inclusive design, design for science and technology and innovation ecosystems.
Our new publication, Re-Think, Re-Frame, Re-Imagine, highlights the different avenues in which we applied this mindset, from our student and industry projects, professional workshops, community-based activities, and our latest research.
Discover our insights in our new publication, available online now.
GET A GLIMPSE INTO LIFE AS A DF STUDENT
Josh Bragagnolo
Industrial Design student Josh has completed both the local and global streams at DFM – read about his experience.
AMELIA IVERSON
Read about how Business student Amelia Iverson’s experience with DFM shaped her future path.
JAIDEN GUSTI
EMILY CHEESMAN
As part of Emily Cheesman’s Master of Occupational Therapy she is completing a stream of units with DFM. Read about her introduction to design thinking here.