Dementia product design

Well-designed products can help people living with dementia

Imagine if, when you are preparing a meal, you can’t distinguish a plate from the bench that it’s sitting on. Or you go to take a sip of juice, only to realise too late that it’s scalding hot tea. People living with dementia can’t…
Dementia design podcast

Podcast interview with Graeme Samuel AC, Chair of Dementia Australia

Among his many roles, Graeme Samuel is a Professorial Fellow at Monash University’s Business School, and School of Public Health and Preventative Medicine. I worked at the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) when Graeme…
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Podcast interview – David Schwebel

In this podcast Gail Greatorex talks with David Schwebel, Professor of Psychology, and Associate Dean for Research in the Sciences at University of Alabama, Birmingham. David talks about a series of tragic toddler deaths and how his research…

Commuter wins on fare evasion

A story of poor design and aggressive enforcement It took one of Australia’s leading human rights barristers, working pro bono, but a Melbourne commuter has had fare evasion charges dropped. The Age recently reported the story of a commuter,…
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3D printing and product safety

What will 3D printing of consumer goods mean for product safety? Imagine these possibilities - Manufacture your own plastic toys from yours or someone else’s designs – for your kids to play with, or to create your own little retail…

The Dangers of Lever Shower Taps . . .

 . . . and how to overcome them - Choosing a mixer tap for a shower stall Ever been enjoying a nice hot shower and the water suddenly goes super-hot, or icy cold, or stops flowing completely? Your first thought is whether your annoying…
10 weeks wasted

How poor product design lets you – and your customers – down

  I recently bought a mobile phone. When I needed to access the SIM card, I couldn’t work out how to remove the back cover. Frustrating. The cover didn’t have any of the usual product design features to indicate how to open…