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DESIGN Making science accessible Another innovative design project based in Uganda is led by designer and Swinburne lecturer James Marshall. The Curly Questions project is a partnership between Swinburne, private company onlinegalleries. com.au and Kasese Humanist Primary School (KHPS). The aim is to build the school’s technology infrastructure and develop science-based learning materials for primary school students via the website curlyquestions.com.au. Grade 6 students from Kasese posed a list of 40 questions, which are being answered by 50 students from Swinburne’s digital media design course in the form of a children’s book and three-minute animation. “Every single student is working on an individual question. For example: ‘What is a mammal?’ and ‘How does the Earth rotate?’” Marshall says. “For each of (top) James marshall looks over a student’s work and (below) examples of work produced for the Curly Questions project. the questions asked, design students partner with scientists to make sure the answers are accurate. The answers will be hosted on the website, which we hope to make live by December.” The project has also provided funds to build a computer lab at the school with internet access, as well as educational materials. Marshall says the students are passionate about the project, which will teach evidence-based thinking to students globally and increase public communication of science. “All of the students find doing real-world projects more rewarding than prototypes,” he says. Swinburne digital media design student Rachel Leahy says it is refreshing and motivating to be able to design and create something for the children at KHPS. “I have been working on a storybook based on a question asked by a little girl: ‘What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky sometimes?’ We have all done extensive research on our questions and have consulted scientists.” Bwambale Robert, director of the Ugandan primary school, says the project will have a positive impact on staff by easing their workload, and for the students by exposing them to modern technologies and information. “The Curly Questions project is going to equip our children to understand the world around them and beyond,” he says. “The students are extremely happy for this opportunity to ask questions on things they want to know about and are looking forward to receiving the answers.” l Anyone interested in participating in the project or sponsoring children from KHPS can contact James Marshall via email at jgmarshall@swin.edu.au case study engineers without borders Product design engineering student Rob Reid is working with Engineers Without Borders on a final-year project to improve water quality and cooking conditions in the small community of Devikulam, India. Q: What is the project’s aim? A: To develop a biomass cooking stove incorporating a purifier, which reduces fuel use and improves the health of the user. I was interested in choosing a project which could benefit a developing country. Engineers Without Borders (EWB) had opened applications for projects in India and Cambodia, so I applied and was awarded the open research challenge. Q: How have you done your research? A: My research has been conducted through literature and the experiences of others who have been involved in appropriate technology programs. I focused on topics surrounding related engineering theory, the associated health concerns from smoke inhalation and consuming contaminated water, and previous stove dissemination programs. Q: Describe the design process A: After conducting the majority of my research I compiled a list of user needs and product specifications which are the major features the stove needs to have. From here I sketched concepts covering a diverse range of configurations and ideas. For the last two months I have been developing my chosen concept through prototyping and computer-aided design to refine it. Q: What challenges have you overcome? A: The hardest part of this design is trying to keep it appropriate for a developing world situation. The design needs to stay simple so it can be manufactured at a low cost and be affordable for the end user. This is especially difficult as the temperatures reached inside the stove are very high and low-grade materials will deform quickly. Q:Has the project affected you? A: After attempting to build stoves and cook on them, I don’t take my kitchen for granted. Q: What testing have you done? A: I’ve constructed stoves out of tin cans, empty paint tins and parts found at any local hardware store. Using these materials makes it quick and affordable to emulate my designs. Q: What are your future aspirations? A: I hope to use my abilities as a designer to improve the living standards of people in poverty. Getting involved with humanitarian engineering organisations such as EWB has really opened me up to the possibilities of how you can help others. For more information unicef.org.au aaltodesignfactory.fi kasesehumanistschool.webs.com ewb.org.au swinburne.edu.au/design 22 | swinburne | venture | issue three 2012
innovation setting new standards A “rubber hits the road” innovation program is reaping rewards for Australia’s manufacturing sector, helping it to be more strategic in developing new products and taking them to market. by caroline boyd case study FOCUS ON IDEAS When Sydney company Focus Press attended an Innovativity seminar, they were amazed at the results. “Many employees in manufacturing industries come to work, do their job and go home. So nobody ends up listening to their ideas,” says Louise Pastro, group sustainability and stakeholder engagement lead with Focus Press. “Innovativity taught us how to encourage and develop staff and management buy-in. We have now introduced a program to work together with our employees to develop and implement their ideas.” Australian manufacturing has been under pressure in the past decade. In the 10 years to 2011, Australia slipped from seventh to 20th on the World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness Index, and a high Australian dollar and increased competition from low-cost international producers have compounded the challenges. One area ripe for improvement is the number of companies innovating. Figures show that just 23 per cent of Australian small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) have new-to-market products, compared with 60 per cent across the OECD. “We always say that Australians are innovative, they’re free thinking, they’re very creative people,” says Jerome Donovan, a lecturer in international business, and the co-program leader of innovation and internationalisation at Swinburne. “But it seems we really lack the capacity in organisations to translate these into business outcomes.” A practical catalyst for change? Hoping to unlock this potential for innovation is Innovativity, a program designed specifically for SMEs, run by the Advanced Manufacturing Cooperative Research Centre (AMCRC) with support from a Swinburne team headed by Donovan. Bruce Grey, managing director of the AMCRC, says the Innovativity project, which is running around Australia, is already having an impact. “For a number of companies it has changed their new-product development processes,” he says. Leah Paff, program leader in industry, training and innovation at the AMCRC, says the program takes participants through the entire innovation process from start to finish. “You do activity-based work using the tools in the program with your other classmates,” says Paff. “We’ve had some really great success because “We’ve had some really great success because we’ve focused on the practical. We’ve found that the outcomes are real tools that people take back and use.” Leah Paff we’ve focused on the practical. We’ve found that the outcomes are real tools that people take back and use.” Innovation Benchmarking tool Donovan and his team support the program by regularly evaluating its effectiveness through pre and post surveys. They are also building an online benchmarking tool, which will allow businesses to compare themselves against best practice in Australia. To develop the innovation audit and benchmarking tool, they will survey 10,000 Australian businesses and draw on a wide-ranging literature review. “We’re going to profile what are the practices within the organisation that will lead to the greatest innovation performance and the best outcomes,” says Donovan, who believes the thoroughness of the tool will be a first. “There are different snapshot surveys and short-audit tools available on the internet in different places around the world, but I haven’t seen anything like what AMCRC wants to develop,” he says. Grey says the benchmarking tool will motivate Australian businesses to reach for new highs. “I think there’s going to be a huge value in addressing these skill shortages in innovation. You’re looking at a sector that makes a huge contribution towards the Australian economy where there’s massive value-add potential. There are also a lot of multipliers in manufacturing in terms of creating jobs in other sectors.” In Victoria, the recently launched Innovation Technology Voucher Program is expected to allow more small-to-medium enterprises to take up the Innovativity program. “We have applied to become an approved supplier so there will be an opportunity for Victorian companies to make use of the voucher to attend the course,” says Grey. l For more information on the innovativity program, visit www.innovativity.com.au issue three 2012 | venture | swinburne | 23
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Page 4 and 5: upfront Eureka Prize win creating s
Page 6 and 7: BIOGENETICS “One of the most impo
Page 8 and 9: iomedical engineering by mandy thoo
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Page 12 and 13: employment growth industry releasin
Page 14 and 15: health sciences GASTRO CSI Gastroen
Page 16 and 17: ENTREPRENEURShip winnin Swinburne g
Page 18 and 19: nanotechnology leading light Dr Bao
Page 20 and 21: design by fiona killman Design MAKI

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