Director: Mark Armstrong Associate Director: Henri Spaile
Suite 14, 56 Church Avenue Mascot 2020
P: +61 2 9669 4644
F: +61 2 9669 4744
E: marmstrong@blueskycreative.com.au
Design Director: Douglas Buckle
Suite 103, Pacific Tower
737 Burwood Road, Hawthorn 3122
P: +61 3 9670 3551
F: +61 3 9670 3553
E: dbuckle@blueskycreative.com.au
BlueSky is a multidisciplinary design team with offices in Sydney and Melbourne. The team is comprised of industrial designers, graphic designers, environmental specialists, engineers and multimedia experts. Founded in 1984 by Mark Armstrong, BlueSky has become one of Australia's leading design companies. Our aim is to apply innovative strategies to each project ensuring the resultant design solution offers a competitive advantage. As a multiskilled team, we recognise the vital role played by individual inspiration and initiative. Our expertise covers consumer product design, urban design, professional product design, retail design and exhibitions. Our clients range from local manufacturers to international corporations.
Design trend analysis is undertaken constantly to examine the marketplace and plot future trends. Specific market snapshots are undertaken for clients to understand the market place and how to gain competitive advantage within their industry.
A key factor for innovative design solutions is a wholistic and in-depth understanding of the customer. Once the customer group is identified their motivations and attitudes are flushed out and visualised. Each profile is broken down to look at lifestyle and environments of use. This aids with the design process to ensure relevant and desirable designs are selected. Because they respond to customer needs or aspirations.
The new Victa Tornado Series includes a range of six mowers ranging from entry level through to high end professional models.
The design team at BlueSky worked closely with toolmakers to create an advanced pressed base plate with improved impact resistance and greater durability.
BlueSky has a unique collaboration with Sunbeam, one of Australia's leading manufacturers of small domestic appliances. The designs are the result of careful market analysis and each design offers customers better function and performance over previous models. Both aesthetics and functional aspects are given equal weighting to ensure Sunbeam products are strategically positioned ahead of competitors.
In complex global markets design is a strategic tool to gain market share. Customers are more discerning and competition is aggressive. A strategic approach to design is the method of creating a long term future that is consumer focused.
This range of Philips monitors won an Australian Design Award in 2004 for its advanced design.
BlueSky has considerable design and engineering experience to create equipment that is functional, reliable and with an ergonomic focus. McCulloch USA, Ryobi Australia and Jenn Feng in Taiwan utilise the BlueSky team for their new product development. All products are designed for the global market.
BlueSky through its network of Asian manufacturers has been able to make a significant impact on the global Garden Care and Power Tool market. Products designed by BlueSky include lawn mowers, sweeper Vacuums, line trimmers, Electric Drills , Planers, Mitre Saws and routers. These types of products now sell in retail environments across USA, Europe and Australia for major brands including Ryobi, GMC, Talon and Victa
Industrial design has its largest impact in the area of products for the home. People come in daily contact with our designs and we have a responsibility to ensure each new product brings with it value for customers and an improvement in their daily lives. Products and appliances that are designed with proper process result in reduced environmental impact and higher profitability for our clients and manufacturers.
BlueSky has a long history of providing design support to important sporting and cultural events. The most significant of these is our work with the Sydney Organising committee for the Olympic games in 2000 when we were responsible for the design and development of the Olympic Torch and portable Cauldrons. Since then we have contributed design capability to many other events including the 2003 Rugby World Cup with the design of a mobile exhibition and game promotion centre.
BlueSky has an on going client base in the area of transport design. We have designed Motorbikes and Scooters for the global market and have been commissioned to design a new generation of train for the Sydney network . These types of projects require advanced ergonomic capability and an understanding of automotive design trends and emerging technologies.
The design of medical products and equipment requires a high level of design process and control. In order for products to pass various international standards they must have been developed using Iso compliance processes. BlueSky has experience in thorough documentation that ensures each step of the development process can be reviewed against objectives set in the design brief. Risk and failure mode analysis are also more critical in the design of health care equipment in order to ensure a high quality outcome.
Design for the public domain requires a good understanding of a sense of place that products and structures are appropriate and contribute positively to the environment. Products such as street furniture, Exhibitions signage systems and public transport need to be designed with a duty of care. This duty of care ensures that products designed for use in the public domain are appropriately detailed to withstand the rigors of graffiti, overloading and vandalism. The objects also need to contribute well to the built environment and create a sense of ownership for the community.
Design communication is as important as design innovation. The integrity of a new design must be communicated efficiently to both toolmakers and factory specialists.
A range of rapid prototyping technologies are used at BlueSky:
These technologies produce production-like components for evaluation and verification prior to production
BlueSky mechanical engineers study structural performances and material efficiencies as part of the product development process. Finite element analysis was undertaken on the Victa base plate to determine the impact resistance and tensional deformation characteristics of the product prior to tooling commencement.
Many of today’s retail environments are unsupported by sales staff. Therefore the role of packaging has now been escalated; the pack must now protect the product as well as merchandise and sell it. Creating a market where the packaging is now as important as the product in terms of a company's commercial success. BlueSky works closely with market researchers and photographers to create a strong visual presence for clients.
In today's competitive environment a company must communicate with its customers much more clearly. As a result visual communications designers become the creators of a brand. We believe a powerful graphic solution to a corporate identity creates value instantly for a company and its shareholders.
Corporate communication includes all printed material used to inform consumers, clients and the staff of a company.
Today we are bombarded with visual media therefore it is crucial to capture the attention and interest of the audience by prioritising information in a way that is stimulating and informative.