I didn’t ever expect it to happen to me. I feel like it’s a clichéd mentality, but when it does happen, it sure does rock what I believed were the ideals of the design industry, specifically the small portion that operates (designed and made) within Australia. I assumed that if an idea or product was going to be copied, which I hoped it wouldn’t be, I thought the crime / impertinence would at least be disconnected by oceans and continents and not merely by states and a measly 1681 kilometers.

I produced the original ‘Plywood Milk Crate’ design in 2006 as a student at the Australian National University. It took me just under 6 months of design development, prototyping and refinement to perfect the interlocking system. It was a piece that was well received by my peers, but more importantly by my teachers and mentors. Since this time it has been published in a handful of magazines and blogs (including Inside Out magazine and Indesign Live) and it has even travelled all the way to London in representation of Noddy Boffin (my brand) for the ‘London Commonwealth Exhibition’ in 2012. Finally, if you Google ‘Plywood Milk Crate’ you’re sure to find my version easily and it is in its public exposure that I had false security in the assumption that others would respect my intellectual property.

So when I was perusing the July ‘Finder’s Keepers Market’ here in Melbourne (2015), I was shocked to be confronted by a knock-off of my very own ‘Plywood Milk Crate’ design. My product is an appropriation of a plastic Milk Crate, so granted, it is in a manner of speaking a copy already and the concept of the humble milk crate has been the point of inspiration for others, embraced by a number of Australian designers each putting a unique spin on the aesthetic and manufacture. ‘Like Butter’ and ‘Page Thirty Three’ are two such Australian companies that have both produced high quality, high integrity versions of the molded plastic milk crate used commonly in the transportation of milk.

Intricate examples of two different and unique versions of the plywood milk crate. Left: ‘Wooden MilKcrate’ by Page Thirty Three. Right: laser cut Plywood Milkcrate, stocked by Cotton On.

Minimal Plywood Crates by Like Butter

Beautiful Wooden Crates by WAAM Industries.

A very small (tiny tiny tiny 1%) part me is flattered that somebody feels my design is worthy to be copied, but mostly (99%) I feel appalled that somebody has stolen my design and decided to produce it, and what disgusts me most is that the ‘design thief’ has taken the idea, the dimensions, the system of assembly and put it all together using the worst quality pine plywood you can get, seemingly un-sanded and with plywood manufacturers print still visible. The five parts that make up the box are far-removed from crisply cut computer milled shapes and the joinery is physically and visibly poorly fitted, the entire unit has crudely cut chamfered edges, which looks more like it was attacked with a blender and lastly the product is sold unfinished, without a clear protective coating, left for the elements and with the pretense that a DIY savvy person to do themselves.

Brisbane based Catherine Roberts of ‘Showroom’ and ‘The Spring Blog’, falsely credits herself as the designer of the Plywood Milk Crate. I contacted her via telephone and she was quick to accept credit as the designer, until it was disclosed that it was a Noddy Boffin design and she had stolen it, at which point she passed the blame onto the manufacturer, pleaded ignorance and being unaware of the original product… which I find difficult to comprehend.

Catherine Roberts’ ‘Showroom’ slogan is ‘Where creative + design lovers meet’. I pose this important question to Catherine regarding their slogan… Does being ‘creative’ and being a ‘design lover’ mean copying and stealing from other designers? Which I would retort with, Theft of intellectual property is neither creative nor is it for love, it is clearly opportunistic and unmistakably motivated by money.

“Now let’s look at the real elephant in the room. Living designers are being ripped off every day. As soon as a design is successful it becomes a likely candidate for the copyists. Just when years of study and hard graft are about to pay some dividends, well received products start to appear as cheap unlicensed copies with no funds going to the designer and no return on investment by the original manufacturer”. (‘Design Daily’, The Wrecking Ball That Is Replica) 

O Spot, the complex levels of behavior you display
Connote a fairly well-developed cognitive array.
And though you are not sentient, Spot, and do not comprehend,
I nonetheless consider you a true and valued friend.

Origin of the word:

1. You use it when sawing.
2. It resembles a horse.

Aka: Mule or Pony (used for shorter trestles).

Developed as a product for last years Handsome & Co stall at the Big Design Market (December 2014).

The bowls employ two methods of manufacture to create a turned exterior (using a wood lathe) and a faceted interior (using a combination of jigs and machines). The combination of facets and curves offers an interesting contrast of shapes.

The ‘workshop’ term can also be interpreted in a secondary context of development, I have been very quick to adopt and become enamoured with this product and I am now currently making improvements on subsequent versions.   

Version 3 (or maybe 4) has already followed this initial timber (Victorian Ash) model and is now being made using high quality birch plywood and kerf bending techniques.

CHECK OUT THE MOST RECENT VERSION HERE.

Dear Sonny,

You can be anything you want when you grow up, as long as you don’t give up and you persist when you meet failure.

Often the biggest deterrent for trying is the fear of failure, which is a fear founded on humiliation from your peers. If the worst possible outcome of failure, is that somebody will laugh at you, then there really is nothing to be afraid of.

Eventually someone will laugh at you and say, “you didn’t really think you could do that, did you?”   What they’re really saying is, “I didn’t think you could do that… please stop trying while I’m still right.” Keep trying it until you prove them wrong or find something you want more.

As you grow older, you will come to realise that life is all about ‘doing’ and that if you don’t try at something, your biggest regret will be the missed opportunities in your life.

So, be a DO-ER, pursuing the goals that make you happiest, using courage and persistence as your tools.

Happy Birthday, Dad

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: AUSTRALIAN DESIGN REVIEW

Published on January 16 2015.

Physically creating something tangible to suit a purpose or fulfil a creative urge is a fundamental human yearning, one perhaps neglected in an era where our hands are occupied as an extension of touch screens and keyboards. In the smartphone age, where anyone is but a click or swipe away from the next stimulus, crafting an object with permanence is an act of enduring value.  Having a hands-on outlet for creativity is the reason why so many take up DIY projects, sign up for craft workshops at local hardware stores and invest significant time and money in amassing an arsenal of power tools. Starting and finishing a project, especially in collaboration with others, is a uniquely gratifying experience.  Wood workshops in particular are enjoying somewhat of a boom in Melbourne of late. Timber is a ubiquitous material, ever popular for its timeless versatility in furniture, interiors and built structures. It is a timber craftsman’s role to showcase the medium’s unique character – each mark and grain indicating the living quality of the wood are inherent to the value of the final product.  Australian Design Review spoke to Handsome & Co about the ins and outs of its wood workshops, and the current hands-on climate encouraging Melburnians to get crafty.

Why do you gravitate towards wood as a medium?

In a product, we like timber because it is both aesthetically warm and pleasant to the touch. It comes in a variety of colours, figures and characteristics, which means that each product made with wood is unique, like a fingerprint. Timber is worked in many different ways, it can be; carved, bent, turned, joined, laminated etc and in all of the many facets of these approaches, timber is ultimately flexible and often forgiving.

When manufacturing using timber, it can be a very frustrating material – its porous and plastic nature means it is unstable. Seasonally expanding and shrinking with the change of humidity (humidity changes disrupt timbers internal equilibrium with external air), sometimes resulting in bows, twists, cups, checks and other defect to timber boards. Its instability means that it is challenging to work, but it is this challenge which drives us to persist, practise and develop ways of accommodating for these movements, all while developing products that will outlive their maker. It is almost inevitable to feel discouraged at some point while woodworking, but when you’ve completed your product and are standing back admiring your piece of art, with a grin on your face, all your frustrations are forgotten and all you want to do is start the next project.

From wood grain porcelain tiles to the prevalence of timber in interiors, home-wares and even jewellery, why do you think the design industry has seen resurgence in wooden products of late?

I think that timber will always have a place in modern design. As for the current trends, I think it is like much fashion, in that it peaks and troughs. But don’t ask me, I’m no expert. Our hope is for quality and longevity in design to become popular and outshine our flat pack competitors.

What drove the initial launch of your Woodwork School in Melbourne?

Our initial intention was to create a space for young designer/makers who have woodwork specialised skills. While the city of Melbourne is abundant with artist studios and creative spaces, none provide an environment setup for industrial making and experimentation in new materials and modern manufacturing techniques.

It then seemed very logical to create a school, through which we could share the knowledge of our talented residents and our fully equipped woodworking facilities.

Lastly, we are a (relatively) young aged group and we love woodworking. So we particularly wanted to encourage a younger demographic by being financially accessible, offering student discount (10 percent off) and annual membership discounts (15 percent off). We were particularly pleased to see the number of women who’ve enrolled, approximately 50 percent of our current students are women.

What can students can expect from your classes?

Woodworking tools and equipment are provided. Class numbers are limited to eight students, to ensure that each individual is given adequate time with the tutor addressing their specific ability and project. Each student is provided with a bench to utilise and storage space for timber and or developing product.

All students are guided through a number of small set tasks, as an introduction to our workshop facility: fundamental skills in marking out, tool handling, sharpening, machine operation and, most importantly, personal safety. All materials and resources are provided for these starter projects.

Following the successful completion of the introduction tasks, students are then free to work on projects of their own choosing. Tutors assist students throughout the stages of each individual project, offering advice and tuition customised to the student’s specific woodworking needs. Tutors also assist with project design, timber choice, methods of construction, application of finish, responsible work practices and safe machine operation.

Have you observed any trends in the type of projects students are making?

I haven’t really observed any obvious trends among student products. Each student is making to their own tastes and most, I assume, are trying to create their own style. However, if I had to say a style, I’d probably say that due to the simplicity of student projects, that a majority could be compared to Shaker or Danish design.

Can you share any social/personal development aspect of woodworking that you may have observed through your workshops?

Woodworking teaches patience. We instruct traditional methods of joinery, which require a lot of time, patience and attention to detail. If you don’t have patience, you will soon have to develop it.

As a wood workshop, you are on the forefront of sustainable practice. How do you implement this in your classes and in what ways are wood workshops developing sustainable initiatives?

Simply put, we teach and practise traditional woodworking techniques that create high quality and durable products. We are confident that these products will stand the test of time and ultimately end up as antiques, as opposed to landfill.

What excites you about the future of your woodwork classes?

We are a very fresh-faced organisation. Handsome & Co was established in late 2013, but it was always a priority to be part of the bigger Melbourne community. We hope to be hosting and or taking part in many creative events in the future, not limited to pop-up shops, social gatherings, exhibitions and creative installations. Our residents have exhibited at the Brunswick Street Gallery and Handsome & Co had a stall at The Big Design Market.

We are also excited about the current development of our short courses program, in which we hope to introduce a range of new courses in areas of woodworking that are unique, specialised and even at tangents to woodworking (i.e. tool making and leather work).

For more information and to enrol in a class, visit www.handsomeandco.com.

READ/SEE THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE HERE.

 “…In the very late 1800s along came a process that could produce elaborate designs on chair parts for a cost of next to nothing. It even had a lot of people thinking it was hand carved. The process? The steel die stamp. A design with sharp edges was etched into a metal plate. That plate was mounted on a roller and under great pressure was passed over a waiting chair crest rail that had been precut to shape and steam-bent to match the curve on the roller. The result was a perfect impression of the etching that was literally pressed into the wood, giving the effect of a three-dimensional carving. Thus began the great era of the “press back” chair in American furniture”. Fred Taylor – Worth Point 

The process of pressing or debossing timber with pattern is an old technique now being revisited as an exciting opportunity to add some texture and style to an otherwise simple chair.

The really exciting part of the project is that, this method can now be applied to smaller custom batches of chairs thanks to the readily available access to CNC milling and laser etching.

Pressing wood is just begging to be given a new and contemporary image, an image that is far removed from traditional graphic design and instead adopting a contemporary asymmetric, geometric and colourful aesthetic.

The potential for this practice is not limited to, but maybe best suited to café chairs with business logos/graphics and or limited edition runs of current trending prints and patterns.

Made in Melbourne, Australia by Noddy Boffin