Leif Huitfeldt

Industrial Design

Leif Huitfeldt is a designer completing an Honours in Industrial Design.

Leif has always had an interest in the design, and functionality of objects and how they would be assembled, where this has come from his assembly of model kits and Secondary school education. His design style reflects in angular and strong designs along with simplicity and minimal moving components.

Throughout his studies he has developed his Industrial design skills but also other practical skills such as packaging, photography, graphic design through elective subjects.

In his designs he has a focus on sustainability, right for repair, ease of manufacturing and circular design where he looks into ways of incorporating one or more of these design principles into his projects.

Leif's final year project Hovelskjold set on the idea of providing comfortability to workers and allow ease of repair for when it gets damaged. The Hovelskjold system allows the entire design to be taken apart and reassembled for when parts need to be replaced. This allows a plethora of different parts to be used which can provide not only comfortability for users but also allows it to be suited for a widespread of jobs. The materials chosen have been proven to be strong and durable due to their properties and widespreadness in many PPE products. Additionally the manufacturing materials and processes have been chosen to also allow minimal harm to the environment by allowing parts to be recycled or reused for other products.

Lastly the design has a big focus on the comfortability of wearing the product by taking three common PPE gear and finding how each one is used in tandem with each other and where compatibility issues arise, so that they can be eliminated to provide a more enjoyable working experience.

Hovedskjold - Modular PPE system - 2023 Capstone

This is my Capstone project which is a modular Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) system that allows parts to be swapped out depending on the needs of a user and with a focus on making using PPE more enjoyable and comfortable.

Hovedskjold - Exploded shot

The entire system is design to come apart and be reassembled, so that broken, worn out or out of date components can be swapped out with new parts rather than replacing the entire system if it gets damaged. Additionally due to this the end life of the parts are taken into consideration and allowing the replaced parts to be recycled or broken down for materials.

Hovedskjold - Layout shot

Hovedskjold has three distinct PPE systems which are Head protection, Eye protection and Ear protection. They were chosen due to their ease of combining which allowed elimination of clash points which cause irritation when wearing for periods of time, not providing the ample protection or both. These areas are above the ears when earing ear and eye protection at the same time causing irritation, and on the bridge of the nose when wearing eye and respirators not providing a proper seal. Additionally the ear protection curves with the head of a user providing more comfortability.

Hovedskjold - Accessories and Back

The system allows attachments or different components to be added which gives more locations to where it can be used in. The attachment rails allow accessories such as lights and sensors to be used, which can benefit workers if they need them. Different eye protection and ear protection can also be used such as ear protection that uses a radio system or eye protection that would need to cover the entire face.

Hovedskjold - Context shot

Hovedskjold is designed to be used in a plethora of different working environments such as manufacturing, mining and construction, where each colour is designated for a different job for ease of identification, which is required for hard hats. Additionally the presence of the brim and attachment rails provides added protection to a user which is beneficial in areas where injury is more prevalent by providing slightly thicker areas that can be replaced if damaged.

Acknowledgement of Country

The School of Design and Architecture respectfully acknowledges the Wurundjeri peoples of the Kulin Nation as the Traditional Owners and knowledge-keepers of the lands, waters and sky that surround us, where we work, learn, create, communicate and make place. We recognise that sovereignty has never been ceded and this always was and will always be Wurundjeri Country. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who continue to make a better world through design.

We extend our acknowledgement to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, students, alumni, real-life clients, and knowledge keepers, who have contributed to our own education diversity and growth. We will continue to ensure that staff and students respectfully honour ancestral connection to Country and Place in everything that they do.

We are dedicated to the notion of design to make a better world and we acknowledge that making tools, shaping place, sharing stories, making meaning, wayfinding and collaborating have long been and continue to be both central and integral to First Peoples' cultures. We recognize that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ cultural contributions have continued relevance to design practice and commit to: reconciling ancestries of design and contemporary practice as well as pursuing culturally and professionally appropriate ways to engage with a diverse population of colleagues, industries and clients. In a time of treaty-making and voice we understand that there are overlaps between caring for Country and the sustainable production of goods, services, experiences, products and buildings.

Guided by the principles of respect, reconciliation, and reciprocity we undertake to indigenising and decolonising design practice by dismantling colonial structures and challenging biases that have marginalised Indigenous voices and design.

As students of SoDA you will be given opportunities to both engage with and educate yourself in Indigenous creative practices and cultural protocols through a lens of inclusivity, diversity, respect, mutual understanding, inter-cultural dialogue in all aspects of design practice. Indigenous people have been telling stories, making tools, and connecting to Country through visual media, placemaking and place marking for more than 60,000 years and these practices are part of an ongoing, evolving and live tradition.