Lachlan Turner

Product Design Engineering

My name is Lachlan Turner and I have walked a unique path in my professional journey. For 15 years, I was a carpenter, shaping wood into beautiful structures and intricate furniture. But a passion for better design and innovation led me to embrace a career change, transitioning into the realm of Product Design Engineering.

My early years were spent crafting, building and honing my carpentry skills where I developed an eye for detail and an in-depth understanding of materials and construction. Yet, I yearned for a new challenge, a way to combine my craftsmanship with my love for design.

I made the bold decision to reorient my career, enrolling in a Product Design Engineering degree to gain the technical knowledge necessary for my new path. The transition was demanding, but it was also immensely rewarding.

As a Product Design Engineer, I've merged the art of craftsmanship with the science of engineering. My work now involves shaping innovative products, from furniture to gadgets, and working prototypes. My career has evolved into a constant journey of exploration and creativity.

The Deck Head

For my final year project I chose to find a solution to the laborious task of installing face fixed decking boards.
The Deck Head allows deck installers to locate, pre-drill and drive in decking screws all while standing up.

Pre-drilling

A key process in the success of the Deck Head is the ability to pre-drill holes that prevent the stainless steel screws from snapping.

Screw Installation

A key process in the success of the Deck Head is the ability to drive in decking screws. This has been achieved alongside a gravity fed screw loading system for an efficient work flow.

The Koala

For a group project, we were challenged to re-design a DIY grade leaf blower utilising an existing Ryobi leaf blower nozzle and battery. A key aspect of the project brief was making the product easy to repair. Our functioning model included a hardwood timber handle.

Lumirail

Students were challenged to design a solar lighting installation for a public space. In conjunction with Birrarung Marr, I chose to design a handrail combined with LED lights to add additional safety to the staircase.

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.