Lachlan Hedley

Industrial Design

Hi, my name is Lachlan Hedley and I am a fourth year Industrial Design student studying at Swinburne University of Technology. I’m originally from Melbourne’s outer-eastern suburbs.

Since starting in early 2021, I’ve been studying full-time and plan to finish my degree later this year. Last year I was fortunate enough to partake in Swinburne’s Professional Industry Experience Programme (PIE) where I spent 12-months working as a part-time junior Industrial Designer for a_space Australia in Scoresby.

I’m especially drawn to the creative aspects of design, like sketching, product rendering, and prototyping.

My goal as an Industrial Designer is to work in the automotive sector, as I have a strong connection to cars.

I enjoy learning and acquiring new skills, exploring new places, and trying new things. Outside of my studies, my main hobbies include playing basketball, art, photography, and music.

Relo

Relo is a premium-designer lounge chair set intended for consumers with mobility difficulties, but predominantly elderly individuals aged 60-80, that makes getting in and out easy. Relo is designed to look highly attractive and unlike an assistive product, that additionally is lightweight and easy to move around the home for cleaning purposes. It’s design is simple and stylish, and made from only the finest high-quality materials. The framing utilises chrome-plated stainless steel tubing for strength and is fully upholstered in a plush full-grain leather material. It is also designed according to ergonomic data to create the ultimate relaxing experience for every user.

Artists Table

The Artists Table is a flat packable furniture piece designed for kids aged 6-10 years old that aims to promote both play and creativity, as well as socialisation in young children for important brain and personality development through refinement of fine-motor skills, hand-eye coordination and self-expression skills. This products main feature is the kraft paper roll dispenser and child-friendly tear slot that allows kids to draw with less boundaries, as well take their artwork with them when they’re done so it can be displayed around the home or stored away for memories.

Arti

Arti is a premium dog feeding and hydrating set designed for the Country Road Home collection, and takes its inspiration from native Australian flowers, the Protea and Boronia. Its key feature is the slow-feeder design that uses a spinning flower top to challenge dogs and encourage natural hunting instincts, as well as reduce digestive issues. The petals also provide extra compartments for snacks that add complexity to meal times. Additionally, Arti offers easy cleaning and carrying with hand cutouts in the wooden base and a design that disassembles for dishwasher compatibility.

Tea-ssential

Tea-ssential is the essential tool for novice and enthusiast tea drinkers. With nifty features for those that live by their daily cuppa, Tea-ssential has a classy and minimalist exterior and is designed to be eye-catching yet seamlessly blend into the backround of just about any modern kitchen environment. The kettle features a mesh tea infuser for tea leaves and a clear-transparent washable inner-chamber to hold the liquid, as well as a crystal clear glass outer-housing held together to the main body with a cool stainless steel frame. The kettle also hosts many desirable features that tea enthusiasts would love, but mainly it’s temperature and timer controls that mean users can brew their tea to their desired taste.

Theorem Pendant Light

The Theorem Pendant Light is a simple, yet functional acoustic pendant light designed for modern homes. Theorem features a felt outer shell that aims to not only diffuse and direct light in a calming and gentle manner with it’s form, but also trap and absorb noise from around the room to keep the immediate environment feeling relaxed and cozy. It also dons a classy and modern aesthetic to make it an attractive addition to any home or office setting. Additionally, the LED globe used in the design means that Theorem is adaptable and can be changed to suit just about any mood.

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.