Rosie Dodds

My motivation to study industrial design was 'to make cool stuff'. Since completing this degree I can now say I've made sone cool stuff but my favourite stuff to make is always sustainable, made from an innovative new material that is good for the planet or products that can be fully recyclable and are apart of a circular economy. Sustainable products is the future of design I believe, because who wants single use plastic anymore when you can use mushrooms to make bricks or wheat to make furniture...

SHARK SAFE SURFBOARD

Research has shown that placing lights on the underside of seal decoys alters how sharks perceive the object, making it difficult for them to identify it as prey. Building on this concept, my project embeds lighting into the underside of a surfboard to function as a shark deterrent. The illumination disrupts the board’s silhouette, using the principle of counter-illumination to affect the shark's ability to identify the surfer as prey.

CHAIR 2 BENCH

Personal Project focusing on incorporating slats into a multi-use piece of furniture. This chair that converts to a bench gives a nod to mid century design style with the tapered legs, symmetrical design and the warm tones of the varnished timber.

SUSTAINABLE BIKE LIGHT

Conventional bike lights are often over-moulded, making them difficult to recycle. This design, however, is intentionally created for disassembly, consisting of three main bodies that securely connect using snap-fits and screws. Made from recycled plastic and free from over-moulding, the light is designed to fit all standard bicycle handlebars.

DIETER RAMS INSPIRED PLANTAR BOX

This mini project focused on drawing inspiration from a renowned designer and transforming that influence into a planter holder. I combined materials such as timber and metal to explore contrast and balance. The design pays tribute to Dieter Rams through its use of simple geometric forms with heavily rounded edges, complemented by his signature off-white/cream tone to add depth and subtle sophistication to the piece.

CROCHET BAGS

A personal interest of mine is crocheting. Here is a collection of bags that include some made from recycled t-shirts, bedsheets and up-cycled yarn for op-shops. Using crochet as a way to show the world that slow fashion can be even slower is my goal with these pieces.

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.