Jekyll2023-07-19T10:14:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/atom.xmlDesign ConversationsDialogues with eminent Australian designersGeoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.net14 | Dario Zoureff: Interior & furniture designer2022-01-14T00:00:00+00:002022-01-14T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2022/episode-014-dario-zoureff<p>Dario Zoureff is a pre-eminent interior and furniture designer, with a memorable
catalogue of residential and commercial furniture designed over several decades.
He was born in Vienna in the 1930s and came to Australia at the age of nine. He
studied interior design at the Royal Melbourne Technical College in the 1950s,
and began a sixty-year practice thereafter.</p>
<p>In the course of this conversation Dario references Vienna, Guy, Arthur &
Percival Boyd, RMIT, Stephen Crafti, Harold Straughan, Bates Smart McCutcheon,
Joan Stewart (nee Grimage) School of Decoration, Jack Crowe, Ted Worsley, Clem
Meadmore, Stuart Furniture, Bill & Kiera Le Lievre, Joel’s Auctions, Grant &
Mary Featherston, Gordon Mather, Fred Ward, Ron Opie, John Duncan, the Society
of Designers for Industry (SDI), Industrial Design Institute of Australia
(IDIA), Society of Interior Designers Australia (SIDA), Ron Rosenfeldt, Interior
Designers Association of Australia (IDIAA), MAP, Chris Cornell, Raoul Hogg, the
McGorren Family, Morwell Hotel, Traralgon Hotel, Rathdowne Hotel, Downtowner,
Altona Hotel, Alma Road Synagogue, Ripponlea Synagogue, Conflict Management
Centre, Rob Pataki and Michelle Hyams.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netDario Zoureff is a pre-eminent interior and furniture designer, with a memorable catalogue of residential and commercial furniture designed over several decades. He was born in Vienna in the 1930s and came to Australia at the age of nine. He studied interior design at the Royal Melbourne Technical College in the 1950s, and began a sixty-year practice thereafter.13 | Phillip Zmood: Automotive designer2021-10-26T00:00:00+00:002021-10-26T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2021/episode-013-phil-zmood<p>Phillip Zmood studied Industrial Design at RMIT, and began his career with
General Motors Corporation in 1965 as a designer. Soon after he became the
General Manager of the Mid/Luxury Car Division of Holden/GM International
Operations (USA) leading and contributing to future design programs.</p>
<p>As Assistant Chief Designer for GMH Australia from 1967–1969, Phillip was a
key contributor to the contemporary HQ Series of vehicles. From 1969–1981 he
was Chief Designer in both Australia and Germany, and was responsible for the
UC/LX, Australia’s first hatchback, along with several other models, including
the Anscona 500 rally model for Europe. Phillip was Executive in Charge of
Design from 1986–1995, during which period Holden Design Australia became one
of the most cost effective automotive design units in the world.</p>
<p>In the course of our conversation Phillip references the HD Holden, HK series,
Torana, Joe Schyman, Leo Bruno, Detroit, Rear Wheel Drive Buick, Opal Germany,
Commodore, Gary Millards. Chinese Show Car, GM Team Coordinator, Shanghai,
Chinese Communist Party’s 58th Anniversary.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netPhillip Zmood studied Industrial Design at RMIT, and began his career with General Motors Corporation in 1965 as a designer. Soon after he became the General Manager of the Mid/Luxury Car Division of Holden/GM International Operations (USA) leading and contributing to future design programs.12 | Mary Featherston AM: Interior & furniture designer, early childhood environmental designer2021-09-14T00:00:00+00:002021-09-14T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2021/episode-012-mary-featherston<p>Mary Featherston, together with her husband Grant, have been seminal figures in
Australian Design, delivering high-profile projects over decades in mid-century
Australia. Mary has been celebrated in the field of children’s early-learning
environments, working with schools, childcare centres and museums, and she
continues as a consultant and advocate in this sphere.</p>
<p>In the conversation, Mary talks about fellow designers, products and companies
such as Atel, Ikea, Aristoc Industries, Danish Deluxe, Grant Featherston, Jimmy
Haughton James, Ted Worsley, Ron Rosenfeldt, John James, Bill & Kiera Le Lievre,
Jack Crow, Mockeridge, Daley & Mitchell, The Expo Chair, Robin Boyd, Neville
Ashkenazy, George Krall, Bernie Joyce, Don Chapman, Ann Rado, Erwin Rado, MIFF,
John Duncan, Ron Opie, Derek Wrigley, Shirley Krall, Gallery A, Stuart
Furniture, Forum, Southern Cross, Bruce Anderson, Eric Westbrook, NGV, Colin
Barrie, Cold Cure Foam Moulding, Winsome McCaughey, Museum Victoria, Everybody
Exhibition ’85, Peter Corlette, School of Reggio Emilia, Dandenong High
School, Camberwell High School, Bialik College, Roger Putnam, Innerspace, Royal
Children’s Hospital, George Russell, the School of Painting and Decorating.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netMary Featherston, together with her husband Grant, have been seminal figures in Australian Design, delivering high-profile projects over decades in mid-century Australia. Mary has been celebrated in the field of children’s early-learning environments, working with schools, childcare centres and museums, and she continues as a consultant and advocate in this sphere.11 | Jeffrey Newman: Industrial Design Council of Australia2021-09-13T00:00:00+00:002021-09-13T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2021/episode-011-jeff-newman<p>Jeffrey Newman is an industrial designer, who trained in the fourth intake of
students for the Industrial Design Diploma at RMIT in the mid 1950s. Jeff
established his initial freelance design practice immediately after graduation,
and later, following a period at Thorn Electrical, he eventually accepted a
position in Myer Store Planning under Don Ward.</p>
<p>His passion for good design and its promotion led him to join the Industrial
Design Council of Australia, and he would become its State Director in both
South Australia and New South Wales. He was intimately involved in the Prince
Phillip Design Awards and wrote on design issues and broadcast about design on
Radio Australia. He also had a successful career in retail design with Witchery
and worked with the Australian Council for the Arts. A passionate advocate for
Australian design, he worked creatively and tirelessly to promote the profession
throughout mid-century Australia.</p>
<p>In this conversation Jeff speaks about the town of Moe, Scotch College, RMIT,
David Terry, Pat Heffernan, Thorn Electrical, Robin Boyd, Myer Store Planning,
Chadstone, Don Ward, Colin Barrie, Brigadier Durrant, Beth Robinson, Rundle
Street, Sir Paul Hasluck, Don Dunstan, Witchery, Flinders University, Nixon in
China, Australian Council for the Arts, UK Design Council, Ted Worsley, Gas &
Fuel Buildings, Stuart Devlin, Arthur Leyden, Richard Carlson, Robert Pataki,
Stephen Bailey, Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Phillip Prize, Alex Stitt, Phillip
Adams, Radio Australia, Digby Hughes and Calvin Coolidge.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netJeffrey Newman is an industrial designer, who trained in the fourth intake of students for the Industrial Design Diploma at RMIT in the mid 1950s. Jeff established his initial freelance design practice immediately after graduation, and later, following a period at Thorn Electrical, he eventually accepted a position in Myer Store Planning under Don Ward.10 | David Terry: Industrial Design Council of Australia & industrial designer2021-08-24T00:00:00+00:002021-08-24T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2021/episode-010-david-terry<p>David Terry trained in Industrial Design at RMIT, and then under architect Don
Ward at Myer, where he made major contributions to the development of Myer
Chadstone and then to Farmers in Sydney. David was engaged by the Industrial
Design Council of Australia for several years and eventually became a State
Director.</p>
<p>In this conversation David references Derek Wrigley, Fred Ward, Sir Essington
Lewis, Melbourne Grammar, John Brack, Barry Humphries, Bert Bertles, Alan
Warren, Don Ward, Jeff Newman, Colin Barrie, Brigadier Richard Durrants, Ross
Honin, Churchill Fellowships, Kenji Ekuan, Yoshio Nitimoto, Dunhill Awards,
Richard Latham, Michael Robbins, HRH Prince Phillip, Buckingham Palace, Trevor
Wilson, Jackson Wayne Advertising, Ian McPhee, Good Design Awards, Claude
Forrell, Premier’s Design Awards, Trevor Ling, Jony Ive, Arthur Robinson,
Dieter Rams and Braun.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netDavid Terry trained in Industrial Design at RMIT, and then under architect Don Ward at Myer, where he made major contributions to the development of Myer Chadstone and then to Farmers in Sydney. David was engaged by the Industrial Design Council of Australia for several years and eventually became a State Director.9 | Don Goodwin: Conran design director2021-02-03T00:00:00+00:002021-02-03T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2021/episode-009-don-goodwin<p>Don Goodwin played a significant design role as an Associate Director of the
Conran Design Group in London in the sixties, and then in Australia with Carl
Nielsen, and later as Principal of Goodwin Design. Additionally, he became
National President of the Design Institute of Australia and was recognised with
a Life Fellowship.</p>
<p>During our conversation Don refers to AWA, Jackson Wayne Advertising, Laurie
Brown, John Stephenson, Rodney Fitch, Sir Terence Conran, Mothercare, Ryman
Office Group, Burton Group, Stafford Cliff, Ron Baker, Colin Fulcher, The Who,
Festival of Britain, Octopus Books, Carl & Judy Nielsen, East End Windows of
Sydney Opera House, David Wood, John Bannenberg, Adam Laws, Ron Rosenfeldt,
David Davenport, Ted Healy, Harry Spinks, David Forbes, Michael Bryce, ISCID
Conference Dublin, John Spatchcock, John Holt, John Redmond, Peter Lisseman,
Kenji Ekuan, and Marco Zanusso.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netDon Goodwin played a significant design role as an Associate Director of the Conran Design Group in London in the sixties, and then in Australia with Carl Nielsen, and later as Principal of Goodwin Design. Additionally, he became National President of the Design Institute of Australia and was recognised with a Life Fellowship.8 | Robert Miller Smith: Dean & design educator2021-01-31T00:00:00+00:002021-01-31T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2021/episode-008-robert-miller-smith<p>Robert Miller Smith has been a major contributor to the design profession in
Australia and internationally, both in the field of visual communications and
design education. From the London College of Printing, to Duncan of Jordanstone
College of Art & Design, to University of South Australia and then to Swinburne
University, he has had an extraordinary career and shares those experiences
along the way.</p>
<p>During our conversation, Robert discusses the Glasgow School of Art, the London
College of Printing, Mary Quant, Sir Terence Conran, the Atomic Energy
Authority, Desmond Jeffrey, Presslanders (Daily Mail), Tom Eckersley, Ivan Dodd,
Leeds College of Art, Victor Passmore, Ellis Miles, Derek Birdsall, Crawford
Advertising, Bill Slack, Christopher Wren Design School, Bob Gill, Eric Lyons,
CNAA, Torrens Advanced School of Education, Adelaide College of Arts &
Education, Des Bettany, Premier David Tonkin, Michael Hamlyn, Ian Wallace, Roger
Simpson, PA Consultants, Richard Pratt, Ron Walker, Jeff Kennett’s Design
Awards, Lenton Parr, Victorian College of the Arts, Lyndon Anderson, Roger
Putnam, Chris Palmer, Val Austin, Anna Kokkinos, John Gertsakis, Helmut
Lukenhausen, Sarawak University, Habitat Glasgow, Don Goodwin, James Harper,
Stafford Cliff, Stephen Bennett, Geraldine Maher, Adelphi Hotel, Mario Bellini,
Gary Emery, Des Freeman, Geraldine Doogue, Lyndon Whaite, Brian Smyth, David
Robertson, and the Chartered Society of Designers (member # 24).</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netRobert Miller Smith has been a major contributor to the design profession in Australia and internationally, both in the field of visual communications and design education. From the London College of Printing, to Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, to University of South Australia and then to Swinburne University, he has had an extraordinary career and shares those experiences along the way.7 | Roger Putnam: Furniture designer2020-02-17T00:00:00+00:002020-02-17T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2020/episode-007-roger-putnam<p>An influential figure in the field of furniture design and manufacture, Roger
began his career in London in the sixties, as assistant to the renowned English
designer Robin Day. He trained at RMIT in Interior Design and did post graduate
studies at the London College of Furniture, before returning to Australia.</p>
<p>Roger’s early work was in the design of furniture for the hospitality sector in
Melbourne. He then worked for Kerby Furniture, manufacturers of high-end retail
domestic furniture, before leaving to establish his own company, Sumna
Furniture. His work included fit outs of the Savoy Plaza Hotel and the Adelphi
Hotel, and later freelance work for the top design practices of the day. Roger’s
work in setting up the Tarrawarra Museum of Art, and his work in many galleries,
such as Heidi, and McClelland Sculpture Gallery set a new direction for his
design practice, which continues on today.</p>
<p>In this episode he references Robin Day, Don Chapman, Colin Barrie, Lenton Parr,
Parahran College of Art, Chris Palmer, Alan Kerr, Herman Miller, Sumna
Furniture, Expo Solutions, Geoff Putnam, Maudie Palmer, Tarrawarra Museum of
Art, McClelland Gallery, Design Ecru, Kjell Grant, Innerspace, Edward Alexander,
Howard Arkley, Anthony Fitzpatrick, Victoria Lynne, Dame Elizabeth Murdock, Lisa
Byrne, John Raul, Mary Featherston and Sue Carr.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netAn influential figure in the field of furniture design and manufacture, Roger began his career in London in the sixties, as assistant to the renowned English designer Robin Day. He trained at RMIT in Interior Design and did post graduate studies at the London College of Furniture, before returning to Australia.6 | Kathy Demos: Design director2020-02-03T00:00:00+00:002020-02-03T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2020/episode-006-kathy-demos<p>One of the most influential figures in Australian design, Kathy Demos has been
responsible for steering the course of design in Australia, and internationally,
by her skilled direction of major programmes, events and consultancies for the
past few decades.</p>
<p>She successfully directed programs such as the Victorian Design Awards,
Colourways and Designer Saturdays, and was the director of the National Design
Centre in Federation Square. Kathy was Creative Director of the State of Design
Festival for the Victorian Government, following which she was the Creative
Director of the Melbourne Design Festival and the founder and director of the
Melbourne Design Market in the Federation Square Car Park. Additionally, she has
been closely involved in Artists in Industry and The John Truscott
Foundation. Kathy continues to consult with major Australian and European
manufacturers in the evolution and production of new architectural products.</p>
<p>In this episode Kathy talks about John Demos, John Duncan, Ron Opie, George
Russell, Miettas, Barry Jones, Evan Walker, Jon Faine, Bruce Filley, Artists +
Industry, Chris Connell, Christine Slawinski, John Parker, ISM Objects, Henry
Gillespie, John Truscott, Spoletto, Melbourne International Arts Festival, Rob
Adams, Victorian Design Awards, Lorraine Elliot, Colourways, Designer Saturday,
National Design Centre, Stanley Leakos, and Peter Seamer.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netOne of the most influential figures in Australian design, Kathy Demos has been responsible for steering the course of design in Australia, and internationally, by her skilled direction of major programmes, events and consultancies for the past few decades.5 | Ted Worsley: Industrial designer & educator2017-11-17T00:00:00+00:002017-11-17T00:00:00+00:00https://designconversations.net/episodes/2017/episode-005-ted-worsley<p>Ted Worsley was a student in Australia’s inaugural Industrial Design course
commencing in 1947. The Industrial Design Diploma at Melbourne Technical College
(now RMIT University) was also attended by Clem Meadmore, later to become an
internationally renowned sculptor.</p>
<p>He established Stuart Furniture in South Yarra with fellow student Jack Crow,
and later went into design education at Chisholm (now Monash University) as Head
of School. Ted also served on the Industrial Design Council in Melbourne. He was
a member of the first class in the inaugural Diploma of Industrial Design at the
Melbourne Technical College in 1947. During his student term, Ted was engaged in
the establishment of the first design body in Australia, the Society of
Designers for Industry and later became its first national secretary. After
engaging in furniture retailing and supply, he entered into education and was a
significant influence at Prahran Technical School (later to become Swinburne
University) and Chisholm Technical College (later to become Monash University).</p>
<p>Ted’s wide ranging career and background provides encounters with many
significant figures, whom he mentions and discusses, such as Pat Heffernan, Alan
Warren, Harold Brown, Jack Crow, John Rodrigues, Frances Burke, Bea Taplin, Vida
Turner, Florence Broadhurst, Margaret Preston, Grace Cossington Smith, Inge
King, Fred Ward, Gerard Herbst, Colin Barrie, Bruce Anderson, Phil Wise, Don
Jordon, Jimmy Horton James, Ron Rosenfeldt and Michael Hirst.</p>
<p>Listen now:</p>
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</div>Geoff Fitzpatrickmail@designconversations.netTed Worsley was a student in Australia’s inaugural Industrial Design course commencing in 1947. The Industrial Design Diploma at Melbourne Technical College (now RMIT University) was also attended by Clem Meadmore, later to become an internationally renowned sculptor.