Manufacturing locally vs manufacturing abroad.

This is a question that we are asked all the time!
In truth there is no easy answer. There are arguments for both sides and most are equally valid.

Many say that the money and jobs should stay within your borders. (whether City, State or Country)

And others say that without the lower cost labor abroad then many locally concieved products would never make it to the shelf – and that would result in less income locally anyway.

As industrial designers we are often caught right in the middle of this argument. We have been charged with the design and often the realisation of a product and are expected to act in the clients best interests. The best way to tackle this issues is to inform yourself for your specific application.

This informed approach is best made in conjunction with your product design consultancy. As each product has specific manufacturing processes and materials we are your best bet for knowing the right starting point. Unless you have a good knowledge of the tooling processes and alternatives we suggest you refrain from emailing every google listed manufacturer for price indications – as you may build up unrealistic expectations. (Either positive or negative.)

Part of the decision making process include some simple questions:

• Does anyone local have the manufacturing capabilities and expertise required? If not you have no choice but to look abroad
• What quantities are you intending to produce – do local companies have the capacity to cope with the work load? (and equally is it too small to realistically approach large factories?)
• What are your business intentions? – are you out to make the the cheapest possible product and sell it for the highest possible price? (The “get rich quick” mentality) or are you trying to build a solid brand on quality products?

There are plenty of other questions your designer will ask to help formulate the best approach to manufacture. They will work with you to find the best option for your business and budget.

There are also many myths that surround manufacturing:

• China is always cheaper -> not always the case. Labor is cheaper so products with high manual assembly/production do tend to be cheaper. However if your product is automated in production (such as injection molding) then comparable quality products are not going to be much different with local prices. In both cases the manufacturer has to purchase tooling, material and machinery to produce your product. (Plastic pellets cost the same to locals and internationals!) Before you jump to China give locals the chance to pitch.
• Local manufacturers always produce higher quality product -> again not necessarily true. This is entirely dependent on the operators skill and investment into their art. If you have a good manufacturer hang on to them!
• Comparing quotes from manufacturers is as easy as looking at the price. You need to compare ‘apples with apples’ – are the materials the same quality, are the quantities the same, what is the life expectancy of the tool, what are the working conditions, what is the shipping cost?

As you can see from the brief touch on the subject – this is a complex one, entirely project specific and best handled with you designer.

The research center of Ford Europe has started the development of liquid wood. The resulting fully mouldable material is based on Lignin and rubber and is recyclable up to five times. Therefore creating a carbon neutral footprint for the base material, but not the manufacturing process. We are keenly awaiting news from this three-year assessment project. It is funded by the German state of North-Rhine Westphalia, the birth place of Jurgen Brand our principal designer. You can find the original announcement here: http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=30715

What is this going to do for industrial design and product development? Product design and the manufacture of consumer goods needs materials which are sustainable and carbon neutral. Not only in the generation of material commodity, such as the Lignin mixed with rubber to make liquid wood. As product designers we look forward to the day when we can specify processes which are fully sustainable.

Sustainable Design Material?

Industrial design and product design – how do they all merge into sustainable product development?

Initially we were not sure whether this little article about sustainability in design would be best suited for Designbrand news or our design blog. In product design we like to encourage dialogue about sustainable design. In the end it does not really matter for a small product design consultancy in Wellington, New Zealand, which part of its product development efforts move towards sustainability as long as the issue weaves itself into design.

Both David Moodie, our senior industrial designer, and Jurgen Brand, our principal designer in charge of product development as design director, have always had a strong affinity for the environment. This comes out of an appreciation for the re-use of resources to make them sustainable by design. We were recently asked to get involved in the product development of two industrial design projects in our consultancy. Both of these design developments are driven by the clients’ wish for increased sustainability in business.

Still under wraps for reasons of commercial design and development sensitivity, the two product design commissions should help thrust our design consultancy beyond the grass roots ground swell of sustainable design. One of the design projects will allow our designers to make better use of design engineering and truly sustainable materials, the other product development will include sustainable design in a different sense.

The teams at Designbrand, the primary product design consultancy in Wellington New Zealand, are now preparing either one of these design developments with research into sustainable design. Where does sustainable design start? Does it start by using sustainable resources only or by investigating the sustainability of industrial design and product development processes? Or, even further, does it include all the design processes and the production processes? Is it going to be a product design and development merely paying lip service to sustainable design, because of the design constraints and design management issues? We invite you to visit our website via these news articles to keep abreast with our interpretation of sustainable design.

Swine Flu has taken over! Well its taken over the headlines anyway.
Designbrand is well equipped to cope with the spread as we are based away from the city center, away from the crowded office buildings and crowded public transport.

Whats my point?

Well – being outside the flu hothouse means we are much less likely to catch it and therefore suffer costly time setbacks. So you can rest assured that your projects with us will continue on time! (Hows that for a marketing pitch!!)

Actually this could be quite an important factor. If you have a product that is aimed at swine flu sufferers or swine flu in general then you will need it out to market pronto! You have a limited window of opportunity so call us now and we will get right onto your project.

Call us now – we are healthy!

Well winter has really arrived with a blast! Have you seen the pictures of the beaches up north covered in hail?! This cold weather has sparked a thought. Heat-pumps are growing in popularity but are often not accessible to renters. What are the alternatives for the family renting a house who can’t install a heat-pump?
There are the usual candidates but it would be interesting to see what else is available that doesn’t require a hole in the wall.

Here is one option from Ecosmartfires – Flue-less ethanol fires.
Leave a comment if you find or know of any others.

Ethanol Fire

Hail on the beaches

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This is a way for us to open a dialogue with you. We intend to report on areas of interest to both the industrial design world and those who use industrial design services. We hope our posts will be of interest and we encourage you to enter the discussion.
This format also allows the general public to ask design related questions without directly approaching a product designer as such.

Please feel free to leave a comment! (Click here to comment)

Cheers
Designbrand Team

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