Size matters, if you let it

Right now I’m in Australia judging the Australian International Design Awards. While here I noticed one of the things we tend to lose sight of is the comparatively small size of the Australian domestic market, 21m people—compared to 300m in the US and 61m in the UK. Add to that the relative isolation of Australia (10 hours flight from Shanghai, 14 from Los Angeles, 18 from London) and you end up with a pretty small potential market size. As you know, low volume production imposes all sorts of constraints on the design process; manufacturing techniques are vastly more limited and likewise material selection is significantly reduced. Naturally you might assume these constraints result in lower quality products, and sometimes they do, but not always.

Today I came across a low volume manufacturer that creates absolutely stunning products in volumes—wait for it—as low as 200 units per year. I’m talking about New Zealand-based Howard Wright, manufacturer of medical beds and stretchers. In reviewing their M8 Intensive Care Bed today I was delighted. First the quality of thinking that went into this product was exceptional; every aspect of this bed had a cleverness that improved the patient and caregiver’s experience. Second the product is inspiring; when examining the bed I had the same feeling I have when examining the MacBook, which as you know is produced volumes a tad higher than 200 per annum. Every detail was considered, and displayed the correct amount of restraint. Finally when reviewing the supporting collateral I realized that here we have a small company that’s truly design enlightened, equal parts informed and inspired.

Thanks for caring Howard Wright. You made my day.