Speakers and Events
Design Demystified: Everyday products taken apart
Ever wondered what’s inside your cell-phone, toaster or running shoe?
Join our experienced industrial design staff to take a range of everyday products apart. You will be hands-on to disassemble the products, and learn about the designer’s thoughts and constraints and the materials and processes that were used to manufacture the product.
You can also learn about our programme here and find out if industrial design could be a career for you.
For the inquisitive creative mind that likes to pull things apart without your Mother telling you off!
TYPE WALK: A Stroll Through Wellington City's Typographical History
Join the Type Talk guests of BLOW 09 in an evening stroll through Wellington and see the city like never before.
Residential typographic designers and type connoisseurs will tell the unknown stories behind the facades of the capital streets. Scattered along Wellington's waterfront are concrete slabs with quotes from writers and poets. Corporate names emerge from Art Deco office buildings. History is felt everywhere, sliced with contemporary advertising and street art.
Starting from Massey University the participants will walk down town and enjoy about two hours with their highly competent tour guides.
Type Walk will be recorded and an online view of all interesting spots and their stories will be made available. It’s the first session in a series of workshops to unravel the typographic significance of New Zealand’s capital city. Walk this way!
Show me your tattoo: Helen Mitchell
Over the past three years Massey University Lecturer and photographer Helen Mitchell has undertaken an extensive photographic research project documenting recent tattoo practice throughout New Zealand.
Having amassed a significant body of work on the contemporary tattoo, Helen is now offering a rare workshop for those tattooed individuals who are interested in sharing their tattoo stories while sitting for a unique photographic portrait.
When last offered in the 2007 BLOW Festival this workshop filled up very quickly, so register early to guarantee a place.
Photo credit: Helen Mitchell
SOFA Research Presentation
This is a rare opportunity to hear from distinguished members of the Massey University School of Fine Arts faculty as they present visual and textual material drawn from their past, present, and ongoing research projects.
Presenters include Professor Anne Noble (College of Creative Arts Research Director) and Senior Lecturers Maddie Leach, Simon Morris (2008 recipient of College Mid Career Research Award), Martin Patrick and Ann Shelton.
This SoFA research presentation will be introduced and moderated by LITMUS Research Initiative Director and Associate Professor Dr. David Cross. Questions and discussion will immediately follow the presentation. All welcome. Image: Simon Morris
Masters Snapshot: A presentation of current Design master projects
Massey Industrial Design graduates are constantly exceeding expectations of what students should produce, and are over-represented as award winners in international design competitions.
So what does the cutting edge of postgraduate study in industrial design look like? See and hear a selection of our current Master of Design students as they present their nearly completed Master projects. From ‘Dwell’, a sustainable soft seating design to “desirable impacts for snowboarders”. We welcome you to join us for our series of short MDes presentations.
Pete Rive: Second Life, A Virtual Workshop
The Gartner Technology Group has predicted that by 2011 80% of all Internet users will have a presence in a virtual world, like Second Life, and already we are seeing a massive take up in social media and 3D virtual environments.
Over the two weeks of the Blow Festival we will introduce you to the inner workings of one of the most exciting, and creative online virtual worlds on the Internet, Second Life. In a series of 3 x 2 hour workshops you will learn the basics of communicating, 3D designing and building and the power of Linden Scripting Language.
You will then complete the workshop by taking part in a focus group that discusses your experience, identifies the strengths and weaknesses of the platform, and what further things you can do to improve your creative experience. This focus group will contribute to a unique piece of international research into creative collaboration and innovation in Second Life and will prepare you for an exciting game we are launching following the workshop. Participation is open to any individuals, no experience of Second Life is necessary.
Pete Rive is Founder / CEO of LaunchSite. Pete is a futurist who has been researching and consulting in innovation, knowledge management, and collaboration since 1999. He has over 20 years experience in film and TV production and post-production, and has worked in new media, including virtual reality for the last ten years. He is currently enrolled as a PhD candidate, researching innovation and knowledge collaboration in Second Life.
Pete is a PhD candidate at Victoria University School of Design, his primary supervisor is Associate Professor, Dr. Lalita Rajasingham, from Victoria University's School of Information of Management, and secondary supervisor Associate Professor, Dr. Aukje Thomassen, of Massey University's College of Creative Arts.