Joshua Jeffery

MDes Candidate and Tutor

Background and expertise

In 2010 Joshua Jeffery graduated with a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree, Majoring in Design for Technology (DETE) with honours (BAppSc). The course blending scientific, technical and business subjects with design. An emphasis on industrial and environmental design involves many group projects focusing on team environments, strategic design and full year self defined research projects, and interdisciplinary design studios. Not only has this course immersed Joshua in design but has encompassed Maths papers, and a range of Management and Innovation papers, teaching management skills and product development.

Joshua is confident in using a number of software packages such as Solidworks and the Adobe suite especially Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. He has also been introduced to analysis packages such as Solidworks - COSMOS Works, and has used fluids software, Fluent, and Gambit.

Over the summer of 2008/2009 Joshua completed a summer internship with a local turbine manufacturer Powerhouse Wind Limited. Here he gained experience in composite manufacturing techniques and how to CAD model and send parts for manufacture.

Following this, the start of 2009 saw Joshua and two fellow students start Squarei Design Ltd, a small-scale freelance design company operating in a range of design areas. Within the company Joshua primarily focuses on product development specifically in CAD modelling but also deals with the day-to-day running of the business.

Joshua’s current focus of work has been heavily focused on food catering and related packaging solutions. 2009 involved a full year of research into airline catering, food packaging, and waste solutions that was continued over the summer of 2009/2010. Summer research focused on plastic packaging alternatives specifically looking into polymers and biodegradable solutions that have fostered Joshua’s area of research for his masters.

Research

It is acknowledged that associated by-products of food specifically those related to food packaging waste can have negative effects on the environment when not disposed of appropriately. There are a number of initiatives focussed on responsible waste management for households that incorporate composting, and recycling. However, in public spaces it is often found that there is no incentive or capacity to ensure such waste is disposed of in ways that can minimise harm to the environment.

Joshua will be exploring how to foster responsible waste disposal in a social settings, where he will be investigating how product interventions can be catalysts for such behavioural change.

Objectives

• To gain understandings of how to deal with complex issues and how to effectively frame such problems.
• To explore and observe waste generated in public spaces with a focus on how such waste can be disposed appropriately with minimal effects to the environment.
• To gain an understanding in various theories and strategies for creating behavioural change through product interventions. Assessing how current products have been specifically designed to create both positive and negative behavioural changes.
• Conduct comparative studies of public waste disposal solutions currently in the market to determine both positive and negative aspects of each solution.

Portfolio (PDF)