Machiko Niimi

MDes Candidate

Curriculum vitae

Machiko Niimi is currently investigating user behaviour and environmental design to make improvement for waste created from food preparation and consumption. Her Masters thesis explores products and scenarios that promote behavioural change as well as those that compliment the user behaviour already installed in them to nurture environmentally sustainably practice.

Machiko studied design at University of Otago and Product Design at Otago Polytechnic. She also completed Diploma for Graduate in Psychology. Prior to coming back to education she was a co-director of Ooid Design where she produced Sprout reusable cloth bags (www.ooid.co.nz) and graphic design for clients. Machiko also designs and hand makes a range of jewellery for design stores and galleries. Environmental sustainability and product design has been a recurring theme of her design career.

Current teaching

Lecturer at Otago Polytechnic

• Product Design
  – Design Culture and Context 1
  – Studio 5: Professional Practice
• Creative Studies
  – Digital

Research

• Behaviour Psychology + Environmental Sustainability
• Catering waste/ Material flow
• Environmental Sustainability Frameworks
  – Cradle to Cradle
  – Biomimicry
  – Life Cycle Analysis