Product designers like Design+Industry often work with manufacturers and clients in other countries. This can mean travelling to Europe or the USA to meet with clients, or to Asia to meet with manufacturers. Advances in communications technology have made this process much easier. Design+Industry uses email and the internet to send files and information, and teleconferences for instant feedback from clients.

For more than 18 years Design+Industry have been designing for the French company Ingenico, a worldwide leader in secure payment terminals. Major retail stores in Australia and around the world use their terminals for EFTPOS and credit card transactions.

Design+Industry created a counter top payment terminal (NPT1) for Ingenico in 1995 and it sold over 1.5 million units annually in 10 years. The new design (NPT2) developed in 2003 is easier to manufacture and use. Its new look has formed the basis for Ingenico's entire product range.

'When we designed the NPT1, the original product, it was a lot more difficult. The client predominantly spoke French, toolmakers didn't speak English, we worked in 2-D. We'd fax though strips of large drawings on facsimile to toolmakers and client for approval - it was a lot different scenario. Now everybody speaks English, and files can be transported all around the world as complete digital annexes.'
Murray Hunter, Director, Design+Industry, 2005

Angelique Hutchison
Curator
October 2005

+ Australian product design

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