James Dyson Award Sees Student Heading to the Top
Massey University Industrial Design graduate and runner up of the James Dyson Award 2009 - Jamaine Fraser - is embarking
on the next step of his design career following his success in last year’s competition.
Fresh from a trip to Tokyo, the 23 year old from Hamilton has seen his career opportunities rapidly expand, as a result
of entering the prestigious Award.
He was named runner up in the annual event for his clever design of a hydration cover to aid stranded whales.
Now, having just completed a three month intern programme with Crown Research Institute Scion Research and Ngā Pae O Te
Māramatanga he is heading back to university to begin a masters degree in Industrial Design.
“Achieving success in the James Dyson Award has opened up great opportunities for my career.”
,Not only was I successful in gaining an inaugural scholarship from Scion Research and Nga Pae O Te Maramatanga which
funded the internship at Scion but as part of the Award prize of runner-up I also got to travel to Tokyo to learn about
creative thinking as a guest of The British Council of New Zealand.
“These experiences have exposed me to a diverse range of influential people involved in the design industry.”
Whilst in Tokyo, Jamaine learnt more about creative concepts and gained a completely fresh perspective of the creative
industries over there.
He was encouraged by his tutors to enter the Award because of the opportunities it could present and the success of
graduates that had gone before him.
British Council NZ Director Ingrid Leary said the Japan showcase was an eye-opener for Jamaine.
"Having been involved in the judging process, we saw in Jamaine both an artist and a product designer. By going to
Japan, where both art and design are so strong culturally, Jamaine was able to reflect on his own design practice and
consider new, innovative approaches to his work. It will be exciting to see where these new directions will lead him."
The annual James Dyson Award is open to any student of design (or graduate within four years of graduation) studying in
the areas of design, technology or engineering. It aims to recognise and reward up-and-coming Kiwi designers with
product design ideas that best demonstrate innovative and inspiring solutions to everyday problems.
The winner of New Zealand’s 2010 James Dyson Award will receive a prize package from The British Council comprising
travel to the UK with $3,000 spending money and accommodation in London, plus they will meet with key members of the UK
design community and tour Dyson’s world class design facility. The winner will also receive $3,000 legal or business
advice from Auckland firm, Farry.Co, an official fee prize package from IPONZ tailored to the winner’s immediate
intellectual property needs, and a year’s membership to the Design Institute of New Zealand (DINZ).
Entries will be evaluated by three local judges headed by 4ormfunction Director David Lovegrove and assisted by Methven
Head Designer Kent Sneddon, and a representative from the British Council of New Zealand.
All New Zealand entries will also be in the running for the national People’s Choice Award and the international James
Dyson Award, with GBP£10,000 going to the winning student or team, another GBP£10,000 to the current or former student’s
university department and an opportunity to visit Dyson’s engineering facilities in either the UK or Malaysia.
The James Dyson Award in New Zealand, formerly the Dyson Product Design Award, was set up by Avery Robinson Ltd -
distributors of Dyson in New Zealand. The New Zealand Award is hosted in association with the British Council New
Zealand, DINZ, Farry.Co Law and IPONZ.
Entries close on Thursday 1 July 2010, and the winner will be announced at an award ceremony held in Auckland later that
month. Interested applicants can enter at www.jamesdysonaward.org
ENDS