Kent Gration
Intergration Studio
Wambamboo by Kent Gration | Email | Website
Where and what did you study and what year did you graduate?
Masters of Design (Product Design), 2005 , Queensland College of Arts, Griffith University.
Where did you head after graduating?
In mid-2006 I initiated designs for the Wambamboo range and was invited to exhibit in Milan at the Salone Satellite in 2007. At the end of 2006, I was involved in trials for shark repelling devices at the Bimini Biological Field Station in the Bahamas. This developed after I had researched eco-friendly product design alternatives to Queensland’s sharknets and drumlines for my Masters of Design.
When did you launch your own business?
In 2004.
What motivated you to start your own business?
I had a keen interest to explore materials and technologies and how these can be applied to social and environmental issues.
How would you describe your business to someone who didn’t know you?
Integration Studio is a multidisciplinary design company working in the areas of graphic, product and furniture design.
How would you describe the products you design to someone who hadn’t seen them?
My products aren’t designed to be quirky or keep up with the latest trends but to fulfill a necessity. Many of the self-initiated projects I’ve undertaken have required me to learn an entirely different field of study.
What are the most challenging parts of being a designer running a small business?
The most challenging part is realising that time is worth more than money in many instances.
What inspires your design projects?
My projects are inspired by a need to address social and environmental issues through design using a multifaceted approach.
What are the next steps for you?
I’ll be structuring my business to meet environmental certifications and standards, establishing more direct relationships with people at the beginning of the supply chain, to ensure better quality, reinvestment back into communities and to reduce the risk of assumed or secondhand knowldege.
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