CLANDESTINE DESIGN GROUP
Yeronga
Yeronga
COVERT, COLLABORATIVE AND CREATIVE
Clandestine Design Group (CDG) is Brisbane based, yet globally focused product design and innovation consultancy. Although our core expertise is in Industrial Design of mass produced products, we have deep expertise in helping companies innovate beyond their products user experience to consider the holistic aspects of their business model and its associated customer experience.
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What do you love most about your job?
NEIL DAVIDSON | DESIGN DIRECTOR | FOUNDER
We have compiled a short biography for Neil Davidson | Clandestine Design Director below but we have recently found a video link where he has been interviewed as part of the Hightide Exhibition which will be a better medium to get to know him.
https://youtu.be/T68cRJzaJ9U
Hightide featured 22 prominent designers and their works from the past decade: 2002—2012. The works featured the best in contemporary industrial, furniture and object design. Check out the Art + Design Portfolio page to find out more.
In tail end of this video, Neil discusses the design program for the new Rover Challenger lawn mower. This project was completed during the time when Neil was the Design Manager for CMD - Strategy | Design | Innovation.
BIOGRAPHY : NEIL DAVIDSON
Prior to taking up the challenge of founding Clandestine Design Group, Neil was the Creative Director at CMD, a Tier 1 Australasian based consultancy he worked at for 14 years.
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Things have been going fantastically! I love the fact that I am still engaging with my clients strategically but running my own consultancy now means that I am back on the tools, sketching, model making, running the CAD stations and caring about the nuts and bolts again also. Its re-honing those tactical skills and making me a better and more holistic designer.
— Neil Davidson | Clandestine Design Director
Clandestine has a co-lab design and entrepreneurial business agenda also. Neil is really excited to be working on self funded design venture projects. Some of which are running a typical bootstrap development model where as others leveraging investor networks and looking like they may commercialise more rapidly than expected.
One major venture project for Neil and Clandestine focuses on providing value to his family. Neil is reinvestment of time and design expertise into innovan - campers | caravans | mobile shelter systems, which is a family business Neil helped establish over a decade ago.
Highly awarded and industry respected, Neil's focus for design and Clandestine has shifted somewhat.
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I have worked long enough in the big, high profile consultancy model to know that Clandestine needed to be different. It is time to get in, get on and make impact with design. I guess that is the real purpose behind Clandestine - we are not here to revel in the limelight! We are about being collaborative, covert, quiet and quick in execution and delivery of both, world quality product innovations and real value to our clients.
— Neil Davidson | Clandestine Design Director
Outside of Clandestine and in late 2014, Neil co-founded and launched Australasia's new and independent Industrial Design School called AUXILIARY.
Also in 2014, Neil was humbled and honoured to have be asked to take up a 3 month part time contract assisting the icon Sunbeam Australia as their interim Design Director.
Feel free to connect or check out Neil's full CV on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-davidson-55291024/
What inspired you to start your own business?
OUR APPROACH
Think of us as your shadow partner and collaborator, stuck to your side, we work within your organisation to educate as we execute any design project. This enables your team to learn our design led methodologies and appreciate our processes so that your company is better armed with design innovation skills into the future.
THE SITUATION:
It is a battle to be in business today. Post GFC, Australian companies are doing it tough competing in the new global economy.
Clandestine Design Group has battle experience competing on a global scale.
The Australian market is small and we can be impacted significantly by shifts in the global economies and technological trends such as the internet of things (IOT) for example. Consumers can now buy intelligent products that have the power to disrupt local companies and services online with the simple click of mouse.
Its' more important than ever that what your offering is the best, first and different in the new global market. In response to this situation, some local industrial firms such as CDG have stepped up to use design more strategically to help their Australian clients.
Not only do designers still need to create world class product user experiences, but they now must use their design skills to help create brand loyalty by enhancing a client's customer experience also.
Design strategy and tactics now need to be applied to the entire customer experience supply chain, from their initial moment of awareness or need to purchase to the very end of the products user experience life-cycle.
OUR MISSION:
Using these skills our mission is to not just help you win this battle, but also the war to keep your business surviving and thriving for the long term.
We work collaboratively and covertly with you to research your market and understand your customer's needs. We then harness the power of design to develop new products and services that will generate value and disrupt your competitors.
We work with you to deliver results against two levels of design. The first and higher level is to design customer experience supply chains that create desire, pleasure and brand loyalty. The second focuses on what happens once they receive your product. Here our product design skills ensure a user experience and product performance that results in product longevity and love from your customers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCemmyuvtQs
Why should our clients choose you?
Our clients can range from large multinationals to small family businesses. Regardless of their size, we find some clients want to input from our entire engagement model where as others request the activities and expertise they feel they need assistance with.
Take comfort in the fact that we will take the time to listen, to understand your business and then work with you and your resources to make sure you get the outcomes you need.
INDUSTRIAL DESIGN & NEW PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT
Purpose, Practice and Promise Workshops
B2E, B2B, Stakeholder and Customer Engagement Programme Development
Ethnographic Studies
First Person Interviews and Observational Research Studies
Customer Diaries and Photo Journals
Focus and Co-Creation Group Facilitation
Foresight Studies – Future Social, Cultural, Technology Trends Analysis
Hindsight Studies – Past Social, Cultural, Technology Trends Analysis
Persona Mapping
Customer Journey Mapping
Service Model Design
Synthesis and Insights Presentations
Translation of Insights to Innovation Strategies
Innovation Strategy Low Fidelity Prototyping or Pretotyping
Scenario Planning and Narrative Walk Throughs
Innovation Strategy Horizon Mapping
Innovation Strategy Business Case Assessment
Innovation Portfolio Development
NPD Pipe Line Development
Innovation Strategy Product and Business Concepts
Tactical Development Briefs
Industrial Design
Competitor and Market Research
Product Visual Brand Language Development
Colour Material Finish Trends Studies
Product Lifecycle Mapping
Technical Requirements Specification Development
Analogue Hand Sketch Concept Development
Digital Sketch Concept Development
3D CAD Models
Photorealistic Renderings and Animations
Design for Mass Manufacture & Assembly
User Experience Design UX
User Interface Design UI
3D Printing Rapid Prototyping
CNC Machined Prototyping
Batch / Beta Trial Production
Mass Production Processes and Tooling Management
Asian Manufacturing Supply Chain Management
Point of Sale and Structural Packaging
Exhibition and Tradeshow Display Design
Impact Assessment - Post Production and Commercialisation Review
