Collaborative product design at its best

When we work

together, we can achieve great things, states Caliber Design, saying that is why although we are a small country, we punch above our weight on the global stage. To compete, New Zealand businesses need to innovate and collaborate to use our collective skill sets to make collective gains, says the company adding that an example of collaborative product design at its best is the Stabicraft 1600 Fisher, aka Project Carbon.

AN ICONIC BRAND

Stabicraft is a classic Kiwi company well renowned for its iconic aluminium boats. In 2014 the company decided to challenge the status quo by applying composite technologies to its new range of boats. This would make Stabicraft the country’s first trailer boat manufacturer to use carbon fibre technology in its above-water structure.

A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH

The project team was formed, with the Stabicraft Design Team supported by experts from complementary businesses: Gareth Dykes of FI Innovations and Mike Whittaker from Caliber Design.

The team took a collaborative approach to produce a set of concepts that bought a fresh perspective, design process thinking, and bespoke use of composites to the recreational boat market.

“Project Carbon” was borne.

DESIGN THINKING CAN INJECT INNOVATION INTO BUSINESS

The new material means the cabins and top sides can be prepared off the boat and fitted to the hull in a short amount of time. This simplifies the assembly process and reduces skilled welding labour (which is in short supply), allowing for increased throughput during later assembly stages on the production line.

The multi-piece design of the cabin and console allows for contrasting colours, materials and textures to be utilised within the cabin within the one assembly.

The composite parts are vacuum infused with epoxy resin which makes them very strong and resistant to damage, attributes in fitting with Stabicraft’s renowned traits of strength and durability.

WORLDWIDE RECOGNITION

The Stabicraft 1600 Fisher has been well-received by the market and even won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award in 2016. The Red Dot Award is one of the most respected design competitions in the world and received 5000 entries from 51 nations. The Red Dot is the revered international seal of outstanding design quality.

Caliber thoroughly enjoyed working with the Stabicraft team because of its open-mindedness to new thinking, its willingness to be adventurous with new design ideas, and its enthusiasm to lead the industry by being disruptive.

Caliber Design will bring the Stabicraft 1600 Fisher to SouthMACH 2017.