Industry
Unlock fresh thinking for your big problems
The Design Factory New Zealand is a co-creation space where students and industry partners work together to solve complex problems.
Students from across Wintec’s Centres learn and apply a diverse range of problem-solving skills, with a committed focus on their industry partner’s problem. Students seek to deeply engage with the problem, empathise with industry and customers to gain their perspective on the issue, create a range of possible solutions, and test prototypes for best-fit solutions.
You can use this opportunity to solve specific and existing needs of your company beyond normal business resources or utilise fresh thinking to approach complex and wider issues. Involvement with the Design Factory will provide you with critical strategic insight, moving you to the forefront of the industry and gaining you a greater competitive advantage.
The result?
A deep and wide understanding of your problem, with tested solutions for further implementation - as well as your involvement with an engaged group of students, training them for effective problem solving as leaders of tomorrow.
Any IP created will be owned by the industry partner - and we invite them to participate as much as possible in the co-creation process.
To find out more, please contact us using the button below.
Here are some of the industry problems we’ve recently worked on:
- Opus International Consultants challenged the students to come up with low-cost solutions to enable the remote monitoring of water supply networks. Paul says the experience was rewarding for the students, who put forward many smart solutions.
- Waikato DHB wanted to look at new ways to create interconnectedness online with patients through technologies like SmartHealth.
- Midland Trauma Systems explore different ways to reduce quad bike incidents on farms.
D1: Design Dash
Concentrated. High-speed. Experiential. A Design Thinking primer at pace.
The Design Dash is a three-hour fast-paced experience providing a design experience created to introduce you and your team to the basics of problem solving.We provide the challenge, the facilitation and all the resources you’ll need – you turn up ready to go!
Empowering, energising and proudly educational, the Design Dash will give you a valuable experience of how powerful Design Thinking is, and will inspire you to consider how you can begin to introduce co-creation to your context.
Created for organisations seeking to upskill their problem-solving and Design Thinking skills, the Design Dash provides a curated design engagement directly applicable to your business context.
Over the course of the Design Dash, you will:
- Experience a stripped-down Design Sprint;
- Have an opportunity to reflect how this can benefit your business;
- Empower employees for change;
- Laugh. A. Lot.
Typical fee: $2000 + GST (max. 18 people, incl. lunch, morning and afternoon tea)
Contact: Margi.Moore@wintec.ac.nz or designfactorynz@wintec.ac.nz
D2: Deep Dive
A multi-day design experience for business leaders and teams.
The Deep Dive is a two-day immersive experience offering a deeper understanding of co-creation and human-centred design.
Created for organisations seeking to up-skill their problem-solving and Design Thinking skills, the Deep Dive provides a curated design engagement directly applicable to your business context.
Over the course of the Deep Dive, you will:
- Experience a full Design Sprint;
- Understand how Design Thinking can be applied to your business challenges and context;
- Discover a range of practical tools for help with organisational problem solving;
- Unlock new possibilities for your organisation to explore.
Typical fee: $8000 + GST (max. 18 participants, incl. all lunches, morning and afternoon tea)
Contact: Margi.Moore@wintec.ac.nz or designfactorynz@wintec.ac.nz.
Hear what industry has to say about working with the Design Factory NZ
Frequently asked questions
What will be required of me during the length of the project?
To be passionate and committed to the project. We will require you to spend time at key points in the project to co-create and give feedback to students.
I have a problem or project in mind, but I’m not sure if it’s big enough?
We anticipate that a project will take a team one semester or a year to complete, during which they will articulate ideas, prototype, user-test and deliver a proof of concept solution to you.
What type of project is suitable?
We want you to talk to us about your ideas and discuss the possibilities. We are after ‘wicked’ problems that are future-focused, complex and are opportunities for innovation. We are happy to spend time to work on a problem statement together that all parties are happy with.
