InFact scoops tri-continent design recognition

InFact scoops tri-continent design recognition for smart parking meter

Media release, 30 January 2008, InFact Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand: InFact is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the internationally recognised Good DesignTM design award for its role in the design and development of the new Metro Pay and Display Parking Meter by Cash Handling Systems (CHS).

Run by the Chicago Athenaeum – Museum of Architecture and Design, The Good DesignTM award is the third recommendation for InFact’s design of the Metro, and joins the iF Award commendation (Germany) and Silver Best Award (New Zealand) on InFact’s expanding trophy shelf.

Nigel Sharplin, InFact Managing Director says, “We are told that our entry was one of hundreds of submissions selected for the award that included designs from over 26 nations for products from the new 787 Boeing airplane to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.”

The Good DesignTM awards program is the world's oldest and most internationally celebrated design competition that recognises prominent designers and manufacturers for originality, innovation, and for advancing new product concepts beyond basic product and consumer design.

“Winning this level of recognition for our design capability not only reflects and congratulates exceptional talent within our team; it also demonstrates we rate against the world’s best. Our aim is to take new ideas to the next level and we have been partnering with New Zealand’s major export companies – including TLJones, CHS, Provenco, Rakon and Invacare - to create new products that will outstrip their market competition with features that make effective use of technology to create maximum user appeal.”

Mark Oliver, Technical Director, of CHS is delighted that the smart parking meter has won international acclaim. He says, “The fact that the Good Design award has been won by some highly noted designers and design teams, including Apple for the latest iPods and BMW for the Z4 Roadster, puts into perspective the level of quality of InFact’s design work. The Metro is today one of our best selling products and it is exciting that InFact has achieved international recognition for their design contribution.”

Nigel believes that formulating a clear design strategy prior to product development makes all the difference when it comes to creating an exemplary product. “It seems obvious, but many manufacturers don’t fully understand how users will interact with their product, why they want it, or what their needs really are. With a design strategy companies can more easily understand how to identify relevant commercial opportunities and make effective use of technology to create a winning product. It enables companies to position their offering way ahead of the competition.”

With the recent award recognition InFact is anticipating a busy year ahead. Nigel says, “InFact’s creative difference is our understanding of how incorporating smart technology with sustainable values and clear economic drivers can elevate a new idea into something truly original, inspiring and innovative.”

About InFact

InFact (www.infact.co.nz) is a design powerhouse that partners with clients to create revolutionary products through strategic user-focussed design and manufacturing innovation. The award winning team enables manufacturers and inventors in a range of industries to develop exceptional products that appeal to future users and compete aggressively on the world stage. In-house capabilities extend from electronic engineering through to mechanical, software and systems engineering, applied science, manufacturing technology and industrial design.

InFact’s innovative processes that have led to several globally successful solutions include Provenco’s G5 Payment terminal and Invacare's Shark Powered chair controllers. The company has also provided design solutions for Formway (a designer chair), Carter Holt Harvey (a timber grading tool), Ag Research, Connexions (the bus finder system), and a flight simulator for Pacific Simulators, to name a few.

InFact has been recognised in a number of award programs, achieving recently the 2007 Good DesignTM award, the Silver Best Award 2007, Export Service Provider Award finalist of the 2007 Export New Zealand Awards Canterbury Region, and a commendation in the iF Awards 2007.

About Cash Handling Systems (CHS)

Cash Handling Systems (www.cash-handling-systems.co.nz) is an established New Zealand manufacturer with seven offices throughout Australasia. The company creates and exports a range of innovative products including Parking Equipment, Cash Handling Equipment, Vending Equipment and Access Control.

The design of the Metro Pay and Display Parking Meter marked a radical shift away from the coin operated standard parking meter to a high tech self-service ticketing machine. Clever design work provided a host of new user-friendly features including remote programming of tariff parking fees and display messages, a dramatically improved security door system, and a choice of secure on-line payment methods - such as on-line credit card payment and TXT-a-Park - for the parking motorist.

About the Good Design Awards

Founded in 1950 by the Chicago Athenaeum - Museum of Architecture and Design, the Good DesignTM awards (www.chi-athenaeum.org) bestow international recognition upon the world's most prominent designers and manufacturers for advancing new, visionary, and innovative product concepts, invention and originality, and for stretching the envelope beyond what is considered basic product and consumer design.

Other Good Design award winners in this year’s Transportation category include: Boeing, Mercedes-Benz, British Airways, BMW and Ford.

ENDS

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