Designmark gives a selling edge

Press, 27 March 1979, Page 25

Designmark gives a selling edge

In the current atmosphere of heavy competition, many manufacturers are looking to Designmark to give their products a selling edge. If you fall into this category, here is how to go about applying for the award. (1) Be satisfied that you have a well-designed, wellmade, marketable product with at least 50 per cent New Zealand content in materials and labour. It doesn’t have to be designed in New Zealand, but an overseas design can only be used by

agreement with its owners abroad. * $ sis (2) Get in touch with the Industrial Design Council office nearest you. Field advisory officers are located in Auckland (607855 or 607-054): Wellington (847-612): Christchurch (62-369). si: sS * (3) Fill out an application form to detail the product fully, and be prepared to pay a $3O application fee. and up to $lOO product-evaluation charge, for each product or range of related products. The

Field Adviser can give you an estimate. * (4) Make available to the Field Adviser a returnable sample of the product and any packaging, instructions or sales literature that go with it. Depending on the product’s complexity you may also have to provide a certified test report. * * * (5) He will arrange for your product to be evaluated in terms of its performance, workmanship, safety, human factors in use, its relation to its in-

tended environment, appearance and a number of other factors, many of them minor, but important ingredients of a well designed product. The Field Adviser will carry out the evaluation together with a pai.el of independent experts (none of them with interest in your product or its competitors) who have been chosen to advise the Council. * *

(6) If your product is awarded Designmark you may use it as a marketing aid on the product itself and in advertising. You

may also take advantage of the marketing assistance provided by the Design Council. # * (7) If your product has faults that need correction, the Field Adviser will make out a confidential report and discuss it with you. You will

probably feel (as most manufacturers do) that the modifications asked for are worth doing for the benefit of your market and for better business, your product has been brought up to standard. * * (8) It is important to know that if you are developing a new product,

you should submit a working prototype to the with the added advantage that Designmark will be available to you when Design Council as early as possible. Modifications to improve the product are so much easer and less costly to incorporate at this stage. This way you are much more likely to produce a market-winner.