Getting fit, by its nature is hard work. The fitness industry is constantly looking for ways to make it easier for people to reach their goals, and to make it an enjoyable experience.

Michael Hoppe is a founder and Design Director of YBell Fitness along with inventor and PT Aaron Laurence. Together they have created a game changer in the fitness industry.

Versatility is the key. Change the grip and you change the equipment. The Ybell combines the functionality of a dumbbell, kettlebell, medball and pushup bar in one piece of equipment. They streamline the user experience and let you focus on the workout.

The response from the fitness industry has been amazing and we are rolling out sales distribution globally. Check us out on Instagram and Facebook @ybellfitness. For more info go to ybellfitness.com

CAD [computer aided design] and 3D printing have been around for decades. With the advent of IoT [the internet of things] and the ability of the internet to handle vast amounts of data, the interconnectivity of all these elements is resulting in the 4th industrial revolution.

This project is a small demonstration of one example of how this can work.

The Ray series of pendant lights are digitally crafted using parametric algorithms in a CAD program. This allows for infinite variety with zero investment in tooling. Printed on demand, the product doesn’t exist until the customer commissions the work. There is no production line, no warehouse, no oversupply and no waste.

The lights can be ordered now through the Shapeways virtual store. See QR code.

Exhibited as part of Workshopped 18 and 19 at the Australian Design Centre.

UFO won the Workshopped 19 Design Award.

The kitchen is the heart of the home and the products there are things that we use everyday.

Font is a cutlery set that uses design and technology to create an inclusive dining experience for users with different abilities. Most culery sets for domestic use are ‘one size fits all’ and have no provision for people with disabilities. Different levels of hand strength, dexterity and contol can result from age, injury, arthritis, congenital issues etc. To create a universal solution for this diversity is impossible.

By using parametric CAD modelling and 3D printing a product with a strong overaching aesthetic holding it together, can be turned into a variable range which provides a broad range of solutions for different user needs. Custom products can be design and developed based on current user products and requirements. These variations can be added to the growing data base. The similar but different products create a family.

Starting from a simple profile, small, incremental iterations create variations with different functionalities.

One third of the worlds population uses chopsticks to eat and face the same issues with dexterity. There is scope for further development of this range.

Our day is filled with picking up tools and performing tasks, usually without thinking. A tool can be defined as a device or implement, especially one held in the hand, used to carry out a particular function.

The best tools are intuitive to use and make the job easier. A tool that appeals to our emotions and is fun to use can take the drudgery out of a task, without being a toy.

​​Electric vehicles are the future, but they have also been around since the 1870’s. With the slow demise of fossil fuels and the breakthroughs in batteries and electric motors they are ready to rise again.

These furniture designs are a mixture of exploration, expression and making. Traditional techniques and digital fabrication. One off pieces and mass production.​​

Working as a freelance senior creative for most of the consultancies in Sydney over the years has led to the creation of some iconic products.

Winner of the Reece Bathroom Innovation Award.

The core to this design was a desire to find a compact, multi-functional solution for small bathroom spaces. The concept was inspired by Greek mythology and the ergonomics of drum kits.

Many of the bathrooms we see marketed are palatial, bigger than lounge rooms. But the reality is somewhat different. For many, their homes and their bathrooms are getting more compact and it was important that my design reflected this.

The idea started as a simple one but evolved as I explored how to incorporate more elements in the one functional, compact and visually striking vanity unit. Exploring the meaning of ‘vanity’ I rediscovered the myth of Narcissus, inspiring both the reflective gold finish of the basin and the column structure of the entire vanity unit. 

As I added functionality, it transformed. That was the key, turning one thing into many. I was looking to create something clean and simple that transforms into elements with different uses that can then be simply packed up again.