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ESTABLISHED
in New Zealand in 1886, Methven has come a long way to become a global brand. With offices in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the UAE and the Far East, the company now has an international reach with a customer base that includes house builders, local authorities, housing associations, architects, interior designers, contractors, merchants, retailers and DIY stores. In recent years, the company has
scooped a number of awards for its Satinjet shower product, including The Chicago Athenaeum 2005 (shared with such illustrious products as the Apple iPod and Audi A6), The 2005 Design EX Awards in Australia, the 2008 UK Waterwise Marque and, of course, it also won gold in the Product Innovation Awards at the 2010 Design Awards. Methven issued something of a
statement of intent for the UK market when it acquired Deva in 2007, bringing its presence here onto a new level. The creative base for the brand is in New
Zealand though, with a design department led by Kent Sneddon, a graduate of the Wellington School of Design and formerly part of Fisher & Paykel’s global product concept group. We spoke to him about the integral role design has had to play in Methven’s recent growth.
DESIGNER: CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT METHVEN’S DESIGN TEAM – HOW MANY DESIGNERS WORK IN THE DEPARTMENT AND WHAT ARE THE MAIN STAGES IN PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT? KENT SNEDDON: Our design team is made up of many disciplines from industrial design and mechanical engineering through to tool design and testing. The development process really
starts with the focus on end users; how they interact with the product, what things do unknowingly when showering, understanding the process of showering, drying, and what we all do in the entirety of the bathroom space. How do we deliver an experience that people can’t tell you they want? Using user insights and our own intuition is really what drives the process. Once we understand these areas then
we can go through our design process which includes concept sketch development, user prototypes and testing, user feedback analysis, visual model prototypes and imagery, materials analysis, reliability testing, ecological analysis of components through to the actual manufacturing processes. Design intent needs to be intact right to the point the item is placed into the packaging.
DESIGNER: WHAT IS THE EXTENT OF THE DESIGN TEAM’S RESPONSIBILITIES? SNEDDON: The design team drives the new
Above: Tahi Twin Lever tap
“DESIGN INTENT NEEDS TO BE INTACT RIGHT TO THE POINT THE ITEM IS PLACED INTO THE PACKAGING”
product development; what are our products in the future – visualizing the embodiment of the concepts and presenting them to the board and the executive team. With myself as part of the executive team, we have direct influence of the business strategy and where we are going as a company. Our development programme covers
shower systems, brassware, infusion development [shower skin care], valve technology - in fact all water delivery items in the bathroom space. Our goal is to create experiences that delight and enhance our lives; products that maximise every drop of water and is delivered in a beautiful and elegant solution.
DESIGNER: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE COMPANY’S LONG HERITAGE AS A FACTOR IN INFLUENCING THE DESIGN PROCESS? SNEDDON: Our history as a designer and manufacturer of bathroom products does
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