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Start date: 2024Subject: search.filters.subject.Industrial design

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    Nurtured : postpartum care : an exegesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for a Master of Design at Massey University, Wellington, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 12th March 2028
    (Massey University, 2025) Nicholls, Isabel
    A range of challenges accompanies childbirth. Physical pain, discomfort, emotional uncertainty, and significant life changes are inevitable among these. A number of products exist to meet the varying needs of postpartum care. Few, however, fully address the broad spectrum of challenges faced by women during this vulnerable period. Prioritising comfort and support while addressing individual needs will ultimately enhance the postpartum experience for new mothers. This research focused on the design of innovative, empathetic, versatile, and safe underwear in the immediate postpartum period when lochia (postpartum discharge) and pain are experienced. Participants in semi-structured qualitative interviews and quantitative surveys emphasised the need for comfort, breathability, and absorbency, as well as suitability for a range of postpartum injuries and the accommodation of physiological changes in the body. This action-based research included iterative design processes alongside functional and user testing. While developing effective and satisfying products for new mothers, it is important to also explore the crossover of sustainable design strategies within women’s health. Postpartum products are not intended for long-term use, with their usage depending both on the number of pregnancies and the speed of postpartum recovery. While postpartum and pregnancy care are my target market, there are also secondary uses for this product including menstruation, incontinence, miscarriage, or surgical procedures which result in vaginal or uterine bleeding. This aspect of the research was supported through surveys and interviews of both professionals and users, whose feedback was critical to the design process. The underwear designed through this research uses a combination of novel features associated with reusable period underwear paired with postpartum underwear and includes heating and cooling for pain relief. The key pillars of research and innovation include digital knitting teamed with material exploration and engineered stretch and compression. This work has culminated in postpartum underwear that is reusable, comfortable, absorbent, and promotes healing after birth.
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    Kūkū : a re-imagined fangufangu developed through a Kakala Design Framework : a thesis is presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of : Doctor of Philosophy in Design, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa, Ngā Pae Mahutonga, Pōneke, Aotearoa | Massey University, School of Design, Wellington, New Zealand. EMBARGOED until 19 December 2025.
    (Massey University, 2024-09-23) Kaulamatoa, Rachael
    The fangufangu (nose flute) is a Tongan musical instrument that traces back hundreds of years. Each fangufangu possesses unique physical characteristics, contributing to its distinct sound. Highlighting its historical and cultural significance, one customary use was awakening nobility from slumber. Although rare today, practices of making and performing the fangufangu have been revitalized by Tongan communities in recent years. However, there is limited research on the fangufangu, particularly from a Tongan perspective. This practice-led creative research develops and applies a Kakala Design Framework to holistically and collaboratively explore possibilities of the fangufangu for modern musicians of the Tongan diaspora. The culmination of this research is embodied in Kūkū, a re-imagined fangufangu that enhances specific musical, tangible and visual aesthetics by harmoniously weaving notions of past, present and future. Through an analogue design approach, primary elements of form and material contribute towards enhancing instrument playability and sonic versatility to accommodate use across diverse musical environments and playing styles. Guided by an Indigenised industrial design process predicated on Tongan world-views and values, this exegesis reflects on the collaborative development of Kūkū with Tongan fangufangu practitioners.