Company
Team Building at Tongariro Crossing, November 2009
We create insight through a unique research driven approach to product development. We seek to challenge and redefine product development through the use of research and life cycle thinking.
Our team has a system focus that incorporates product/service, brand, business, sustainability.
Since 2002 Locus Research has built a reputation for deep research, original design and effective implementation. We have integrated life cycle thinking into the product development process and are a leader in the adoption and implementation of design research into the development process.
Locus has a client base that extends from New Zealand to the UK and has an informed international outlook. We collaborate with a wide number of organisations to deliver services that can assist research and development.
We have two design studios: Studio Mauao in Tauranga and Studio SixBee in Auckland.
Corporate History
Locus Research has been in operation formally since March 27th, 2002, and was founded by Managing Director Timothy Allan.
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2012
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Nov |
Locus and friends celebrated the ten year anniversary of Locus Research’s establishment. |
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Oct |
Timothy Allan travelled to Monterrey, Mexico to present at Diseño Punto MX on sustainable design. Delloch HipFit Hip Protectors (non-consumer) and GetSorted Storage System (best effect) each won bronze at the Best Awards. www.bestawards.co.nz Timothy Allan travelled to the NZ Embassy in Washington DC for the US Health Immersion Program and to Boston for AdvaMed 2012. ‘Hip Design Aims to Cut Costs’ article in the Bay of Plenty Times on Delloch HipFit Hip Protectors and becoming a finalist in the Best Awards. |
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Sept |
An e-commerce platform for the Delloch HipFit website launched. www.delloch.com |
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June |
Kat Sutherland joined Locus as marketing and programme director. |
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Mar |
Locus turned ten years old. http://locusresearch.com/blog/2012/11/16/measure-success |
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Jan |
Graphic designer Robin Lyttle joined the Locus team. |
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2011
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Dec |
Delloch HipFit Hip Protector launched. |
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Oct |
‘Success Grows on Woolly Backs’ article in the Bay of Plenty Times featured Prolan Lanolin Lubricants. |
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Sept |
Blythe Rees-Jones joined the board of the Designers Institute of New Zealand. www.dinz.co.nz |
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Aug |
Blythe Rees-Jones judged the Best Awards’ product section. www.bestawards.co.nz |
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June |
Dr. Wayne Mapp, Minister for Research Science and Technology, visited the Locus Studio. |
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May |
Locus teamed up with Motovated Design & Analysis for the first ‘Successful Product Development Seminar’. |
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Apr |
Locus featured on AMP – Growing Business on TVOne. Encircle won silver at the Medical Design Excellence Awards (MDEA) in the US. |
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Mar |
Encircle selected as a finalist in the DuPont Australasian Innovation Awards. |
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Feb |
Jono Jones joined the Locus team on a design internship. ‘Advances in Therapy’ medical paper published on Encircle Compression Therapy. |
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2010
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Dec |
Engineer Chris Brown rejoined the Locus design team to work on the Delloch Hip Protector. |
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Oct |
‘Bay Innovators Pile up the Design Awards’ article in the Bay of Plenty Times about the Locus design team. ‘Making Products Better by Design’ article in the NZ Business Herald by Yoh Kar Lee on Locus and how we work. Encircle and Forester appeared on Campbell Live with Blythe Rees-Jones. |
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Sept |
Timothy Allan was made a Fellow of the Designers Institute of New Zealand (DINZ). |
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Aug |
GetSorted Wardrobe & Storage System released nationwide in Australia. |
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May |
Locus Research presented in the Sustainable 60 Seminar Series. |
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Mar |
Locus Research Sponsors the first Life Cycle Management Conference in New Zealand. Young Innovator Awards launched in the Bay of Plenty, an initiative led by Priority One’s Instep Programme, Locus Research, and Woods Creative. |
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Feb |
Vicky Teinaki attended ‘IXD 10’ in Georgia, US. http://interaction.ixda.org/ |
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2009 |
Dec |
Locus Research was named Overall Exemplar (Small Business) in the Fairfax Media/PricewaterhouseCoopers Sustainable 60 Challenge. http://sustainable60.co.nz |
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Nov |
Locus appointed to MFE Product Stewardship Assessors panel. Timothy Allan presents ‘Design for a Sustainable World’ at World Usability Day. |
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Oct |
Encircle Medical Devices reached the semi-finals in the New Zealand ‘Focus on Health’ Challenge. Locus completed the ‘Building Blocks of Sustainable Design’. |
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Sept |
Cortex exterior cladding system for Pacific Wood Products won silver (Non-Consumer http://archived.bestawards.co.nz/2009/_entries/0556.html) at the Best Awards and also won bronze in the sustainable product design category (http://archived.bestawards.co.nz/2009/_entries/0564.html#), one of only two finalists. Drybase won bronze at the Best Awards in the Non-Consumer category. http://archived.bestawards.co.nz/2009/_thebest/0338.html |
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Aug |
Cortex won the Sustainable Design and Innovation category for central and southern areas in the NZI NAtional Sustainable Business Network Awards. www.sustainableawards.org.nz Locus organised Tom Sutton, GM Frog Milan to speak at AUT on the development of medical devices. http://locusdev.locusdev.co.nz/news/events/thomas-sutton-frog-design Vicky Teinaki attended UX Australia. www.uxaustralia.com.au/conference-2009 |
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May |
Timothy Allan traveled to Asia to speak on Life Cycle Thinking in Shanghai and Beijing at the Impressions Symposium for Fortune 500 company Avery Dennison. Timothy Allan spoke at Phillips Hong Kong Design Studio on Life Cycle Thinking and visited Dell in Taiwan. |
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Feb |
Blythe Rees-Jones traveled to Biella, Italy, to research the Italian merino supply chain as the Bella Merino Ambassador. Rogier Simons joined Locus Research as senior designer. |
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Jan |
Coast New Zealand and Locus created the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Lounge interiors with Verda, Pollen and Essenze. |
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Locus opened Studio Sixbee in Ponsonby, Auckland. Vicky Teinaki joined the Locus team as interaction designer. |
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2008 |
Dec |
Design Leader Blythe Rees-Jones was selected to be the 2009 Bella Merino Ambassador. |
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Nov |
Timothy Allan travelled to Ireland to present at ‘Re-Form 08’ on Life Cycle Thinking. He also attended and visited: Michael Braungart’s Nutec conference; Delft University of Technology (Holland) Design for Sustainability department; Milano Polytech, Ezio Manzini; Frog Design, Milan; Therefore Design, London; Onzo, London; Lightweight Medical, Glasgow. |
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June - Aug |
Locus co-hosts the Life Cycle Thinking Series held at Unitec, Auckland. Locus and Scion cosponsored the Sustainable Design and Innovation award for the SBN Awards. Timothy Allan and Trevor Stuthridge judged finalists. |
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Feb |
Curve Surf exhibited as a finalist at renowned sporting fair ISPO. Locus commited to the establishment of a Life Cycle Thinking studio course at Unitec with Hothouse director Dr. Cris de Groot. |
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Jan |
Locus Research relocates to new premises at Studio Mauao at the base of Mount Maunganui, 100 metres from the beach. |
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2007 |
Nov |
Transform Project was successfully concluded with all six finalist companies awarded funding. |
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Oct |
Tony Clifford, President of the New Zealand Pine Manufacturer's Association, presented ‘Compass’ findings to the PMA delegates. http://www.compassproject.co.nz/Compass-A_Design_Research_Project.pdf |
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Aug |
The Locus-developed Curve surfboard travel system won silver at the Best Awards in the consumer product category (http://archived.bestawards.co.nz/2007/_thebest/0397.html) and Legacy Hold Taapa product won bronze in the furniture category (http://archived.bestawards.co.nz/2007/_thebest/0132.html). |
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June |
Locus had three finalists selected for the Best Awards: Telecom5up by Kylie Baker (student), Taapa (furniture), and Curve Surf (consumer product) |
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2006 |
Nov |
Locus' Transform proposal accepted by the board of Textiles New Zealand. www.transform.org.nz |
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Sept |
Blythe Rees-Jones awarded a professional membership to the Design Institute of New Zealand. www.dinz.co.nz |
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Aug |
Timothy Allan appointed as a judge for the sustainable product design award for the 2006 Best Awards. www.bestawards.co.nz |
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June |
Karoline Jonsson, a design engineering intern from Chalmers University, and graphic designer Ailie Rundle joined the Locus team. |
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May |
Timothy Allan gave a lecture on sustainable product design for Otago University and Otago polytechnic. Locus started the collaborative project ‘Compass’ investigating the US market for major forestry companies Panpac and Tenon. http://www.compassproject.co.nz/ |
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Apr |
Report into the European context of Sustainable Product Design completed for the Ministry for the Environment. http://www.mfe.govt.nz/index.html |
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2005 |
Nov |
Simple Vision range was released into New Zealand stores nationwide with a great response from consumers. |
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Oct |
Timothy delivered ‘Life Cycle Thinking’ paper at the Sustainable Business Conference for the Sustainable Business Network. |
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Sept |
Josh Astill joined Locus to undertake research in Sustainable Product Design at TU Delft in Holland this is co funded by the Ministry for Environment. |
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July |
Transition research investigation into sports and equipment future direction completed. |
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Feb |
Blythe Rees-Jones visited ISPO international sports and equipment fair in Munich to further his research. www.ispo.com |
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2004
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Oct |
Urbis featured Locus Research and their design approach with new materials. |
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Aug - Oct |
Locus Research undertook the development and project management of the Bombay Sapphire Design Room at Air New Zealand Fashion week with great success. |
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Sept |
Blythe Rees-Jones joined Light Weight Medical for a reciprocal internship in Glasgow and London for 9 months. |
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Aug |
Timothy Allan appointed as the external design director of Legacy Timber Ltd to assist in the development of new product for market. |
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July |
Locus established formal alliance with Tim Grant, associate director of the RMIT Centre for Sustainable Design and director of Life Cycle Strategies. Locus gained a formal alliance with Light Weight Medical Ltd (UK) to undertake collaborative research and commercial work in the area of sustainable product development. |
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June |
Timothy Allan appointed as advisor to the London Sustainable Design Collective. Simple Vision range launched at EON Design Centre. |
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May |
Circadian Living System selected as one of only 13 finalists for all categories in the Dupont Australasian Innovation Awards in Melbourne from more that 90 entries. Timothy Allan flew to Melbourne for the awards and met the Australian Minister for Science and Dupont Australasia managing director. |
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Apr |
Simple Vision awarded highly commended at Designex04 in Sydney. Timothy Allan completed experimental Life Cycle Analysis for UK based Business Environment Partnership in collaboration with Light Weight Medical Devices (UK). |
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Jan |
Scion commissioned Locus to undertake research into exterior cladding, resulting in the successful ‘Guardian’ exterior cladding study. This became the template for the first ‘Product Development Specification’ (PDS) that Locus produced. http://www.scionresearch.com/ |
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2003 |
Aug |
Ryder Meggitt, graduate from Glasgow University Design Engineering course, joined Locus for a 9-month internship in sustainable product design. |
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July |
Neil Tierney, graduate from Glasgow University Design Engineering Course, joined Locus for an internship in sustainable product design and completed Circadian System Life Cycle Analysis. |
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June |
Metaform03 exhibition premiered at the Auckland Museum (June - Sept 03) with a follow-on exhibition at the Dowse (Nov 03 - Jan 04). |
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Mar |
Industrial design graduate Jared Mankelow joined Locus. |
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2002 |
Oct |
Jeeves Table selected and exhibited at Interiuer02 in Kortrijkt, Belgium, Design for Europe competition. |
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Aug |
Industrial design graduate Blythe Rees-Jones joined Locus as junior designer; Blythe was awarded best young product design at Best Awards 2001. |
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May - June |
Locus established the Metaform03 concept and developed the exhibition and competition format, including the procurement of major sponsors Carter Holt Harvey and Prodesign. |
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Mar |
Timothy Allan established Locus Research, a design company that would specialise in the area of sustainable product design. |
