Week 1 of Design & Development with Adam Rogers

I’m delighted to welcome back master designer/maker Adam Rogers for Design & Development 2023. When we did Design & Development in 2019, we offered a one-week and a two-week option. It was a great mix but a logistical nightmare! So many people signed on for the first week that several people missed out on the full two-week experience.

We are now able to offer 4 places in the first week only of Design & Development 2023. Week One focuses on developing a brief, design theory, sketching, model making, research and design play.

Design & Development 2023 will be taught by Adam Rogers, Evan Dunstone and William Bayliss.

Adam Rogers is one of America’s leading designers of contemporary fine furniture. He was head designer at Thos. Moser and is now one of the principles of Square Manufacturing, Maine. In his independent design studio, Adam develops pieces for some of America’s leading niche retailers.

Adam has taught product development and chair design at the Centre for Furniture Craftsmanship, Maine. He was a visiting professor at the School for American Crafts, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Adam taught the inaugural Design & Development at our workshop in 2019.

My passion is for both design and craft, an approach that transcends scale, and the belief that design is the process of deciding what to turn a tree into, and craft is the process of doing so – whether just once, or several times. This craft thing is one long history of skills and ideas passed down and evolved through experience. I enjoy trying to distil lessons from the process and sharing with others – Adam Rogers.

Evan Dunstone is fresh from his Gottstein Fellowship to Sweden, where he studied the Swedish approach to teaching woodcraft and design. Evan visited Stenebyskolan, Malmstens and Capellagården. He gave a paper on Australian craftsmanship and timber at the Malmstens Alumni Symposium; Woodworking Tools & Techniques – Past, Present & Future in Stockholm.

William Bayliss is a multi-award-winning craftsman at Dunstone Design. William started as an apprentice in July of 2015 and has gone on to become the fore-most craftsman of his generation. In 2021, he took out Overall Winner as well as Winner in the category Tables, Chairs and Desks in Australian Wood Review’s Maker of the Year Awards with his Bunyjul Occasional Tables.

Dunstone Design has arguably the best equipped wood workshop in Australia. You will be using Martin machinery and have access to a wide range of traditional woodworking machinery. Dunstone Design Workshop manager Alex Mac Farlane will make a cameo appearance and conduct an in-depth lecture on the safe use and possibilities of the spindle moulder.

Week One is limited to 4 participants. You will be working alongside the 8 students doing the full 2-week course.

Expectations and Abilities

This is not the type of course that results in a “finished piece”. You can expect to leave with a well-advanced design/concept, drawings, mock-ups and models. More importantly, you will be armed with a whole new way to think about design.

Design & Development is suitable for enthusiasts and professionals alike. Anyone with intermediate skills upwards will gain from this class.

Tools and Items to Bring

You will need to bring your own PPE of dust mask, hearing protection and eye protection.

We encourage you to bring drawing materials such as a large visual diary and your favourite pencils. You are welcome to bring a laptop or similar device with a drawing program if you wish.

Please bring whatever personal hand tools you like. You are encouraged to bring a cordless drill. Please do not bring any power tools such a routers, angle grinders etc.

Inclusions

The course fees (see below) include basic drawing materials, MDF for templates and jigs and some 50mm thick solid timber (rock maple) for experimentation. All abrasives and consumables such as glue and finish are included.

Food

Morning tea, lunch, snacks and bottled water are included.

Accommodation

Many Queanbeyan motels offer better rates for long stays. It’s usually best to approach the motels directly, rather than go through an online booking service.  There are several Air BnB options in the area, from single rooms through to apartments. We don’t have any specific recommendations, but it’s wise to book as early as possible and we are happy to assist on request.

Terms and Conditions

The total cost of Week One of Design & Development 2023 is $2,250 incl. GST. We require full payment at the time of booking. Anybody who tests positive to COVID prior to the course will be offered either a credit for Design & Development 2024 or a full refund. If you are required to cancel for other reasons prior to 6th October, we will refund you $2,000 incl. GST. Refunds are not possible after 6^th October except for COVID. Class size is limited to 12 students (4 x Week 1 and 8 x full two weeks).

If you wish to discuss this opportunity further prior to booking, contact me, Evan, on email evan@dunstonedesign.com.au or call 0401 404 275.

What Students had to say about Dunstone Design Masterclasses and Design & Development 2019 with Adam Rogers

Hi Evan,

Just wanted to send you a quick message to thank you for all your help over the last few years. Your input has been incredibly valuable and has had a tremendous impact on my life. I would venture to guess that without your input, I would not be supporting the family with my woodworking.

I know you’ve got a lot going on, but you’re always willing to make time for me, and I really appreciate that.

Thanks,

L B, New Zealand

Evan — thank you for having the foresight to bring Adam over. I feel much better equipped as a designer/maker. And your hospitality and facilities are top drawer. 

Adam — thank you. In my experience, your knowledge and experience as a designer/maker is uncommon — you really do offer something different. Come back. -Jeremy (professional maker

Dear Evan,

Many thanks for sharing your wealth of experience during the Design and Development class last week. Your ability to bring together such a fine group was amazing.  The fact that the group not only collectively represented many many decades of professional and hobby furniture-making experience but also included members who have been well-recognised as exemplars in the craft was breathtaking.

With such a rich mixture of classmates from seasoned woodworkers, fine furniture-makers, and start-up business owners, the conversations were amazing.  I have no doubt that the learnings will pay dividends for me as I make choices about what furniture to make, how to make them, and how to fund them. 

Driving back from the course I reflected on how ‘design’ is such a small word covering a big world of creative endeavour.  I am so thankful that the course was led by such able tutors that you were able to shape it fluidly day by day, adapting to the needs of each individual student.  This was so valuable in empowering me personally to begin discover my own approach to design.  As a result the course was a journey of self-discovery, lots of creative experimentation, and an event I am sure I will look back on as being a formative point In my developing career.

Sufficient to say, I feel privileged to have been a member of the inaugural Dunstone Design Masterclass of 2019 and look forward to maintaining a close friendship with both you, Adam and my class alumni.  I have little doubt that over time the woodworkers this course produces will become an important community that few serious woodworkers will not want to be part of.  Afterall, all important work starts with great design!- Adam T (enthusiast and aspiring professional)