Mitsubishi Motors has signed a $1.2 million deal with Frontline Australasia for the manufacture of a premium aluminium sportsbar to be fitted to its latest Triton range.

The three-piece solution by Melbourne industrial designer Marc Fraser is a welcome piece of news for the local automotive industry and helps provide increased security for Frontlines 96 employees.

The sportsbar will be a “port of entry” fitment option that enables Triton buyers to customise the look of their vehicles.

The sportsbar development was initiated by Design Victoria’s Business Immersion Program, a state government initiative that connects professional designers with Victorian businesses to boost their design capability, business opportunities and profitability.

A more in-depth story of the development will be available soon.

STOP PRESS: The new Mitsubishi Triton has just won the Overlander 4WD of the Year… check it out here

This figure has been identified through the work of Dr Kosmas Smyrnios at RMIT. You can find more information about his work at Design Victoria

It’s interesting in that the vast majority of new business owners and entrepreneurs understand the value of Design to such an extent that they place it front-and-centre in their strategic activities.

So what can you do to increase your exposure to Design, and therefore, understand the benefits that Design can provide?

Here’s just a few ideas:

1. Attend some design-related discussions and seminars… Design Victoria is very active… you may have similar bodies in your area if you don’t live in Victoria
2. Do some more internet research… if you’ve found this site, odd’s are you’ll find a bunch of other designer sites where you can get a feel for what is on offer, and how you might make your first steps.
3. Subscribe to some design magazines or e-zines… Core 77 is largely focused on Industrial Design, however the other disciplines (such as graphic design, interior, architecture and so on) will also have similar information sources.
4. Get some referrals… the Design Institute of Australia runs an online referral service where you can get introductions and appointments to discuss your project or ideas with DIA members.

Engaging professional designers is only a good strategy if you are willing to put in some serious effort in developing briefs, requirements and market insights. Whilst we, as designers, have a natural inquisitiveness and observatory understanding of what is going on out in the marketplace… only you know your market, and only you can advise us of what you want.

Of course, your designers will always want to chuck in their ideas, and some designers may even be absolutely stubborn about making their ideas heard… the point is, whilst we acknowledge that you are the client and we are here to serve you, please also be prepared to be taken in some different directions once you have engaged us.

Once you have engaged a designer for your project (be it a consultant, contractor or permanent staff-member), you must be prepared to invest time and effort in the management and collaboration of your newfound design capability. Design functions need just as much management, guidance, focus on outcomes and business integration as all of your other business functions. The more attention and structure you put into your design department (be it internal or external / virtual), the more likely you are to achieve successful and profitable results.

With a well-oiled Design function working for your business, you can (and should) expect to get on the road to fast business growth.