Pantones colour of the year – Greenery!

In keeping with a green theme have you incorporated Pantones colour of the year into any of your designs? If so we would love to see them…in the interim here are some thought starters from our friends at dezeen...

Green Interior Awards Open for submissions

Thank you to the green Interior Awards for their contribution to todays enewlsetter. The AFA is proud to be associated with the Green Interior Awards, which are now open http://us11.campaign-archive1.com/?u=bd04e0d033c6be47b454e3519&id=4109cb82f0

CEO News November 2017

I am excited to lead a delegation of Industry Leaders, Designers, Educators and Buyers to Malaysia for the EFE and MIFF 2017 events. Whilst my role will be to present on the importance of complying with Australian standards, testing, certification and legislation, the...

HOW DOES A GENIUS BILLIONAIRE ENTREPRENEUR HANDLE PRICING STRATEGY?

  …and what you can do to improve your pricing strategy     This week we received a great thought provoking piece from Ron Wood, Founder and Managing Director of Pricing Insight. He highlighted the email shared with the world for a very specific and clever...

Australia’s ‘five pillar economy’ – manufacturing

Manufacturing has changed the world and is itself changing, more fundamentally than at any time since the industrial revolution. Does this spell the end of manufacturing in Australia, or a new beginning? Our immediate challenge is that the resources boom has ‘hollowed...

Advantages of buying “Upcycled” furniture

Have you noticed a rise in people being interested in upcycling? Have you heard the word more often than usual? It’s a thing! So what is all the fuss about upcycling? And what is it all about? Upcycle Magazine says “Upcycling is taking an item that is no longer needed...

Grey Fleet

Many businesses operate a vehicle fleet and will, no doubt, have well-developed policies and procedures that apply to the operation of that fleet. These policies are designed to deal with safety and well being responsibilities of both the business and employees. To...

ISO guidance on product safety

The International Standards Organisation (ISO) publishes standards on a wide range of topics, including consumer product safety. Members may be aware, for example, of the ISO standard for high chairs – ISO 9221. But ISO also publishes a range of standards and guides...

Top Tips To Protect Your Furniture Designs Under Australian Law

This article provides basic tips for protecting your furniture or homeware designs under Australian law.   We’ll begin with a case study. Imagine you have just developed a new design for a lamp. It features an unusual shaped base and a distinctive holder for the...

Dezeens favourite chairs from 2016

Dezeens favourite chairs from 2016  Designers are always reinventing the chair, and 2016 was no different. Deputy Editor Rima Sabina Aouf from Dezeen shares her favourites, including seats inspired by comics, a granite throne and a chair with its own micro-climate. To...

It’s a car wreck

Studio Job, led by designers Job Smeets and Nynke Tynagel, is known for its fantastical and often autobiographical pieces.They have expanded on their autobiographical Train Crash table with a coffee table version depicting a burning car. The Car Crash coffee table was...

Vale – Wolfgang Schubert (Jan 2017) and Sonja Schubert (Nov 2016)

  On behalf of the AFA Board, Management and Members, we observe the sad passings of Wolfgang Schubert, founder of Burgtec Australasia Pty Ltd, who passed way on 9 January, and of Sonja, his beloved wife of 62 years, 9 weeks earlier, on 6 November.   Wolfgang and...

Business confidence surges to highest level in past six years

Business confidence among SMEs is now sitting at its highest level since March 2010, following an eight point rise to +46 on a net basis, according to the latest Sensis Business Index (SBI)* survey.Sensis Chief Executive Officer, John Allan said, “Businesses closed...

Jobs for young people in a world of automation

As technology advances and changes our economy, young job seekers will be significantly affected by changes in the labour market. With the increasing automation of jobs traditionally occupied by young workers and professionals, a whole generation could face a...

AFA Members Invest in Your Future Business Leaders

Applications are now open for this industry-leading program for professionals in the built environment.   Highly regarded across the industry, Consult Australia’s FutureNet Business Leaders Course is now in its tenth year, with its alumni sought-after by employers and...