Late Payments are crippling Industry

An inquiry investigating payment times and practices in Australia is in full swing with preliminary findings confirming that big businesses and some governments are taking longer than ever to pay small businesses. So far 60 percent of small businesses are reporting an...

The Lady of the House’

Understanding the purchasing decision process of your customers is imperative in today’s competitive market. Customer profiling has been used in the fashion industry for over 3 decades and has been a driving tool in establishing market share. Knowing and determining...

A Handy Reference Guide to the 20 Greenest Materials

Have you ever wondered what the greenest materials are…we found this handy go-to list of the friendliest materials that have our planet covered. http://ecosalon.com/a-handy-reference-guide-to-the-20-greenest-materials/

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

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...

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...

Women in Consulting Leadership

Sydney Breakfast Forum  To bring about change within the upper echelons of the built environment consulting industry would be a significant step in advancing equality in this traditional and male dominated world and these business leaders are taking a big step...

Chinese Move to Certification of Wood Products

The Chinese government is moving to sustainable forest certification of wood products, both harvested at home and imported from other countries, officials told a conference on illegal logging in Beijing recently. That includes a crackdown on countries that don’t...

Axolotl Art Project

AFA Member and AFA partners, Axolotl, are also involved with art installations. As “Axolotl Art Projects” they were recently commissioned to produce this intricate glass artwork, drawn by eminent Chinese pop artist Jacky Tsai. The piece is on its way to be...

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...