Cultural clock collaboration
Cutshop® variety of projects continues to expand and diversify year upon year. Some of our youngest collaborators are a group of senior college students from Sacred Heart College, who were part of an enterprise scheme that allowed them to experience the opening, running and closing of a business. Their project went into production in May this year (2019), and has been highly successful.
Working with The Lion Foundation
This particular collaboration has a rather unique story behind it. In a nutshell, The Lion Foundation runs a programme called the ‘Youth Enterprise Scheme (YES)’ for final-year college students. Each group has to come up with a product or service to sell or deliver during the year, and run everything as if it was a real-life business. Products must be manufactured, developed and sold, and services must be put into action. Each team has a mentor to coach them through the process, and they fund their own projects.
Some of the boys with their mentor, Roger.
This particular group of boys from Sacred Heart College felt compelled to use this opportunity to find a way to bring Maori culture into people’s lives on a daily basis - something they believed was a meaningful topic with not enough exposure in everyday society.
When thinking about what they could do to turn this into a reality, they decided to make something useful but artistic, that people would look at all the time … a clock!
Originally, the team wanted to write the numbers in Maori as a way to incorporate the cultural aspect, but Roger, their mentor, suggested that the traditional Koru design would be highly symbolic and work well when it came to marketing from a design standpoint.
The spiral design has played a significant role in the Air New Zealand uniform and planes before, so it would be a way for the group to upscale their ideas in a more visually-engaging way.
Before fully investing in the venture, the boys carried out surveys to gather opinions on their idea, and see if people would be interested in purchasing the clocks. With lots of positive feedback, the idea was solidified.
Their group named their business ‘Karaka works’ (‘Karaka’ meaning ‘clock’ in Maori) and moved into production.
Enlisting the help of Cutshop®
When searching for partners for the manufacturing and creation process, the group understood they’d need to work with people who not only paid attention to detail but had a strong knowledge of materials and design.
When they came across Simon at Cutshop® , Mt Wellington, it was a no-brainer that collaborating with Cutshop® would be the best option for the team. At their young age, funding such a large-scale project from their own pockets, it was vital they made the best decisions to save themselves time and money wherever they could.
Once a meeting was organised between the parties, the boys had the chance to present their designs on paper. Simon introduced them to a range of wood options they could work with. They were also given a tour of the factory so to learn about the processes going on behind the scenes, and get inspired by the possibilities.
The first physical process was prototyping, so they could understand what their product would look like to scale. To keep costs low, this was done with MDF wood. This process came in very useful for the team and led them to alter the size of the design to a larger model.
When it came to the official production, they opted to use pinewood, going for a more high-cost model to create something both artistic and professional-looking for their customers.
Throughout the journey, Simon’s input was invaluable. He outlined services and prices right from the get-go, taking into consideration the fact that the boys were funding the whole project themselves. He spoke to them about how much they should charge for the clocks, giving them a concept of the time and effort involved in relation to monetary value, and shared insightful knowledge about his line of work.
A successful production line
It was a hefty task but Simon also did all of the carving (49 clocks!) using the infamous CNC machine. His help along with the manufacturing and production process really contributed towards showing the boys how much could be achieved with a clear goal and vision.
Once the models were completed, the boys set up a rota system which enabled them to take turns sanding and varnishing. With a minimal-to-no knowledge background in woodwork, this whole project was a huge learning curve for them.
When the mechanisms arrived from a Japanese clockmaker (Seiko Clock Movement) and were fixed onto the clocks, the final step was the packaging. With such a stunning final product, they wanted to make sure there were no details left untouched.
They ordered boxes and lined them with black tissue paper for a classy feel. Marketing the clocks was done through networking dinners, social media platforms, and at the YES Market competition. There are some clocks still available for purchase at $69 per clock - contact karakaworks@gmail.com for more information.
The team at Cutshop® is passionate about creativity, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and empowering people of all ages and stages across New Zealand with the things they need to bring their visions to life. Working with college students was an awesome way for them to pass on knowledge and insights, helping them realise such an original, unique art piece, with great practicality.
Since this project began, the boys have felt inspired to continue exploring business, enterprise, and commerce when they finish school. They had the opportunity to make the kinds of mistakes and overcome obstacles they could face in the real world, so the learning experience was a great way for them to grasp who they are in a professional sense. Cutshop® was proud to be part of their journey and deliver an awesome outcome.
