Inside the Ultimate Sandbox
A Day at Design Anthology’s Gateshead Workshop
By Zara Crichton, CEO of Hunter IF
The energy at the Design Anthology (DA) workshop in Gateshead is always firing at a solid 10/10, but I recently had the absolute pleasure of heading out to their site myself to sit down with the team and see where the magic happens.
What draws us at Hunter IF to a hardware prototyping workshop? The answer is simple: brilliant, holistic, no-nonsense innovation happening right in our backyard.
As a proud, long-standing Hunter IF member, Design Anthology has spent over 20 years quietly transforming wild ideas into commercially viable reality. During my visit, I caught up with Josh Jeffress (Director and Principal Designer), Nat Andrew (Project Coordinator), and their amazing team of builders on-site to chat about what goes on behind the workshop doors, why culture drives the bottom line, and why the Hunter region is the place to build the future.
Innovation is More Than a Clever Widget
Walking around the workshop with Nat and the builders, it is clear you won't find this team chasing innovation just for the sake of a trendy buzzword. For Josh and the crew, innovation isn’t a single Eureka moment, it is a mindset.
“We probably do not have one favourite innovation, because every project is so different,” Josh tells me. “That is also one of the best and hardest parts of what we do. Sometimes it is a clever mechanism. Sometimes it is a better material choice, a smarter manufacturing method, or removing the inefficiencies that make a product hard to build.”
At its core, DA’s superpower is listening properly. By deeply understanding the client, the end-user, and the commercial constraints, they uncover the missed opportunities that others blink and miss.
The DA Holistic Approach:
Listen Deeply ➔ Map User Journey ➔ Design for Manufacturing ➔ Scale Commercially
Josh brings more than 30 years of product development, manufacturing, and commercialisation experience, allowing DA to look far beyond the initial hardware. “We are thinking about how it will be made, assembled, installed, serviced, marketed, sold, and scaled. For us, the best innovation is holistic; it’s practical, commercially smart improvement across every touchpoint.”
Serious Work, Great Vibes
There is an undeniable buzz in the Gateshead workshop, but don't let the fun, lighthearted atmosphere fool you, the work they do is incredibly demanding. Watching the amazing team of builders on-site, it is obvious how much skill and precision goes into every single build.
“What we do is hard,” Josh admits bluntly. “We are often creating something that has never existed before, so there are always unknowns. There is risk, pressure, uncertainty, and a fair bit of problem-solving along the way.”
So, how do DA and Project Coordinator Nat Andrew consistently keep everything on track and nail the brief? It all comes down to a workplace culture rooted in radical transparency and zero ego.
How Culture Drives the Bottom Line:
Ego-Free Ideation: A team environment where anyone can throw an idea around, challenge assumptions, and pivot fast.
Early Mistake Detection: Open conversations mean solving problems early, avoiding incredibly costly downstream manufacturing mistakes.
Client Psychological Safety: Product development can be a confronting journey for founders; a supportive culture keeps them feeling secure.
“When people feel safe to contribute, the work gets better,” Josh says. “The process gets smoother. The outcomes are stronger. That absolutely contributes to the bottom line.”
Showing Up for the Hunter Ecosystem
Design Anthology isn’t interested in just collecting logos or ticking corporate social responsibility boxes. They believe in being genuinely useful to our local innovation ecosystem, which is exactly why they plug so deeply into what we do at Hunter IF.
If you’ve spent any time in the Hunter innovation space, chances are you’ve crossed paths with them. They’ve run Hardware MVP Hacking workshops for I2N, mentored through the Venture Mentor Service, guest-lectured at the University of Newcastle, and heavily supported the Hunter Manufacturing Awards.
Just this year alone, the team has quietly made over 40 introductions connecting local startups with expert problem-solvers.
But their commitment to a bigger purpose doesn't stop at networking. DA donates a minimum of 10% of its profits to local, national, and global initiatives.
“The Hunter has given us a lot, so it makes sense for us to give back, help where we can, and play an active role in building the region’s innovation capability,” says Josh.
The Power of the Ultimate Sandbox
No single business can be a master of every single stage of the hardware journey, from initial 3D prints to global market compliance. That’s why DA has spent years intentionally curating an ecosystem of trusted partners.
By bringing the right partners into a project early, DA drastically accelerates the prototyping phase. It allows them to test assumptions, identify supply chain risks, and dodge expensive errors before a single tool is cut.
“Strong partnerships are not just about getting the job done. They are built through trust, generosity, and shared know-how. When the people around us get stronger, the whole ecosystem gets stronger.”
The DA Client Playbook: Clarity First
To keep these relationships clean and focused on world-class design, DA operates primarily on a fixed-cost, fixed-deliverable model rather than equity sharing.
This model ensures total clarity from day one. Clients know exactly what they are investing, what they will receive, and, crucially, that they retain 100% ownership of their intellectual property at the end of the process.
Have an Idea That Could Change the World? Here’s How to Start
For the aspiring inventors and seasoned industry disrupters out there, Josh has a vital piece of advice: fall in love with the problem, not your solution.
Before spending a single dollar on high-fidelity manufacturing, Josh recommends asking these core questions:
1. Who is it for? 2. What problem does it solve, and why does it matter? 3. What are people doing right now instead? 4. Will they actually pay money for a better solution? 5. How much time, risk, or friction does it actually save?
“The biggest mistake people make is jumping too quickly into a fully finished product,” warns Josh. “Early-stage development should be about learning. Sketch it, map the user journey, build a simple prototype, and talk to customers. Once the idea has legs, then you can scale.”
The Ideal DA Partner
If you do decide to walk through DA's doors, bring a passion for collaboration and a healthy sense of humour. Josh notes that their favourite clients are the ones willing to lean into the messy, exciting reality of creation alongside them.
"The best projects happen when both sides are equally committed. When there is trust, shared values, and a willingness to give it everything, the work is better."
Why the Hunter is the Place to Be
Spending the day with Josh, Nat, and the onsite build team made it incredibly obvious why Design Anthology is fiercely proud to call the Hunter home.
“The Hunter has a rare mix of ingredients,” Josh says. “We have manufacturing capability, engineering knowledge, research institutions, creative talent, and a growing innovation community. There is real depth here.”
It’s a region that doesn't just talk, it makes. And with brilliant Hunter IF members like Design Anthology leading the charge, the future of hardware innovation is being built right here in our backyard.
Got a game-changing hardware idea or looking to scale a product? Get in touch with Josh Jeffress, Director and Principal Designer at Design Anthology, at 0410 147 867, or visit Nat and the team in Gateshead to see the magic in action.
