Testimonials

“Andy’s been an integral part of what we’ve achieved over the past 8 plus years. From helping us navigate the original ideation and design process, to vetting suppliers, managing production, developing QC standards, and expanding the range, his insight has been incalculably valuable.

He’s the rare designer that has extensive experience hand-making gear from scratch, meaning the design concepts don’t collapse on first contact with the factory.

In addition to being a reassuring, knowledgeable voice at the table, he’s always got a keen eye for opportunity costs and trade-offs, meaning decisions are made with both eyes wide open – resulting in more robust product at the other end.”
— Jimmy – Co-founder, Minaal

“I had been experimenting with awning solutions for my LeisurePod camper trailer for months without success until I heard of Andy Milne’s reputation in this field and subsequently followed up by contacting him. Andy stepped in and saved the day showing an instant appreciation of the design requirements and demonstrating his expertise in concept design, presentation, fabric knowledge, prototyping, detailed specifications and manufacturing processes.

Andy was able to work remotely from his South Island location for our Auckland based brand and also supervised manufacturing in China. He took responsibility for every detail, leaving nothing to chance and combined this with his experience in working with the offshore manufacturers. There is no replacement for this level of experience as there are so many potential pitfalls. We are very pleased with every aspect of the finished product.

I can recommend Andy as a highly professional and skilled product designer who can manage all facets of product development.”
— Allan Croad – Inventor and Owner, Leisurepod

“With our range of Ventura motorcycle luggage beginning to look a little dated we began looking for a designer that could breathe some fresh life into our product range. Fortunately Andy had been recommended by a mutual friend. After thoroughly studying Andy’s website I made contact and we arranged to meet at our Hamilton office. This meeting confirmed everything he had stated on his website and from there we commissioned him to design two new versions from our range. Andy’s experience in the complete process from concept through to production proved invaluable as we developed the samples within our factory in Hamilton. Andy’s range of skills were impressive as were his attention to detail. We are extremely happy with the two new models which are now selling in Australia, Europe and the USA and we intend to commission Andy to develop further models in 2013. I would have no hesitation in recommending Andy to anyone seeking a highly skilled and professional designer.”
— Paul Dold – Owner, Dold Industries

“Cactus Climbing is a New Zealand designer and manufacturer of backpacks and outdoor clothing. Over the past year we have contracted Andrew Milne for various design-related tasks including the concept, detailed design, material sourcing and production engineering of our range of large packs. Andy has bought to our team an extensive experience within the outdoor industry, an appreciation of the needs of outdoor professionals and a friendly and relaxed disposition to a project that, at times, faced budget and timeline constraints.

Along with these projects Andy has worked on some specific custom projects designing highly engineered items for some of our industrial clients – these projects have pushed the boundaries of what is achievable from a sewn product and it is in part thanks to Andy’s design skills that these projects have been successful. We’ve enjoyed working with Andy and will continue to do so into the future.”
— Ben Kepes – Director, Cactus Climbing Limited

“I have known Andy for a number of years and know of his passion for good design and the outdoors. I knew it was only a matter of time before we would ask him to work with us. Our initial brief was to develop precise specifications and drawings of our pack models. Andy’s skill and professionalism in this area has been a great step forward in the professionalism of our documentation with our factory. In addition we have been able to work together to make a systematic documentation framework in which any new design can be easily incorporated, thus reducing the time necessary to introduce new products.

More recently we have used design input from Andy in developing a more advanced and refined hipbelt which auto-moulds to the wearer’s shape. Unlike other brands, the front of our hipbelts carry much of the total load. Particularly important was the impact of the weight in the Balance Pockets on the front of the hipbelt and how we could comfortably spread the whole load evenly around the circumference of the hips to create a balanced loading on the front and back of the pelvis. By combining Andys’ design skills with mine, the solution we came up with was better than the one I would have achieved alone.

I would recommend Andy to any company looking for a skilled, conscientious and creative designer. He can take your initial product idea from the concept stage, through the prototype and testing phase, to the final complete package of documentation, patterns and samples. With this professional package you can introduce a new product to any factory with the greatest accuracy and with the minimum time and expense.”
— Aarn Tate – Owner, Aarn Design Limited

“Andy’s experience with equipment usage obviously drives his design ethos. The gear he produces is reliable and functional. It’s shaped to work and fit like a glove. I came to Andy with a product which I’d worked on for years – a whitewater kayaking personal flotation device (PFD), which is designed to offer protection to the people at the very top level of the sport. I wanted Andy to bring my basic engineering and experimental designs together and produce a great PFD. It’s a technical piece of gear which Andy had little experience with, but during our initial meeting he gave me the confidence that the final product would in fact be great.

Andy’s attention to detail and care to design as per the customer’s specifications (or ideas) make working with him a pleasure. With my project we very quickly worked through material and component sourcing, through design and prototyping, and at every step of the way I was kept up to speed with developments, so that ideas could be acted upon and mistakes avoided. The outdoor equipment world is a better place for the work of Andy Milne Design.”
–Kevin England – Owner, Hydroscapes

“I have worked with Andy Milne for a number of years. Most recently, Andy worked with us to develop a new range of down sleeping bags. As always, he produced a product range with a great balance between cutting-edge design and commercial viability.

We enjoy working with Andy as he possesses a creative approach to problem-solving that results in unique products with a clear competitive advantage. Andy backs up solutions with an in-depth understanding of the product. He also developed our concepts, consulting us at each stage of the process to ensure we were all happy with the direction it was taking.

He has an outstanding attention to detail, with many of our manufacturers commending him on the detail of his specification sheets. This has saved us in sampling costs as we often were able to reduce time and volume of the sampling process. I would not hesitate to recommend Andy Milne to anyone looking for a methodical and creative designer.”
— Richard Knauf – Managing Director, Freedom Camping NZ, Flow Imports Limited

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