REAL PEOPLE. REAL TRADES. REAL STORIES.

Meet Dean Toepfer, a passionate product designer and co-founder of Mixed Goods Studios. Dean's journey into the world of design began with his fascination for furniture, objects, and lighting. Discover Dean's creative journey and what drives his artistic process.

"Mixed goods came about two and a half years ago when my co - founder Andrew Carvolth and I started it. We both went through the Jam Factory Associate program and decided the next stage was setting up our own independent practice. We were keen on getting other people involved. So we decided to set up a multidisciplinary shared studio space here in Adelaide."

"My background, I studied as a product designer. I fell in love with furniture object and lighting design, so that sort of made my specialty. I've been a designer for six years now".

"My design process starts with ideation, which includes sketching and model making. This process then transitions to the computer, where CAD design is utilized. Prototypes are created, along with one-to-one mockups. Some components are outsourced, while others are made in-house. The final construction takes place in my studio."

"My favourite part of my process is transforming intangible ideas and thoughts into tangible products. This journey involves a lot of problem-solving, which makes overcoming obstacles and realizing a product a highly rewarding experience. It's great having a collaborative work environment, to speak to others about processes, learning from others. Also getting critique and feedback on your own work is very valuable. Sometimes you have tunnel vision, so it's great to have other people around to critique your work and help give you pointers as well as collaborating specifically on projects. We all have diverse skill sets, so it's great to have other people on board that have specific knowledge in other areas or specialty knowledge in other areas." 

"I draw inspiration from various sources, including friends, pop culture, fashion, music, and more. These diverse influences provide the building blocks for my work, which reflects both my skillset and passions. Striving for excellence in execution and attention to detail is a constant pursuit, as it's my name on the final product."

"My advice to people wanting to get into this industry is to get out there and give it a go get experience in as many different areas as you can. You can't always find that perfect environment, but it's through learning and through doing you figure out what you want and what you don't want. It's a great way of honing your practice and figuring out the things that you get enjoyment from."

"KingGee stands as one of the quintessential Australian workwear brands, known and trusted by many in the workforce. It represents good, robust, and high-quality workwear that you can rely on to go the distance."

Follow Dean on Instagram

@deantoepfer