David Barbalet

Industrial Designer David Barbalet is passionate about creating positive change for people by manufacturing crutches, transfer boards, wheelchair and associated assistive technology products in Australia. Specialising in carbon fibre composite manufacture and user-centred design, David creates new products that enable mobility and reduce fatigue for rehabilitation, high-performance and everyday users. 

For 15+ years, in his home studio, David has created functionally beautiful products with exceptional strength-to-weight ratios. David’s design and engineering principles increase functionality and reduce user fatigue by virtue of low mass, high strength and custom fit properties. These properties mean better client outcomes and a longer product life. In turn, advanced usability and durability also reduces waste and landfill.

A Churchill Fellowship will support David to gain insight from leaders in their fields in the USA and Canada, with the objective of increasing ergonomic and engineering capabilities within his own practice. David will share these skills and expand his practice to benefit a wider range of Australians who will have greater access to bespoke advanced adaptive equipment made locally to meet their needs.  

David’s fellowship will connect him with two streams of expertise.

1.    In Seattle USA he will expand his knowledge of, and gain greater expertise in volume manufacturing of advanced composite structures by working with industry leaders building carbon fibre hypercar and aviation components. 

2.    In Montréal Canada he will understudy with Paralympic athletes who established a specialised wheelchair sports manufacturing business to gain greater expertise in specialised racing wheelchairs, ergonomics, fit and optimisation. 

As an innovator who is driven to create products with greater efficiency, performance and user fit, David will weave these streams of new knowledge into his practice to further grow, innovate, and make positive change.