When Zara Fong worked at the KING Showroom in Auckland, she had no intention to relocate to Australia. She enjoyed the variety of helping customers to find the right pieces of furniture and designing their home. As a designer, she was excited to work with the KING range, understanding that it was the product of exceptional design ability. 

But when Zara’s plans changed, the timing aligned and she accepted a role as a Junior Designer with the KING design team in Sydney. 

“I loved working at the Showroom,” explains Zara. “I have a design background with a Masters of Industrial Design and that’s what drew me to KING in the first place. I was interested in the furniture and I enjoyed being on the Showroom floor, interacting with customers.” 

With her prior experience working for KING, Zara hit the ground running… and she hasn’t looked back since.  

Featuring miniature Amara Dining Chairs. 

A unique environment

Now a valued member of the KING design team, Zara is both in awe and appreciative of the unique environment at the company. It's not often that a designer works in a business that designs, manufacturers and sells products, all in-house. 

“Being in the design team, we have the support of that chain of services,” she says. “We’ve got a factory where we can do prototyping. We’ve also got welders and pattern makers.” 

The positive team culture enhances this environment with a diverse group of people, each bringing different skill sets and experience to the team. Everyone is valued for their contribution, learning from each other as they work. The work is hands-on with different opportunities to develop and grow as a designer. 

Captured in the KING design room.

The design process

Day-to-day Zara has the rare opportunity to be the main designer on a sofa design project. Working on everything from sketching and 3D modelling to prototyping and preparing it for production, Zara says that every day is different. 

“First and foremost, when we’re designing a new product, it needs to meet what our customers expect from us,” she explains. “And then we need to determine how and where we’ll manufacture the product."

“KING sells products in a very unique way, offering a lot of different fabrics. Each fabric will perform differently, so we need to ensure that every product we design is suitable for the whole KING system.” 

Problem solving is a big part of Zara’s role. She experiments with designs, fabrics and patterns, working across teams to find workable solutions and ensure the products meet the KING standard of quality.  

The KING team includes a variety of experts in their creative craft.

Collaboration and expertise

Zara admits that one of the joys of her role is the cross-team collaboration. She is always keen to learn and appreciates the way her colleagues share their expertise so generously. 

“Our welders, pattern makers and foam technician have been with KING for such a long time that they have so much knowledge about the furniture,” she says. “There is a learning curve when you start at KING to learn about all the furniture and fabrics and how KING functions as a product and a brand. But having colleagues that are so willing to share their knowledge and lend a helping hand is incredible. It really is a dream team.” 

Hungry to learn, Zara believes that having a wide base of knowledge and being open to what colleagues can teach you is key. It’s what she has drawn on so far to drive her career at KING. 

If you’re looking for a new opportunity, discover how you can drive your career with KING.