Classically Trained.
A little bit of background, I was classically trained as a product designer in the U.K. with the study of aesthetics and manufacture, I worked to hone the craft in various corporations and agencies. I designed within teams to take innovative concepts through manufacture and to market to produce winning products and ultimately consumer experiences. Additional experience in business and marketing enables me to step back and connect to the bigger picture. I think about design in a strategic manner that works for the longterm.
Material Craft.
Design for manufacture was an important part of a British education and essential in the real world. Often British designers were mistaken as engineers, but it’s critical to understand engineering to design appropriately and swiftly. I have experience designing with many materials including steel, many types of plastics and fabrics. Along with the materials I also understand real world production techniques including the manufacturing and construction associated with each to enable faster, better designs. Of more recent years I have improved my knowledge with fabric and cut and sew design and projects around this area.
Human Curiosity.
Designers are naturally curious, its part of the driver to craft something new and makes designers invaluable to modern commerce. If I step back I am curious about who and how a product is used, in order to provide better insight for the design. In my experience, consumers are critical to the design process. Consumers cannot tell you exactly what to bring to life or how to design it, but with a little coercing they can help you understand how to be better and allow things to really succeed. Taking consumer inputs and understanding market data that already exists we can create valuable innovations that people desire and find high value in.
Understanding Consumers & Market
Creating to conquer.
Even with todays digital design tools, I am a believer that physical prototyping in soft and hard materials augments digital. This allows us to learn quickly and identify issues that we would not have found in cad alone. Entrepreneurs call this process of redefinition “pivoting” when they find a critical point and need to adjust the business plan. I like creating soft and hard prototypes using flexible processes to get to the crux of those issues and make good design decisions. Paper mockups, foam, sewing machines to 3d prints are the tools of the trade that can help communicate as well as learn and develop. I have a large base of knowledge regarding design for manufacture.
Making Prototypes & Samples
Overall, my design and development process is iterative and starts with research and ideation (sketching). Sketching is often the jumping off point. Its fast fluid and a great form of communication between clients, teams and designers. Ideas can be sketched or plans or flowcharts can be visually described and all can be discussed and critiqued to get to developable ideas.
Tie it all together – Branding, Design & Business
Part of my advantage or one would say experience is due to my exposure and involvement in product development, business and brand. A business degree taught me a lot about theoretical business and the real world taught me about the real business :). I use this wisely so I am often at the intersection of design and brand story telling to create items which people really crave, told with meaningful stories.
Telling brand stories:
Understand the system and creation of print catalogs, dealer collateral, industry adverts and product packaging
Design for digital and web
About me and my professional path.
I have worked for some great brands from huge to very small, including Nike Swim, Yakima Racks, Leatherman Tools, General Electric, Ziba Design,, Pinnacle Exhibits, Chris King Precision Components. All with many different ways of understanding consumers, tackling design and manufacturing.
I am interested in using my skills to design products that embody thoughtful, sustainable ideas.
I revel in the idea that it’s possible to create consumption that looks after our environment and improves peoples lives short and long term. Fast, disposable consumerism isn’t my forte.
Thanks for reading this somewhat small magazine spread of a story 🙂 The above samples are small part of my work. If you are interested in working with me, I would be happy to show you more of what I have created and talk through projects in detail. Please contact me on the form below.
If you would like to hear my philosophy, click here What I believe and how I can help you…
JDB Design 