The formula for monetizing ideas is usually only found with large amounts of capital. It’s easy to say you love design or are a product designer, but to actually sacrifice what it takes to design a great product… is about love. If you truly love something or someone, you will become the heaven and earth to protect it. You will be ostracised – you will be laughed at and you will find out who your true friends are. However, with patience and determination to serve something greater than yourself – with mother nature at your side, credit will go to the man actually in the arena.

Industrial Design is just one of those vocations – you’ve got to go off the beaten track to get good at it. If the brief isn’t being divided up between a large team of people – there is only 1 way to learn.

The trial and error involved in realising an idea is brutal, especially when you’re only working with what’s available.

After 5 years of studying and working in design, I started building a technology company with the lifeblood of one beautiful product launch. Having conducted a lot of research, learned different leadership styles in different jobs and investing heavily in myself – in February 2016, it was time to design my disruptive innovation.

My practice, revolves around conducting basic research; making the concept drawn on paper – real, as fast as possible. I don’t pride myself on how ‘many’ versions it takes to get to the final outcome, but on how ‘few’. Build a model, scale the model, test the model, film the model, watch and listen to how it performs. What works? What doesn’t? Then do the maths and repeat the experiment until you get what you’re looking for. I try to stay away from theoretical calculations as much as I can, as a binary approach can shut more doors than it opens.

The way I work is all about redefining perceptions, so I don’t see problems as problems at all, I see opportunities.

It took 1219 days of working and thinking to reach the point where I had 2 functional prototypes and a manufacturing legitimacy for the electric-less ball launcher (check out the blog for more info).

The intended purpose is focused on Cricket, Tennis and Baseball – the goal being that the user can stand and hit at least 6 balls in sequence before having to reload. It is a training aid – designed to increase participation and performance through having fun. It answers to the frustrations of the solo kid, who wants to play and get better at batting, but whom is restricted by having no pitchers/bowlers or the means to afford a large electric machine.

The product is lightweight, easy to assemble, transport, cheap to ship and with a +250 printer farm, it will cost less than £60 to make.

It only takes one product to start a revolution.

Education

Leeds Beckett University

Bachelor’s degree (2011-2014)

Industrial and Product Design

The study of 5 design pathways (Digital, Textiles, Play, Furniture, Product).

Trained as a professional practitioner in the design process and discovered my identity as a Product Designer.

Course Modules: Physical Modelling, Hand Rendering in perspective, Rapid Prototyping, The History of Design, 2D Vectorization, 3D Modelling, 3D Rendering, 3D Animation, Web Design.

Skills

Hand Rendered Ideation

Vector Drawings to 3D Extruded Components

Vector Drawing for Machine Programming

Parametric Modelling (Fusion 360)

CNC Router Fabrication

3D Print Rapid Prototyping

CNC Laser Engraving

Artistic 3D Modelling

Digital Artwork (technical & visual)

HTML5 + CSS Web Design

Google Merchant Ads