Product Designer

Ross Reeves (BA,MSc)

web | www.rossreeves.co.uk | tel | 07850961160 | email | ross.reeves10@gmail.com

Product Statement

Work Experience

Whilst at University, I gained considerable knowledge in my subject area, providing me with skills that can now be transferred to a working environment. Including the design based skills gained, I have completed tasks that have improved my confidence and provided experience in working out of my comfort zone. The benefits of this are, I now engage in all given tasks with an open mind and a positive attitude. My individual and group activities, both at work and education has given me a taste of different working environments, which I now feel comfortable in. It is a huge aspiration of mine to further my knowledge in design and marketing. By securing a job in an industry I am passionate about, I am confident I will address all tasks with enthusiasm and dedication, adding immediate value to an organisation. The desire to enhance my skills in design was the fundamental reason for furthering my education at Masters level.

Homebase Ltd Stocks Golf Club (School Work Experience) Four Years Experience in Retail, working as shop floor assistant, window layout design, till reconciliation, stock management, customer service and mentoring new to UK staff Sick UK (Optic Electronics), Summer clerical work, telephone sales and shadowing verious roles Computer training at elderly sheltered housing in summer University live projects with Herman Miller and Razed Roof. This experience included developing a product for Herman Miller and a marketing communications plan for a charity in which both projects received positive feedback from the client.

Education

Ashlyns School Berkhamsted 2004-2007 GCSE English Language GCSE English Literature GCSE Maths GCSE Double Science GCSE Art GCSE Graphics GCSE ICT GCSE P.E GCSE German West Herts College Watford 2007-2009 National Diploma 3D Design

- Master of Science (MSc) Integrated Product Design

Skills
Full UK Driving License Mac OS X Windows Platforms Adobe Photoshop Adobe Illustrator Adobe InDesign Microsoft Office Sketch Book Pro Solidworks Auto CAD Keyshot Rendering Rhino Siemens Jack Human Virtual Software SimaPro CES EduPack Mold Flow Prezi Presentation Software

Visualisation Skills
- Basic Hand Sketching - Digital Sketching - Model Making by hand and rapid prototyping

Interests

I am a season ticket holder at a football club and I also enjoy watching my local club Berkhamsted. I play Golf regularly and I am a member of Berkhamsted Golf Club where I participate in regular competitions. Time permitting I take great pleasure from helping the disabled at a social club in Berkhamsted. I also enjoy travelling around the world.

Achievements
Won 3 golf competitions, including a schools cup. Qualified for my black belt in Taekwondo Shortlisted for BP Schools Art Competition

Brief

Character Inhalers

The inhalers would be made using a two part injection mould. Each tool would cost approximately 2900, this resutling in tooling costs estimated at 6000. Each product would then be manufactured at a cost of 0.62.

Plastic Innovation Project (BA)

The project involved considering the use of plastics when designing for individuals who have and suffer with a physical disability. The product would also need to be suitable for a mass market. The chosen disability was asthma, and the aim was to create inhalers that encouraged children to carry them with them and eventually recycle them.

Brief

Polyoxymethylene (POM), also known as acetal, polyacetal, and polyformaldehyde, is an engineering thermoplastic used in precision parts that require high stiffness, low friction and excellent dimensional stability.

Material

Colour
Although the inhalers were initially designed to resemble their character, research showed that the majority of inhalers are identified by being either a turquoise or brown inhaler.

Student Storage

Herman Miller Live Project (BA)

The cover that goes over the shell would be made from fibreboard and covered with coloured melamine foil. The case and drawer would be made from polycarbonate with stainless steel handles and runners.

Materials

Colours Modular System

The shells provided from Herman Miller were made available in three colours. Therefore, the suitcases would come in white, cream and black.

As a request of Herman Millers to maintain a modular system, additional parts were made to incorporate a system that creates a storage and desk space for students.

Product Purpose

The suitcase cupboards would eliminate the time students spend transferring their belongings from cupboards to suitcases before travelling.

Student Storage

Herman Miller Live Project (BA)

This was a live project with Herman Miller. The company provided a modular system outer shell and asked what else this could be used for. I chose to design a modular system for students living in accommodation

All sketch ideas were generated using illustrator. This was the sketch that developed a pull out wash bucket into a suitcase where the idea originated from,

Sketches

Brief

As part of Herman Millers request, the shell could not be Page 17 Ross Reeves changed and came in a series of sizes. The two cases would slide into the product shell.

Design Restriction

Initial Idea for larger TARDIS

Drawer System

The suitcase storage space would be similar to a standard drawer on runners. This would ensure its functional for both in the cupboard and portable.

Football Communications
Final Major Project (BA)
The aim of my final degree project was to investigate and resolve how a football match day experience could be improved for families.

Brief

Many companies and agencies were contacted to get an in depth understanding of this task. All football league clubs were contacted asking for an explanation on their current methods of promoting to families. A survey with over 200 football members also aided the research of this project. The most beneficial information was supplied by the fans experience company, who explained the success of Cardif Citys focus groups run with supporters to provide an experience that fans wished for.

Initial Research

Research Findings

The findings of extensive research showed that many supporters have a blind loyalty to their club. Many supporters shared that their match day could be improved, however, they would not take their business elsewhere to seek this. This enabled clubs to be slightly lazy and continue to provide the same experience they had done for many years. With this in mind, Cardiff City organised family focus groups enabling them to ask their supporters how they could improve the Cardif experience. Although this was a revolutionary idea that Cardif had implemented, a further survey showed that many supporters would not have time for a focus group and dont see why they should have to give up their time for one either. This lead me to think that before a family match day experience could be improved, firstly a product or service would need to be designed to make communications between club and supporters a much easier and less time consuming operation

Football Communications
Final Major Project (BA)
To complete this project a series of hand sketches were completed. Other sketch methods included many computerised sketches and quick solidworks renderings

Sketching

Idioms

To give the product a meaning, idioms were researched to find suitable ones that would explain to fans the product purpose. Initially, idioms such as turn over a new leaf and talking to a brick wall were considered, however, these had no association to football, therefore, the two final idioms chosen were, message in a badge (changed from message in a bottle) and light at the end of a tunnel.

Design Restrictions
When research was being completed, many clubs identified that although they supported the idea of the project any product designed would need to be budgetable due to insufficient funds that are made available to football clubs.

Football Communications
Final Major Project (BA)
Badge Explained FDM Models
During the design stages, many computer generated models were made to test the product against stadium chairs and user interaction. These models were then painted the correct colour and presented to the club to get a professional opinion

The bottom half of the feedback badge would remain fixed to the seat. However, the top half (pictured above) would pull out to reveal a feedback card holder. Inside this would be a card used to communicate between both parties. To enable the club to return their response to the correct seat, a row and seat number would be present on the front.

To provide a more efficient way for the club and their supporters to communicate better, each season ticket holders seat would be fitted with a feedback product. This would provide fans with an efficient way to share their opinions on how their match day experience could be improved.

Project Summary

Tunnel Explained
The larger badge pictured on the right would accomodate 80 feedback products for the club to later collect. This badge would be located at the end of the tunnel (pictured further right). The tunnel would be located in the stadium concourse and depending on how many supporters the club has would determine how many tunnels may be required.

Marketing Communications
Pomegranate Cafe (BA)
Brief
This was another live project with a charity cafe. The charity required a corporate sponsor to ensure they can continue to offer their services to the general public. To achieve this they required a direct mailer to be sent to a specific market.

Market

The chosen business sector was health and beauty. This was chosen due to the association a Pomegranate has with healthy eating. To offer something in return, the leaflet promotes the charities premises as an area that the sponsor can use to run event days. These days would provide a chance for the business to sell itself to cafe members.

Mouse Mat

Due to the economic climate and many companies not having the funds to support a charity the leaflet came as two parts. The vital information would be included on a mouse mat. This would be something that stays with the business and reminds them of the charity when the recession has improved.

The decision was made to include a carry case for the leaflet and mouse mat. This case would then be personally delivered by a cafe member. By doing this the appeal becomes more personal and gives the member a change to further promote the charity.

Personal Delivery

Brief

Professional Design Studio

Husky Fridge Project (MSc)
Outcome
Having considered the research regarding convenience, tactile warmth and focal points, the decision was made to design the fridge so it had warm characteristics to accommodate the cold weather around the Christmas period. The fundamental purpose of redesigning it this way is to make the mini fridge the focal point of a room and to discreetly hide its primary use.

The task of this project, set by Husky Products, was to develop a new appearance for their mini fridge prior to Christmas 2012. The existing designs available were either a Union Jack design, or alternatively a branded fridge incorporating the logo and colours of a well known drinks brand. Husky Products wanted their customers and the product placement to be considered when developing a design.

Convenient

More and more people are starting to entertain friends at home by drinking and socialising in the living room. This requires a place to store cold drinks.

Tactile Warmth
The fireplace adds visual and tactile warmth. Cold beer in a chiller is often associated with cooling down in the middle of the summer.

Focal Point
According to Mary Leslie, a interior designer, people in the UK see contemporary fireplaces as a focal point of a room to arrange seating areas around.

Research

Research found that advertisement signs cause approximately 10% of all road accidents. These advertisements can often draw attention away from important road signage. With young drivers being inexperienced and having less developed brains, these factors could increase the likeliness of them becoming distracted at the car wheel.

Professional Design Studio

Social Insurance RSA (MSc)
Project Aim
The design objective was to design a product that aided young drivers in being less distracted from advertising signs. The design needed to consider that most young drivers own cheap cars, therefore, the product had to be easily and cheaply integrated into many older cars.

Outcome

Acce ler a

The outcome of the project was a portable dashboard projector that would assess how successfully young drivers were responding to road signs, encouraging them to focus on signs rather than advertisements. British councils are starting to audit their road signs, therefore, GPS would determine which road signs a young driver was approaching. on & braking ead esment ahead g ah ass ng
Roa ds ig
Righ t Tu r Righ t Tu r

ti

nin

ni

Spe ed

Corn eri n

At D an g

Curr en t

us Times ero

s mium Pre

The product would work in conjunction with blackbox technology and would relay information about driving habits back to the driver immediately. Currently drivers have to check their black box information online at home. This allows them to see the informations and address it whilst still driving.

How works

Righ t Tu r

ead g ah nin

Computer Aided Design

Brief
The aim of this project was to replicate a product using Solidworks or Rhino CAD Software. The eventual product had to include a combination of solid and surfacing techniques. A further requirement was that the CAD model was rendered using either Keyshot or Photo360.

CAD Representations (MSc)

Render

The CAD model was designed in a number of different parts and included in a design assembly to add the correct materials and finishes to. To ensure that the selected materials were correct, a stress analysis was performed. The final render of the Beats Headphones was completed using Keyshot.

Testing Skills
To test the surfacing skills further, a secondary product was chosen to compare results. The Sky Remote Control was the chosen product and the render was completed using Photo360.

Model
The final CAD model was transferred into an STL file to be 3D printed and tested for correct and accurate measurements and hinge mechanisms.

Dissertation Project
Project Aim

Assistive Car Jack Design (MSc)

The purpose of this dissertation study was to determine how car maintenance could be improved for an ageing population, considering inclusive design theories. The aim was to find an area of car maintenance that could be improved by the introduction of an inclusive product whilst considering the needs of various other user groups.

Research

Futher Findings

Britain is one of many countries that is experiencing an ageing population. This is having an impact on the number of elderly drivers on British roads. The elderly drivers that are currently on British roads are believed to be the most enthusiastic about automobiles (Mintel, 2013). They are also living more energetic and busy lives than any previous generation; therefore, the availability of a vehicle is important to their well-being. To ensure that drivers remain safe in their vehicles, periodic tyre checks are proven to be influential. Drivers are currently neglecting their tyres by driving on under inflated tyres and failing to repair a punctured tyre themselves. This study looked at how product design can improve the likeliness that elderly drivers will perform car tyre maintenance, which could have an impact on the safety of vehicles.

Design Considerations

The area selected to focus on in this study was making replacing a punctured tyre easier for elderly drivers, using inclusive design principles. This was achieved by creating an assistive product that allowed users to operate their car jack without needing to position themselves on the floor. A further discovery found in this study was how many drivers were unable to replace a punctured tyre due to inadequate instructions

The developed assistive product was designed to attach onto the BMW scissor jack and stabilises the product to be wheeled and used from a standing position. The development of this product was achieved by communicating ideas with a number of British drivers. A key request from elderly drivers was to produce an assistive product that was cheaper to purchase than a new car jack.

Dissertation Project
Why Assistive?

Assistive Car Jack Design (MSc)

Research showed that an assistive approach was similar to an inclusive one if aesthetics are considered. This is what influenced the design decision and resulted in the product being something that attached to an existing jack, rather than a new jack.

Ergonomic Testing

Observations conducted found that the majority of drivers either couldnt position themselves low enough to place the jack or preferred not to be kneeled on a roadside. This along with ergonomic testing using virtual human software is why the product was designed with wheels and a long handled crank stick.

Dissertation Project
Colour Psychology
To establish which colour was most suitable for the product shell, research was conducted on colour psychology. The findings of this research found that the colour orange was the most suitable due to what it communicates with its consumers. In psychology the colour orange suggests quality at an affordable price. This message would meet the needs of the elderly drivers who said they would only purchase an assistive product if it were cheaper than a new car jack.

Assistive Car Jack Design (MSc)

1

Hand

Jack

Hand Jack

Handy Jack 3
4 6

Hand

Jack Hand
Jack

Logo Design

Having decided on a name for the product, the next stage was to produce a series of logo designs. These designs were produced using a number of different typefaces. To ensure that the logo communicated the brand value as well as the name, a picture of a scissor jack was included in every logo design.

Promotional
The image to the right showed how the product could be incorporated and edited so that it would work on letter heads, posters or other promotional material. The colours orange and black were maintained throughout all aspects of the design.

Use from a Standing position

Included in the box

1 Install the jack

2 Install the Knob

Wheel Bolts (x2) Wheel Washers (x2) Wheels (x2) Wheels Bolt (x1) Crank Knob (x1)

Improved
Research and observations found that many drivers, both young and old, were unable to change a punctured tyre due to their lack of knowledge regarding the procedure. This lack of knowledge was not assisted by current instructions that were provided with the cars equipment. To help make using the HandyJack easier for elderly and other car drivers, an improved colourful instruction manual was designed to assist with the process and prevent intimidating them.

Clip the scissor jack into the Handy Jack

3 Close the Handy Jack

Hand

Jack

Handy Jack (x1)

Quick guide

Line up the Handy Jack press studs

4 Attach Wheels
Screw the wheels to the wheel bolt using the nut

6 Rotate the crank handle

Rotate the crank handle to lower or raise the scissor jacks arm.

Assembly
9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Wheels Scissor Car Jack Handy Jack Wheel Washers Wheel Bolt Hinge Bolt Crank Knob Wheel Nut Crank Knob Screws 9

CAD Instructions
Current instructions were black and white line drawings that a number of elderly drivers failed to correctly interpret. Therefore, to create clearer and more intuitive instructions, CAD visualisations were used to give the user a more realistic idea of the procedure.
8

5 Position Handy Jack

3 Refer to your cars manual for further instructions on how to use the jack