Design in Every Detail
Who am I?
I am a passionate problem solver and this is enhanced by my thinking style - being a healthy blend of critical, creative, analytical and reflective.
I believe that although form follows function, the best result is always if they go hand-in-hand.
I am versatile and my skills sit at the intersection of creativity, engineering, manufacturing & understanding end-users, offering a great business option to you.
Career Progression
My design career started in the engineering department of a very large international manufacturing company, then continued as part of a small, independent design consultancy team.
I moved to a middle-sized, entrepreneurial, UK manufacturing company, as their first in-house designer, progressing to Senior Product Designer and Design Manager in the Innovation/Engineering department.
All very different dynamics. I have thrived in all of them.
Partnerships
Having spent years working on freelance design projects alongside my employment, I have now chosen to invest fully in growing my business.
I am very much looking forward to continuing existing working relationships, meeting new clients and working with all of them to bring the best out of their new product developments.
Flexibility
One of the favourite parts of my work is to follow a product through the entire development cycle. Something I have done for most of my career.
Concepts – detailed design in CAD (Solidworks) – prototypes – technical drawings – DFM’s – tooling release – tool sample assessment – production.
This also means I can also step in or out of the cycle where and when each project requires, offering the client the flexibility they need.
Measure twice, cut once
Meticulous attention to detail ensures robust, functional and feasible designs.
In my first product design role, 3D printing was rarely used due to the cost. This is where I developed my valuable ethos of dotting i’s and crossing t’s.
The goal is always to catch all design issues at the CAD design and prototyping stage, rather than after tool steel has been cut. Digital modifications take minutes or hours, but physical tool modifications can be extremely costly, both financially and in time to market.
Design for Manufacture
I have developed a strong understanding of tooling and moulding requirements, for reliable, cost-effective production and future proofing.
My skills include design for injection moulding, rotational moulding, blow moulding, vacuum forming, compression moulding, CNC machining, casting, pressing & folded sheet metal.
I have always enjoyed collaborating with moulders & toolmakers, working together to achieve the best manufacturing solutions.
Built on Trust
Integrity is the foundation of my life and work ethic and I’m very much a people person, valuing all interactions, be they personal or professional.
I believe in working closely with my client, so the product benefits most from our joint expertise.
I listen well, ask questions (even if they’re challenging or uncomfortable) and regularly step back to check the big picture - moving (metaphorically) between a broad brush and a fine brush to get the advantages of both - in speed and detail.
