In our launch collection for Columbia Sportswear we designed something that truly spoke to the PFG brand and fisherman lifestyle. With a brand that is built on function first, it fit perfectly with our design ethos. In our marquee style, the Baitcaster, we built a foundation where the material itself had a functional benefit with a visible aesthetic; from lenses to frame. Whether it was the rubber material in front to stop it from sliding on a boat or the omni-wick texture to prevent water build up, we had in essence, built a piece of gear made essential to the sport of performance fishing.
The Eyeconic retail store(s) and The Fit Concierge is the result of research endeavors that aimed to improve the patient-to-doctor experience in the eye care industry. It is specifically aimed at the gap consumer (young adult professional) that Eyeconic and its parent company, VSP, is looking to bring into their network. The Fit Concierge concept recommends eyeglasses based on a facial scan that identifies key touch points and the measurements between these touch points. It eliminates the paradox of choice and empowers the consumer on how they wish to shop throughout their visit at the store.
Part 1 of 2 - The Global Innovation Center at VSP was tasked with launching a sustainability initiative focusing around eyewear packaging and developing ready-to-make solutions based on research findings from its product packaging process and the eyewear packaging industry as a whole. After extensive research a number of major indicators were identified that determined our focus for sustainable packaging solutions, with those focuses being the following:
Eliminate plastic or replace it, redesign for disassembly, prioritize new material innovations, and focus on end of use.
Concept 1 - The Better Paper Box - - Using FSC sourced paperboard, our production partner would be Rypax. Some of the reduced environmental impacts include the following: No new or raw paper, only FSC sourced. Fiber mold insert tray-abrasion tested. Rohs, iso 14001. Mono-material design. Focus on disassembly and home recyclability.
Concept 2 - Mycelium - - Using mycelium, our production partner would be Paradise Packaging/ Ecovative (USA). Some of the reduced environmental impacts include the following: Custom lab grown in 7 days. A focus on responsible “single use”. 100% compostable - with soil microbes fully composted in 45 days.
Areas of impact: Reducing carbon footprint, reducing end-of-life waste, reduction in resource consumption
*Disclaimer: Brands chosen for these concepts are merely for conceptual purposes and is not indicative of any proprietary work assigned to/from them.
Co-designed by Matthew Beals, formerly of Coalesse, Jason Milligan, and myself. The leg frame consists of an aluminum polished finish, giving the entire piece great definition and volume. The entire lounge sofa consists of three legs, all attached by two connecting beams in between. The frame and cushions are heavily inspired by Eames furniture designs. There is also a version that consists of wooden slats, replacing the cushions.
Dragon has a bold history of combining art, celebrating uniqueness, and functionality, and the Fakie is no exception. Inspired from the bold and contrasting elements that define Dragon today, arose an untamed simplicity that defines this piece and the others that follow it.
The Mini B bike - a concept meant to offset the rise in personal vehicle transportation and instead incentivize the use of public transportation through a more personal and efficient experience, and ultimately for a cleaner planet. The Mini B bike is a small foldable bike that can be rented from the city of Tempe and be taken with you anywhere, including on other public transit vehicles around Arizona. The incentive lies within the energy produced from riding the Mini B and using that energy to reinsert into the city grid via a small removable battery to get your discounted fare.
Part 2 of 2 - After extensive research into the entire eyewear packaging industry with VSP a number of major indicators were identified that determined our focus for sustainable packaging solutions, with those focuses being the following:
Eliminate plastic or replace it, redesign for disassembly, prioritize new material innovations, and focus on end of use.
Concept 3 - Bamboo - - Using a proprietary bamboo fiber blend with bagasse and a wet press manufacturing process to achieve a high end smooth finish affect, our production partner would be Rypax (China). Some of the reduced environmental impacts include the following: Highly regenerative bamboo and a bagasse bio base. Mono-material design with a focus on disassembly. Home recyclability and compostability.
Concept 4 - Paperfoam - - Using industrial potato starch and FSC cellulose fiber, our production partner would be PaperFoam (North Carolina, Malaysia, Czech). Some of the reduced environmental impacts include the following: Carbon footprint reduction by 80%. Extremely low weight. Renewable raw material base and its low water and energy consumption in manufacturing. Can be fully recycled or home compostable.
Concept 5 - Coffee - - Using a fully bio-based and recyclable high density polymer material, Proprietary 122HD, our production partner would be OV Designs Netherlands. Some of the reduced environmental impacts include the following: Renewable within one year. Mono-material design with pulp fiber insert. Focus on disassembly & home recyclability. “1mt of our coffee polymer captures 1,5mt CO2”.
Areas of impact: Reducing carbon footprint, reducing end-of-life waste, reduction in resource consumption.
*Disclaimer: Brands chosen for these concepts are merely for conceptual purposes and is not indicative of any proprietary work assigned to/from them.
Giving a nod to retro surf heritage, the Tolm is based on Dragon's iconic lineage of bold frames. Its front styling and thick temples are a culmination of the bold individualistic style of Dragon Alliance with a familial resemblance to the classic style, DOMO. The Tolm and the rest of its siblings in the 25th anniversary collection redefined some of Dragon’s oldest, most unique, and most successful styles with distinct surfacing and silhouettes evident in surfboards.
During my time working with Matthew Beals of Coalesse, a Steelcase brand, we developed furniture concepts tailored to a more intimate scale in the lecture class setup - allowing for an experience where students are organically attentive to the instructor. Each piece seen here has two different versions (outdoor and indoor) and with each consisting of an electrical/non-electrical component, equaling to a total of four different versions.
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic VSP tasked us to help with the reopening phase of their healthcare clients offices. After initial feedback from the thousands of clients that VSP partners with we quickly discovered that doctors needed more personal protective equipment (PPE), with face shields being one of the most requested pieces of equipment. With this insight we developed and shipped out approximately 50,000 face shields within the span of about a month, knowing that the timing of arrival for these face shields was of the essence.
The Duo circular saw is the product of the numerous small adjustments and improvements made to current standard sized saws and the Ridgid Dual Blade, which heavily inspired the incarnation of this product. The Duo is aimed at casual DIY’ers. One key feature consists of counter-rotating dual blades, just as the Ridgid Dual Blade, but with slightly larger blades, allowing for thicker sized material boards to be cut. The Duo also reduces kickback, thanks to the counter-rotating blades, which are lubricated by a rod of wax that is fed through a hole located near the head grip.
In the 2016 Rio Olympics, Nike wanted to emphasize the act of motion and some of the effortless flow of that motion displayed by athletes on the running track. Using this simple and focused concept arose the Nike Vaporwing sunglasses. And like its counterpart, the case reflects that same distinctive sculpted, performance driven aesthetic - a complete package that gives the athlete confidence, performance focus, and that unique look.
Nike made a statement at the 2016 Rio Olympics with the Wing olympic frame. Sharing the same philosophy as the Vaporwing, this intricately sculpted piece of gear has a performance driven aesthetic that touches on the flow of motion displayed by athletes…but upped a notch. The lens and frame are one in the same. With an extremely limited release, it was necessary to apply the same special treatment to the case of a style that warranted care and status. The design itself has an upright form factor, shock resistant foam for protection, and sculpted surfaces to compliment the frame that lies beneath.
Dragon’s rich history comes from not only the product but from the alliance it has cultivated since its smaller beginnings such as Mick Fanning, Jamie Lynn, and Jossi Wells. Our team designed styles to celebrate this unique and diverse group of brand ambassadors over the years.
As a part of the 25th anniversary collection, the Compass and the rest of its siblings in the collection redefined some of Dragon’s oldest, most unique, and most successful styles. The Compass is a re-imagining of classic rounds and combining it with that distinct surfacing and silhouette evident in surfboards.
Preparing and packing essential tools and equipment that take up the least amount of space and weight in a hikers backpack is of utmost importance. More weight means less energy to commit to the hiking journey and less space means less equipment to have on hand. Keeping this in mind, our team conjured up something of the self collapsing variety for Columbia Sportswear.
The purpose of this project was to demonstrate that if done well enough, any Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator render can replace an actual photo of a product. This method gives the artist more control and precision over various aspects of a product shoot, such as lighting, scale, color, etc. These image panels quickly summarize the process of achieving a photorealistic look.
