Ray was born out of the desire to create a line of affordable cat products that not only work great for cats, but also have significant modern design appeal for their owners. In a world where “design” usually means adding lots of unwanted cost to a product, the major challenge on this project was to work within standard, low-cost manufacturing practices and still create a product with the desired level of beauty and functionality.

Ray was the first result of this initiative. The main structure is made from a single piece of thick felt, stamped into shape in a single low-cost operation. Built into this one shape are all the fasteners that hold the structure together when folded, eliminating the need for any hardware fasteners, and greatly reducing the amount of sewing typically required. The resulting shape of the unfolded felt even inspired the product’s name as it resembled that of a manta ray.

When assembled, the stiffness of the felt gives Ray a gentle flowing appearance that is both modern and inviting. Small but important details round out the design appeal: a light-colored neutral grey felt blends effortlessly with nearly any modern décor, and a color contrasting felt tab holds the top together for a fun yet subtle pop of color. The cushion has a different color on each side letting the user pick their favorite or change their look over time. The result is a beautiful product with a low cost to manufacture that easily rolls up for e-commerce drop shipping.

Ray is available for purchase at wiskicat.com and amazon.com

The team at Alpha was looking to revamp the packaging for Skybuds, their line of truly wireless earbuds. The main focus was to reduce costs while still keeping the package engaging and informative for the consumer. For a small product that fits in one's ear, seeing is believing, and it was crucial that the consumer be able to see the physical size and shape of the buds while in the package.

The design process started with a series of quick marker sketches exploring various ways to display the buds as well as how to open and interact with the packaging. From that group, a basic direction was chosen and some quick refinements followed. The design then moved into CAD for fine tuning and to address all the small (but important) details such as accessory storage and basic graphics layout.

The result is a package with strong physical presence on store shelves, but still saves significantly on size and cost of materials compared with the previous package. The buds are displayed behind a clear window, and held securely in place with high-quality, protective EVA foam. The foam creates a thick boarder around the buds, both giving the window a strong visual impact as well as making the jewel like buds pop against the matte foam. Angled foam sections above and below the buds provide better viewing angles as well as reducing the chance of shadows being cast over the buds in the store. Simple graphics and Alpha's bold cyan color make the packaging visually striking, but still keeps the focus on the buds, letting the product itself do most of the talking.

WISKI is a design-focused cat brand dedicated to making simple modern products that you'll love as much as your cat does. Founded by Evan Ryan when he became frustrated with the limited options in the pet aisle, he tried many scratching posts for his cats, but even those that worked noticeably didn’t fit with his home decor. Ultimately, he decided to put his skills to use and create a new generation of modern cat products.

Visit wiskicat.com for more info.

The team behind Kala believe that if you sleep your best, you perform your best the next day,  but when they looked at the mattress and sleep market, they where left feeling disappointed. Modern office chairs have a dozen different adjustments, each one targeting a specific type of support for healthy sitting, but when it comes to our sleep, generally the pillow is the only place we get targeted support for our bodies. Kala thought this was a major oversight and set out developing a better sleeping solution.

The team knew they wanted to offer a more natural "Zero-G" sleeping position, the challenge was to deliver that without the bulk or expense of articulating bed frames. We accomplished this by using contoured layers of foam in different densities to provide targeted areas of support (neck, upper back, lower back) and let the body sink into a more natural sleeping position. Because the contours are internal, the result is a traditional looking mattress, not something that looks or feels like a contraption.

Since no two people are the same, we also developed a removable insert which lets the sleeper adjust the mattress' firmness level, allowing the sleeper to customize the mattress to their specific needs. Additionally, the insert is made of a special material that is composed of 90% air. Unlike traditional foam mattresses which absorb body heat and make the user hot and uncomfortable, this insert layer provides a barrier between you and the foam making for a much cooler sleep.

Work done in collaboration with ECCO Design

The team at Brianbit were already experts on EEG (electroencephalogram) technology, or detecting electrical activity in the brain, but they wanted to bring their tech to the consumer market. Unlike most EEG headsets which are primarily hard plastic and look like sci-fi props, Brianbit wanted to make something soft, friendly and unobtrusive for the user.

The final concept re-imagines what a health and technology wearable can be. The "brains" of Brainbit are all contained in the super slim front housing minimizing the footprint of the rigid components. The portion closest to the eyes thins and follows the hairline, making it nearly invisible to the wearer and allowing the simultaneous use of glasses. The soft headband is semi elastic to create a snug fit and contains no delicate electronics, making it sweat-proof and can even be thrown in the wash. Multiple size bands and premium material choices mean every customer can find their perfect fit.

More information at brainbit.com

Work done in collaboration with ECCO Design

Pizza Hut's Wingstreet brand needed a new to-go container for their wings that would not only improve on their existing packaging but also solve a space issue in their restaurants kitchens. The large steel bowls used to sauce their wings took up a lot of valuable space, Wingstreet wanted a solution that would let them sauce the wings in the to-go container itself saving time and kitchen space.

The final product is a nod to those same steel mixing bowls. The tight seal and carefully placed hand grip mean the wings and sauce can be safely tossed in the package, thoroughly coating the wings, without any leakage and without needing to clean or store any extra bowls. This also has the benefit of making the container leek-proof for the customer and retain more heat than the previous packaging. The raised section at the container's base keeps the wings separated from the extra sauce meaning they'll never get soggy.

The to-go container is now in use at Wingstreet locations across the nation. 

Bodywork Redesign

When environmental regulations forced the use of a new larger engine in the 4X drill, it was an opportunity for the manufacturer to update the functionality of the bodywork as well. Previously getting the "hood" off to access the engine was a very cumbersome and time consuming process. A functionality overhaul made the drill easier and faster to service and offered the owner added security over the previous model. The aging graphics were also updated to a bolder look which better communicated the purpose of the drill.

Portable, Cable Free Charging

Stow was created to improve the currently poor experience or charging one's smart phone on-the-go. Phones are constantly getting slimmer and sleeker but charging them still involves tangled wires and bulky USB converters which fit awkwardly in a pocket or laptop bag. 

Stow has a flat, seamless form when closed that hides all electrical connectors and fits with Apple’s clean design aesthetic. Wide enough in the center to fit essential components but incredibly thin on the edges, Stow has a very thin appearance and easily slides into a pocket or bag. When opened, Stow plugs directly into a wall outlet and provides a dock area to securely hold and charge an iPhone. No need to carry any cables or bulky USB bricks.

ONA was looking to create compelling imagery for a new camera bag they were designing for use with the legendary Leica M camera system. They had the design of the bag already laid out but needed help bringing the concept to life to sell their vision. Design sketches were created in a loose style to help tell the story of a rich leather bag which has the high level of quality and craftsmanship worthy of the Leica name. The end result was the beautiful Berlin II Camera Bag.

Berlin II bag available online at onabags.com

All product photography courtesy of ONA Designs International LLC

A selection of my design sketch work