chris Dickens design portfolio
CHris Dickens I am a young product designer with a keen eye for detail and a passion for innovative solutions to every day challeneges. After graduating from Loughborough University with a 2.1(Hons) in Product Design & Technology BSc I gained a place in a well respected cookware company called Le Creuset, taking up the position of Product Development Designer on a contractual basis. Here, as the only internal product designer, I was able to strech my abilities and build on the key skills that I had developed over the past 4 years. A design degree that involved not only styling and the aesthetic side of things, but also Mechanics; Electronics; Material Science and Manufacturing Processes. This gave me an understanding of what ‘will’ and ‘will not’ work phisically, in use, and in manufacturing whilst still being able to tackle a brief that requires significant styling and brand identity.
Project Work
5 1
3
Inclusively designed induction hob ímã is a fully built in induction hob designed for, but not exclusivey, visually impaired domestic cooks. There are major challenges that the visually impaired have to takle in order to cook safely and independently, for example: - Centering a pan over the heat source - Discovering which controls relate to specific burners - Determining the temperature represented by the movement of the controls - Being confident the heat source or gas is turned off completely Not all areas are strictly challenges for those with visual impairment. To create a solution that is intuitive to use for every one, specific design for the visually impaired had to be integrated into the visual interaction design. The result was a hob that communicates all aspects of the cooking process succinctly yet subtley. This gives ímã a truly intuitive feel about it and so becomes easy for all to use.
4
2
Unique Design features
1
Locating centre cone with orientation tooth.
2
Corresponding cone socket built into underside of pan.
3
Two sets of lights; shorter, give current intensity feedback; longer, show power setting alignment positions.
4
Rotate pan to control heat.
5
Two tier surface to avoid clashing handles.
Iterative prototyping, testing and practical evaluation - Meetings with members of an RNIB college, both teachers and students, were held throughout the design process
Sketch development work
Final prototyping of electronics, hob main body and specialized pans
DCA Design Week Brief -
An original product to capture a memorable moment with its own visual brand, that could be launched within 5-7 years.
“A smell can bring on a flood of memories, influence people's moods and evven affect their work performance. Because the olfactory bulb is part of the brain's limbic system, an area so closely associated with memory and feeling it's sometimes called the ‘emotional brain’, smell can call up memories and powerful responses almost instantaneously.” Dowdey, Sarah. "How Smell Works" 29 October 2007. HowStuffWorks.com.
A SAMPLE OF THE TECHNOLOGY AND TRENDING/MARKET RESEARCH CARRIED OUT
Fragrance becoming new medium for telecom and broadcasting
High Information Volume
Low
Emotion
Fragrance being used more in retail and marketing to enhance the experience
Recent miniturised airboune chemical (smells) sensor developed to be used with an iphone by NASA
Touch i-aroma photos
blogs
Low
Smell
squibble
youtube mobile music Sight skype fragrance downloads music videos e-mail
Text twitter
flickr
Sound
chat
spotify ringtones
Added Value
NNT Comunications develop a ‘Mobile Fragrance Communication Emitter’.
SMS
Sensory Information
High
16 fragrance capsules used to create downloaded scent recipies.
‘Note’ is a fragrance re-creation system consisting of a ‘wand’ and a ‘synthesiser’. The wand is used to swipe through a scent in the air to capture it; converting the chemical compisition of the scent into a digial code. Stored on the wand the captured scent codes are then downloaded into the synthsiser and reproduced using a range of high and low tone fragrance oils.
HINGE
Preparing food is messy, especially in a compact space such as a small kitchen or camping environment.
HINGE provides 4 major features: - Chopping board - Colander - Directed pouring - Compact storage
Not only does HINGE fold down into a compact size but also combing tasks reduces the need of space for multiple utensils
The only product to do all in one
HINGE
Presentation Box The Lynx Black Collection is a premium fragrance experience, with a wide wardrobe of scents tailored to its consumers. The aim is for it to be sold through online channels, delivered directly to consumers’ homes.
I got involved at a very ealry stage, to get everybody onboard with the project throughout the company the Black Collection had to be presented and its values communicated in the right way. I was tasked with the design of a presentation box that would encompass all of the values and features of the product itself, while delivering a journey through the project as a whole.
Project Design Cues:
Fragrance Connectivity Portability
With thought given to the Lynx unit and giving a journey through the ’Black Collection’ project
- Arched base and lid to suggest lift and portbility - Matt/gloss wavey finish to suggest the invisible changing presence of fragrance and ease of application. - Screen inside the lid to not only present information and ideas but also to convey inbulit connectivity. - Illuminating black and blue layered base holds the units in place and also has a location for the main unit to stand upright. - Interior USB Socket to plug the unit into
Working for Unilever I was tasked with designing the TPE grip and the twist-lock collar for the new Sure Men deodorant can
The collar had to provide an intuitive communication of how it should be used while maintianing to the design language of the original can design by Pinninforina; automotive and precicion. Simillarly to the collar the TPE grip had to be inline with the design language of the original pack. However the grip had to acurately communicate where the user should press to activate the pack with out deliberately instructing them to do so.
While working at Unilever I was part of the design team that tackled the challenge of re-imagining the Axe deodorant can. I worked on some of the concept generation at the start of the project.
Some of the deodorant can concepts created in a day long workhsop which brought together designers and experts from various fileds.
The concepts and ideas created in the workshop were colated and analyzed to create insights, from which an indepth and inlightened brief could be written to provide this iconic product the re-deign it deserved.
New Category While working at Le Creuset I was tasked with designing and bringing together a new category for the company. This included a full range of main products and accessories that have the potential to overlap and collaborate with existing categories that Le Creuset is well known for. The majority if not all of the products within this category are fully designed or at least conceptualised by me
cross-Category
While the new category design was initially the main product group, I worked on a wide variety of cross category projects as well. I designed numerous concept products within the wine accessories category and took lead designs roles in other categories such as Stone and Dinnerware, Textiles, Knives, Peppermills and Silicone.
credentials
Christopher Dickens BSc (Hons) + DPS Education
DoB:
27th December 1988
E-mail:
chris.dickens.design@gmail.com
Tel:
+44 (0) 7854 895 867
Address:
7 Petrel Croft, Kempshott, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 5JY
2007 - 2011 Loughborough University Degree: Product Design & Technology Award: 2.1 BSc (Hons) + Diploma in Professional Studies (DPS) Dissertation: ‘The different approaches taken when designing for the visually impaired and how these can be used to create more intuitive solutions in mainstream design.’ Relavent modules:
2002 - 2007 A Level: GCSE:
Design Practice; Mechanics; Electronics; Design Communication; Design and Manufacture Technologies; Polymer Processing and Applications; Computer Aided Modelling and Manufacture
Wellington College Design & Technology - A; Biology - A; Physics - B Design & Technology - A*; Biology - A*; Physics - A*; English Literature - A*. Chemistry - A; Maths - A; Maths Statistics - A. English Language - B; Latin - B; French - B; German - B.
Skills Profile 3D
2D
Model Making
Solid Works Alias ImageStudio Pro/Engineer Wildfire Key Shot Hyper Shot NX Unigraphics
Adobe Illustrator Adobe Photoshop GIMP Microsoft Office MAC Windows Good sketching ability Engineering Drawings Hand Rendering
CNC Machining Metal Fabrication Metal Machining Styrofoam Polyurethane ‘Prolab’ Wood Work Bread Boarding Prototype PCB Chip Programming Vacuum Forming Vacuum Casting
Design Experience Design Egineer at Le Creuset (2012-2014) Jobs: Product Design Product Design Management Product/Market research Design Analysis
Designer at Unilever (2009-2010) Jobs: Product Design Packaging Design Graphic Design Disruptive Innovation Product/Market research Consumer Insight
Intern at DIY KYOTO (2007) Jobs: Helping with daily tasks in preperation for the100% design show in London
LE CREUSET
UNILEVER
Initially contracted in to design and bring together an new product group for Le Creuset, the majority of the work that I carried out was based around this to begin with. This allowed me, for the first time, to take full resposibility for a comercial design project. I worked wth engineers and product managers from all over europe, China and the US as well having meeting with experts in the target markets across Northern Europe. I progressed into being involved with and leading design projects for many cross-category product lines, enabling me to gain varied experience in different manufacturing methods and brand based design. As the only in-house Product Designer it allowed me to juggle many varied different projects at the same time and still have quick and easy access to the groups that were working on them. I left Le Creuset with a new understanding of the detail and work needed to lead and deliver product design and development for collaborative projects.
Tasked with a variety of different responsibilities such as CAD model development, technical drawings, collaborating with external suppliers, presenting my own and other people’s work to external and internal clients. Part of my role was to provide quick sketch, ‘live’ design in workshops, collaborating with consumers and external designers to find insights and potential ideas for further development by Unilever. Projects varied from creating and updating the graphics and layout of a website, to full scale design challenges and internal pitching for new products. I learned alot about disruptive innovation and how it can be used to create new directions of innovation often contrary to market trends. My collaboration ability and confidence in regularly working with new clients, whilst relatively new, came easily to me. I gained valuable knowledge in the ideals and practices of business and how design can be used to optimise business models which is something that is rarely taught in the design courses in the UK today. This invaulable experience with Unilever made me a much more aware and innovative designer.
Interests & Activities Sport
-
Interests -
I play for a local rugby team. I played hockey while at Loughborough University. I have also previously played in badminton and Basketball at high levels. Art and Design, I enjoy exhibitions and reading blogs and magazine to see and find the lastest thing that catches my eye. Watercolour Live Music and festivals Comedy, especially live, I enjoy going to small stand up shows. Cycling Animals and Wildlife in general
Qualification and Academic Achievements: -
Full academic scholarship to Eagle House School and Wellington College
-
Winner of the product design award for best overall designer at Wellington College
-
Wellington College house prefect - responsibilities for the new intake year 9
-
RAF Cadet through Combined Cadet Force at Wellington College (Flight Sergeant)
-
BTech Leadership Training