Product Design Portfolio

RAY RAYBURN PORTFOLIO

TOILET DESIGN FOR GENDER-NEUTRAL RESTROOMS

KSU, Product Design Studio, Fall 2019

This sketching exercise shows ideation on the concept of a combined toilet-urinal fixture for the future of gender-neutral restrooms. They use spatial verbs as prompts. As the project developed, the research led to the conclusion that the solution was to abandon the urinal altogether and design a more ergonomic toilet for everyone to sit down.

KOMPAN OFFICE DESIGN

KSU, Office Design Interior Architecture Studio, Summer 2020

This office design is for the Danish playground equipment company, Kompan. The design uses layers to evoke a playful landscape and create interesting organic forms which can provide opportunities to climb, hide, and use spaces more creatively than a typical office with simple furniture. These initial concept sketches explore how that landscape could work.

FURNITURE

CHAIR NO. 1

DIS Study Abroad, Copenhagen, Summer 2019

This chair was designed and fabricated during a summer study abroad course at DIS Copenhagen, Denmark. The form uses gentle curves for ergonomic comfort including an unusual convex back which allows the opening of the shoulders and chest. Parallel wooden slats are woven together using cord to follow the curve of the supporting frame, and tied securely into place.

This 3-point stool is designed to support a semi-squatting or crsslegged position low to the ground. It is made from a steel frame and a woven seat using traditional paper cord techniques. One steel leg is taller than the others to incorporate a swiveling side surface which can be used to hold an item such as a cup of coffee or a notebook.

This screen is inspired by concepts of biophilia, particularly prospect and refuge theory and variations on a theme which are found in nature. The frame is made from steel cut in a tree-like fractal pattern and containing interchangeable infill panels. These panels can be transparent to facilitate safe collaboration during public health concerns, or upholstered panels for acoustic privacy and pinboard space. The screen is centered on a large pin hinge and can be placed together to form radial patterns of space.

CHAIR NO. 3 KSU, Summer 2021

PIVOT SCREEN KSU, Summer 2020

MASK DESIGN 2020

This mask design was created through an experimental process of prototyping a unique mask design, starting with an evaluation of several existing masks. The final prototype is made from a bandanna and cut on the bias to allow movement of the jaw while being stretched tight, without slipping off the nose. The straps are 2 long loops which can be easily tied and untied behind the head, to alleviate pressure on the ears.

HISTORIC SHIRTS

2020-2023

This series of shirts was created to explore historic construction methods, material performance, and fit testing. They are primarily made from 100% linen material which is soft and breathable, unlike heavy contemporary cottons and synthetics. The rectangular construction method incorporate gussets at the neck and armpit to allow the garment to form over the curves of the body and allow freedom of movement. Details include salvaged shell buttons and incorporating the fabric selvedge as a decorative hem.

These gowns are inspired by the garments of ancient Greece and the later 20th-century adaptations by Fortuny. They use pleated fabrics cut as simple rectangles, and much like their historic predecents they use gathering and tying to create form around the body rather than the cut of the pattern pieces. This design can be worn with a classic sash, with a sash only across the front leaving the back free and cape-like, or with bunches of fabric pulled through the sash to create a peplum.

GRECIAN GOWNS 2023

PACKAGING

D20 Box

Kansas State University, Spring 2019

This product is a box-like bag, meant to store and transport a collection of items for role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. The form is based on the 20-sided die used in those games. It is made of plywood components cut on the CNC machine, leather, and lathe-turned knobs. It features a lift-out tray for notepads and pens, a divider compartment for different dice, and when opened the felt-lined lid can be used as a dice-rolling tray.

TRAVEL KIT DESIGN 2023

This travel kit is designed to be gender neutral, plastic-free, and liquid-free for easy TSA screening. The kit comes in a zip-up fabric container and includes an eye mask, bamboo toothbrush, toothpast tabs in a cardboard box, and bars of shampoo, conditioner, cleanser, and lotion. The color palette is based on research about gender and color, incorporating colors which are considered to be most neutral (yellow and green) and combining light and dark for contrast. The branding is a play on words, using the gender-neutral prefix “Mx.” and evoking the idea of playing with gender by mixing it up and combining different elements of feminine and masculine.

MASTER’S THESIS: DESIGNING A GENDER-INCLUSIVE DOLLHOUSE

Kansas State University, Fall 2020-Spring 2021

This master’s thesis is on the subject of designing a gender-inclusive dollhouse. Based on the literature review, the goal developed was to design a toy which combines the stereotypic girl-type and boytype toys in order to increase social-verbal ability (girl-type) and spatial ability (boy-type) so that all children get all the benefits of the different types of play. The result was a modular design with much flexibility and creativity in how it can be assembled and implemented. A wooden frame of square and triangular parts are assembled with velcro tabs. Infill panels include vinyl pockets for interchangeable backdrops and felt panels which can be used to attach items with velcro, or swivel out to become doors and furniture.

D20 Box

Kansas State University, Spring 2019

This product is a box-like bag, meant to store and transport a collection of items for role-playing games such as Dungeons and Dragons. The form is based on the 20-sided die used in those games. It is made of plywood components cut on the CNC machine, leather, and lathe-turned knobs. It features a lift-out tray for notepads and pens, a divider compartment for different dice, and when opened the felt-lined lid can be used as a dice-rolling tray. This diagram is included in the shop drawing document and shows every single part needed for fabrication.

DIS Study Abroad, Copenhagen, Summer 2019

This front elevation diagram shows the meticulously-planned geometry of the chair design, including the cord weaving and tying techniques which hold it together. This chair was designed and fabricated during a summer study abroad course at DIS Copenhagen, Denmark.

Kansas State University, Summer 2021

This chair design uses a simple steel tube frame to support textile structures. These textile structures use historic corset techniques such as cording and boning to support a subtly curved form whose tension on the steel frame provides the ergonomic comfort for the body. These drawings show the textile components and their dimensions for fabrication.

CHAIR NO. 4

CHAIR NO. 1

COLOR + MATERIAL PALETTE DEVELOPMENT FOR FURNITURE DESIGN

Kansas State University, Summer 2020

This color and material palette is inspired by natural dyes such as avocado pits (pink), red cabbage (blue), and turmeric (yellow). The intention was to provide some interesting and fun color options but keep them soft and natural to emphasize biophilia.

COLOR PALETTE + SURFACE DESIGN FOR TOY DESIGN

Kansas State University, Fall 2020-Spring 2021

This color palette was developed for a master’s thesis on designing a gender-inclusive dollhouse. Great care and intentionality was used to mix stereotypic masculine and feminine colors. The samples featured here are for castle-themed infill panels in a modular system, playing off natural and realistic material colors but turning up the saturation to achieve more imagination and playfulness.

RESEARCH ON GENDER + COLOR

Kansas State University, Spring 2021

This research was developed adjacent to a master’s thesis on gender-inclusive toy design. The literature review included many studies on gender and color preference and color psychology which were found to be lacking. This study goes further than preference and asked participants to sort a set of colors into gendered/gender-neutral, and then again into masculine/feminine. Unlike previous studies reviewed which only tested for hue, this study accounted for hue, saturation, and lightness as variables. Significant results were found in the data showing that hue is not the highest predictor for how the gender of a color will be judged.

RESTROOM PARTITION DESIGN

Kansas State University, Product Design Studio, Fall 2019

This diagram is one in a series of posters explaining a restroom partition design. It shows installation techniqes and formation options with detail callouts and annotations. The human figures demonstrate scale and interaction with mechanical components.

MASTER’S THESIS DOLLHOUSE

DESIGN

Kansas State University, Master’s Thesis, Fall 2020-Spring 2021

This series of diagrams tells a story of how to define a dollhouse starting at the smallest scale and working its way up to the larger-scale context and the layer of imagination a child lays over this landscape.

MASTER’S THESIS: DESIGNING A GENDER-INCLUSIVE DOLLHOUSE

Kansas State University, Fall 2020-Spring 2021

This surface design pattern was created to play off the color and texture of a weathered copper roofing shingle. It was printed and applied to a panel for the master’s thesis dollhouse design.

DIGITAL ART FOR

2020-2023

REDBUBBLE

PRODUCTS

These digital drawings are available on a variety of products on Redbubble. Products range from home goods to personal accessories.

3D FURNITURE + PRODUCT MODELS

KSU, Assorted 3D models, 2020

These models were made as custom features for interior architecture studio projects. They were modeled in SketchUp and imported into the interior models for rendering.

WESTWOOD GOTHIC

Freelance 3D Modeling and Rendering Project, 2022

The intent of this rendering is to showcase the wallpaper design provided by the client. Furniture and decor selections were made by the client and then modeled in detail based on online listing dimensions and placed in the interior model. Modeling was done in SketchUp and rendered using Enscape and Photoshop.

SKETCHING

KOMPAN OFFICE DESIGN

KSU, Office Design Interior Architecture Studio, Summer 2020

This office design is for the Danish playground equipment company, Kompan. The design uses layers to evoke a playful landscape and create interesting organic forms which can provide opportunities to climb, hide, and use spaces more creatively than a typical office with simple furniture. This digital sketch shows a snapshot of that landscape and how it might be used, emphasizing color, texture, and lighting.

CHAIR SKETCHES

Berlin museums, Summer 2019

These chair sketches are part of a series done in-person at museums in Berlin, Germany. This was a period of travel following a summer study abroad program called Furniture Design in Scandinavia at DIS in Copenhagen, Denmark.

ART NOUVEAU ARIEL 2023

This drawing is an exploration of what Ariel from The Little Mermaid would look like in historically-accurate dress set in 1890s, drawn in an Art Nouveau style. This drawing is featured as a surface design on many different kinds of products on Redbubble.

INSTAGRAM REEL 2022

This video is about dealing with sensory overwhelm showing a series of strategies.

INSTAGRAM REEL 2023

This video shows a series of sped-up time lapse clips of the steps in the process of sewing a sleeve gusset.

GENDER-NEUTRAL RESTROOMS AT K-STATE

KSU, 5th-Year Seminar, 2021

This documentary explores the issue of the lack of gender-neutral restrooms on campus at Kansas State University through interviews with members of the Transgender community and visiting the restrooms on campus they mention in the interviews.

BANDANNA MASK PROTOTYPING

YouTube, 2021

This YouTube video shows the experimental process of prototyping a unique mask design, starting with an evaluation of several existing masks. The final prototype is made from a bandanna and cut on the bias to allow movement of the jaw while being stretched tight.

Video Still from interview with Nicole Coon

Video Thumbnail