INDUSTRIAL DESIGNER
SELUGA SEKA SEKANWAGI seh-loo-gah seh-ka seh-khan-wah-gee
I enjoy the process of design as much as the final result, if not more. My father told me, “It’s not about getting there. Your journey is the destination, and if you can’t enjoy the journey, then getting there doesn’t matter.” I am blessed with the opportunity to do what I love, making the world a better place. I spend my days sketching, breaking and rebuilding things, and learning what makes us us. Culture plays a large role in design, to understand the people is to understand design.
THE NATURE OF DESIGN My design process follows a similar path to David Newman’s Design Squiggle. The design process is organic, beginning with a question, and growing into series of directions and concepts to choose. Few are right, most are completely wrong, but all must be explored. Though trial and error, concepts become a final prototype, and the squiggle straightens itself out, providing a clear path to answering all the user’s needs.
ASK
LEARN
DO
Market Research Shadowing User Interviews Surveys/Questionnaires Try It Out
Task Analysis User Personas Ideation Sketching Rapid Prototyping Define Parameters
Validation Testing Refinement Sketching CAD Branding Final Presentation
A LOOK INSIDE
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ECHO
SPEAKER X HEADPHONES
ECHO Headphones redefine the music listening experience by making it an experience for everyone. They convert from personal headphones to loudspeakers by snapping the headband straight, powering on the flexible speaker within. The headphones are designed around modularity principles, allowing them to be easily replaced when damaged and swapped out with customizable colors and patterns,. 3 weeks Core77 Design for your Lifetime Submission PROCESS | 3D MODELING PROGRAM | SOLIDWORKS + KEYSHOT
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GYROWHEEL: Its smooth gliding against the rail apparatus can be mimicked on the earcup. Create a sliding mechanism which locks in place. FLEXIBILITY: Taking after the snap bracelet and the Multiflex speaker, there is an opportunity to create a distinct form for the speakers that is activated through flexing the headphones.
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THE COOL
A MODERN JAZZ GUITAR
The Cool takes the traditional jazz guitar and puts a modern twist on it. It is stylized with modern high fashion aesthetics and wired with top of the line hardware and components. The Cool’s key innovation includes an abstracted f-hole which reduces audio feedback caused by sound vibrations usually trapped in the guitar cavity. This produces a true crisp jazz sound the player and listeners can appreciate. Fall 2013 | 12 weeks PROCESS | 3D MODELING + WOODWORKING PROGRAM | SOLIDWORKS 2013 Sponsored by:
Accolades Display Selection at IDSA Southern District Conference, Savannah, Georgia USA 2014 Display Selection at IDSA National Conference, Austin, Texas USA 2014
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11 WHAT MAKES A JAZZ GUITAR There are three distinct types of jezz guitars: archtop, semi-hollow, and solid-body. Traditionally, jazz guitarists used archtops with large hollow bodies, providing full bassy sounds. Other distinct features include violin-style f-holes, a “floating” bridge, and a humbucker pickup. The development of guitar amplification made jazz possible which gave the music its distinct sound.
AMPLIFICATION/VOLUME
WARM TONES
THICK STRINGS
Fuller, Fatter Sound: Use electric amplification to increase the volume of conventional acoustic guitars.
Bassier “Jazz” Tone: low, dark sound. No whammy bars, its all in the hands, pickups, and amp.
0.012” Gauge: thick strings for reasons of tone, flatwound strings are preferred
Our studio was divided into three groups based on three guitar genres: Blues, Jazz, and Rock & Roll. I was put in the JAZZ group and was given Wes Montgomery as a design muse. WES is widely considered one of the most influential jazz guitarists, emerging after such seminal figures as Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian and influencing countless others, including George Benson, Royce Campbell, and Jimi Hendrix.
PLAYING STYLE Instead of using a guitar pick, WES plucked the strings with the fleshy part of his thumb. This technique enabled him to get a mellow, expressive tone.
12 CURRENT ISSUES
THE VIBES WES was known to be a hard strummer, attacking the strings with powerful downward strokes. His hard strums work great with traditional jazz archtops, constructed with a hollow cavity. This cavity creates dramatic reverberation when played with such power.
Vibrations within the cavity are only able to exit through the f-holes, giving the vibrations a lot of time to create full, resonating sound.
FEEDBACK ISSUES However, when hollow bodies are plugged into an amp, this reverberation causes intense audio feedback. This feedback creates an undesirable effect for jazz players.
SIZE MATTERS WES played the massive Gibson L-5 CES. This icon’s rather dominant presence reduced WES to sitting in order to play. A reduction in size makes playing possible in both standing and sitting positions. This versatility is uncommon with hollow body guitars.
AESTHETICS
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PROCESS
CNC
sand
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truss rod
inlay seal
paint
wiring
15 FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS HEADSTOCK 1. Pompadour inspired headstock 2. 3x3 tuning pegs by Schertler, matte black and ebony NECK 3. 22-fret ebony fretboard, medium-medium frets 4. Asymmetric mother of pearl inlay for marking notes 5. Medium-gauge round wound electric guitar strings by GHS BODY
6. Three-way toggle switch that switch between pickups 7. Nickel humbuckers with Alnico-5 magnets for warmer tones 8. Curly maple topwood with natural stain finish 9. Adjustable wrap around bridge with individually adjustable saddles 10. Two 500-ohm long shaft alpha control potentiometers for volume and tone 11. Mahogany bottom wood, stained and treated with doghair resin
MATERIALS
Curly Maple, Stain Finish
Mahogany, Dog Hair Treated and Satin Finish
Pearl Inlay
SERVICE WITH A SMILE The Cool approaches the archtop jazz guitar as a semi-solid body, versus a traditional hollow body or semi-hollow. It features an abstracted f-hole that is wider and follows the contour of the guitar, allowing vibrations to exit the body freely. This significantly reduces audio feedback and produces a full, crisp jazz sound.
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TACK
STUDENT STOOL ROCKER
The TACK stool is a response to the needs of design students during critiques, but can prove to highlight any living area. Its contoured seat brings comfort, and tapered profile reduces weight for easy pick up. When tilted on its side, TACK becomes a rocker, which we prove to keep students engaged versus sitting still. This newfound attentiveness keeps students engaged through long juries and brings a simple joy to all other users. 3 weeks Core77 Design for your Lifetime Submission PROCESS | LAY-UP MATERIAL | FIBERGLASS
Accolades
Lawndale Art Center Design Fair Selection, April 2012
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For us, by us. My partner and I found opportunity in our design school. We focused on providing adequate seating for students during design critiques. Jury can last for hours on end, and students are often short on sleep and lack the energy to remain standing throughout. How can we provide comfort to these students while keeping them engaged enough to stay alert through jury and any other informal setting?
The stools provided by the college are ordinary, uncomfortable, and lack versatility
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Seat curve follows the contour to relieve leg stress
Slim, tapered profile reduces weight and makes for easy pick-up
Rocking Position, Ideal for casual sitting
Tack goes from stool to rocker by simply tipping over
Rocking encourages attentiveness
Squat barrel form prevents overrocking
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DOMO
WATER FILTRATION ROLLER Domo serves as an innovative solution for the water crisis in rural Uganda; a water roller that filters up to sixty liters of water while in motion. The roller relieves users of carrying water on their person, allowing them to move three times as much water versus traditional methods. Domo further reduces effort through its rolling filter, which removes viruses as small as 0.2 microns to ensure a healthier life for its users. Thesis Project 2014 | 28 weeks
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THE DISPENSE CAP Domo comes equipped with a dispense cap, which is best utilized for attaching the flexible hose, included with the system. The cap system is sealed by a valve, which is the red cap, releasing the hose and closing the valve.
A. Domo can be turned upward to accept water vertically B. The hose reaches out to six feet to dispense water
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LET’S TALK!
BEHANCE.NET/SEKA 281.770.8036
SELUGA SEKA SEKANWAGI
SELUGA.SEKANWAGI@GMAIL.COM
Industrial Product Designer
OBJECTIVE WORK EXPERIENCE
Enthusiastic, self-driven designer currently seeking to broaden my design scope through working alongside experienced designers in a fast-paced environment
HKS, Inc
2014 | Pres.
DESIGN RESERACH INTERN: Directly assist the Director of Research in conducting field research in the healthcare sector. Implement diverse methods of data gathering that provide valuable qualitative and quantitative insight. Develop field research guides which graphically detail key findings to inform and inspire design teams, other internal staff, and clients.
KEELAND EXPLORATION CENTER
2012 | 2014
SHOP TECHNICIAN: Monitor, organize, and maintain wood and metal shop equipment and machinery, making repairs when necessary. Efficiently operate in-house Stratasys 3D printer. Guide and teach students on methods and procedures of using equipment and machinery.
URBAN OUTFITTERS
2013
SALES ASSOCIATE: Represent brand through style and attitude, creatively promote product through visual displays, work as a collaborative unit to effectively sell product, inspire customers, and prevent in-store theft
NEST PROJEKT DESIGN INTERN: Computer model concept lawn spreaders, concept sketches, quick visual models, disassemble and rebuild competitor lawn feed spreaders, sit in on meetings with client.
EDUCATION UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON 2010 | 2014 Gerald D. Hines College of Architecture Graduated in Industrial Design, BS SIDSA Vice President, 2013
LOUISIANA STATE UNIVERSITY 2008 | 2010 Studied Sculpture and Fashion Design Love Purple, Live Gold
PROFICIENCY COMPUTER ADOBE SUITE CS6: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign CAD: Solidworks RENDERING: SketchBook Pro, Keyshot MS OFFICE: Word, Powerpoint, Excel 3D PRINTING: Stratasys
DESIGN SKILLS Concept Development, User Centered Design, Conceptual Sketches, Design Research Model Making: Woodworking, Welding, Vacuum Forming, Foam Modeling, 3D Printing, CNC Milling, Assembly Design
THANK YOU!