Ecosense’s Floodlight Bullet Mini was designed to handle the rugged conditions seen in the outdoor landscape lighting environment. Based on knowledge garnered from past outdoor rated fixtures, a focus was placed on a watertight solution and managing internal pressures that have been known to generate vacuum conditions.
Early investigations centered on a modular approach to the secondary optics for beam shaping and an interchangeable set of aesthetic accessories. A cast aluminum unibody simplifies the design by minimizing leak paths. A pressure balancing vent equalizes pressure and an internal potting well allows input wires to be fully sealed within the fixture to prevent capillary action and water wicking into the housing via the cable.
Project Role: Contract Design and Development
Year: 2012
Perfint Healthcare’s Maxio is a robotics based system for guided oncology procedures. In combination with a CT scan database, Maxio assists Surgical Oncologists with targeting and automated path guidance for Radiofrequency Ablation. The fully-functional device was in its FDA clinical study stage, and the proposed refinements to the interface were driven from initial (formative) usability feedback.
Multiple areas of the design were identified that lead to confusion within the test group. These included navigational and interaction issues as well as graphic clarity and information hierarchy issues. These issues were addressed by developing new flow charts, wireframes and revised iconography. More visual attention was given to the primary prompt window (Message Bar) and users were led through processes via the Stage display.
Project Role: Lead UI, UX Strategist, Usability Test Facilitator
Year: 2012
The Ketra D3 is a new construction recessed luminaire designed for the professional spec-grade market. Appropriate for both residential and commercial use, the D3 was Ketra’s first luminaire other than a lamp or linear cove light, so a thorough assessment of the market was required.
A comprehensive primary user market research effort - including interviews with Lighting Designers, Specifiers, Dealers and Installers - led to a set of must-have features, such as a shallow overall depth to maximize ceiling heights, toolless adjustability with both tilt and rotation locks for ease of hot-aiming, and field serviceable optics and electronics for future compatibility.
Combining all of these functions in a low-profile housing was a challenge that the design team eagerly accepted and delivered on. During development, a formative glare study was conducted to assess perceived brightness against discomfort and disability glare and drive emitter location relative to exit aperture. A summative ergonomic study was also administered to ensure that all components could be accessed and serviced after installation.
Project Roles: Market Requirements Identification, Spec Definition, Usability Lead, Design Management
Year: 2016
ColorReach Powercore represented an interesting thermal challenge: to dissipate almost 300W of input power using only passive cooling in an outdoor rated fixture. The unique thermal solution - splitting the housing into two emitter halves and bridged by the power supply compartment - dictated the primary form. The split design provides more surface area for cooling and created a functional chimney effect, while remoting the power supply housing separates the electronic thermal load from the emitter thermals. This split design dramatically outperformed other single body prototypes.
For such a function-driven design, I looked to contemporary supercar engine design details for inspiration, and modeled the back of the housing from V10 valve cover designs to imply a rugged sense of power. Design for usability also drove early investigations into weight reduction and distribution as well as ease of handling for installation.
A detailed study was done on providing a precise method for aiming, since a few degrees of misalignment becomes a gross misalignment when projecting a 5° beam at a target hundreds of feet away.
Project Role: Lead Designer
Year: 2007
A society’s access to a reliable electrical system is a major factor upon that society’s average standard of living. In 2008, less than 50% of the population of Sub Saharan Africa had any access to electricity. The yearly per capita power usage for most countries in the area was less than that used by a typical desktop computer.
The goal of the Mobius World Light project was to provide easy and affordable access to electricity at a personal scale, in order to directly improve the quality of life in these developing nations. The solution centered around a personal charging station that could accept inputs from solar, wind or kinetic sources and then be used to deliver power to essential electrical equipment like lights, radios, and cell phones. Company branding, a visual pitch deck illustrating the story and preliminary concept drawings were created for Series A investment presentations.
Project Role: Brand Identity, Visual Storytelling, Concept Development
Year: 2010
As an actively cooled fixture, ColorBlaze TRX was unique to the Color Kinetics product line. Designed specifically for the Theatrical and Rental Lighting markets, fan noise and environmental concerns were less restrictive than typical indoor or outdoor lighting requirements.
The design team took advantage of this condition and developed a highly efficient thermal management system, using bent copper sheets soldered directly to the back of the metal-core emitter PCBs. This method was very effective at pulling heat away from the emitters, and could be quickly dispersed via forced convection.
A molded housing was developed as a modular block so that multiple units could be joined together to create various length fixtures. Easy access to field serviceable components, toolless secondary lens attachment methods and toolless aiming make ColorBlaze TRX simple to use in the field.
The result was a lightweight but robust batten luminaire that could deliver over 3500 lumens per foot and handle a thermal load of over 150 watts per foot input power.
Project Role: Lead Designer, Project Management
Year: 2009
Together with the Discovery of Flight Foundation, the Wright Experience is an organization dedicated to re-engineering and replicating the methods used by Orville and Wilbur Wright to construct their groundbreaking powered aircraft. As part of their mission of discovery and education, they tasked Think Design to create a display case to tell the story of how the Wright’s built their propellers.
On exhibit at the Virginia Air and Space Center, one side of the display walks viewers through the step by step process used by the Wrights to hand carve their wooden propellers. On the opposite side, the tools that the Wrights used are featured, while on the third side illustrations provide a basic overview of the aeronautical theory developed by the Wrights.
The design of the case was intended to evoke a sense of the era in which the brothers worked and borrows parabolic arc shapes found in airfoil profiles. The use of solid walnut beams and veneer echo the materials available to the Wrights, while plexiglass panels provide front and back views of the scale recreation of the prop.
Project Role: Lead Designer, Production Assistant
Year: 2002
Renal Solutions Inc. approached Think Design in 2001 with the challenge of creating a portable hemodialysis unit for home treatment. Based on a sorbent dialysate filtration system, the technology eliminates the need for a large volume (600L) of water, as it continuously purifies the dialysate used during treatment and simplifies the operation of the procedure.
With a focus on portability and ease of use, the design team focused on developing an intuitive procedure for set-up, operation and safety. Individual sub-systems were optimized for efficiency, including a patented, dual chambered pneumatically driven blood pump, custom component housings, dialysate reservoirs and saline delivery. A custom cart was designed to assist with portability and operation, providing users the ability to easily raise and lower the device between operating and transport positions via the use of a counter-balanced pneumatic lift.
Project Role: Component Layout & Enclosure Design
Year: 2001
Details coming soon.
Year: 2011
Details coming soon.
Project Role: Lead Designer
Year: 2013
