With the launch of the ATB-2T, various videos highlighting the design, features, and safety technology were needed for trade shows, social media, and internal reviews. Animation sequences created in Keyshot with post editing done in Adobe Premiere.
One of my first projects with the BELL Helmets team, I was tasked with creating an FL1 and IPX 67 rated light that could be integrated into BELL’s existing fit systems. Considerations with MOQ’s of electronic components and how to coordinate with the different vendors were made to prevent defects and errors in the final assembly. This product remains to be the only rechargeable FL1 and IPX67 rated light introduced into the cycling helmet space.
Airvine approached Mighty Studio with an existing PCB assembly design for a new high power mesh router meant for historic institutional buildings. Beauty in function was the focus of this design as the heatsink structure maximizes convection to increase efficiency but also mirrors the unique antennae structure.
Traditionally helmet shapes have been limited to what could be sculpted in clay due to their complex organic forms. The V1 Pro project’s goal was to utilize digital CAD tools to see how far BELL could push helmet performance while staying within our vendor’s tooling parameters.
The team was able to visualize more complex interior details, sculpt with more precision, and evaluate the designs with more scrutiny. The result was a fully vented helmet that achieved drag numbers on par with non-vented aero helmets. The first design to do so and prior thought to be an unachievable goal.
An interesting project where I had to get into the minds of both the user locking their bike up and the bike thief we were trying to thwart. The unique non-circular cross-section of the lock shackle was a solution that prevents bike thieves from being able to cut a single side and using leverage to twist the lock off, the most common way to defeat a bike lock.
Features like the sliding dust cover, TPR shackle cover, and rounded crossbar junction ensured the lock was durable yet gentle on bike frames. While considered details like sculpting in uniquely taller shoulders in the crossbar cover ensured the lock didn’t rattle when carried on a bike.
Concept sketches and preliminary 3D design for medical start up Petal Surgical. An groundbreaking incisionless surgical robot.
The Alterra is the highest ranked cycling full face ever tested by the stringent Virgina Tech Star ranking, the only helmet certification that publicly discloses the energy absorption and dissipation values.
Drawing from years designing helmets and dissecting crashed helmets I sought out to design a helmet where form truly followed function. Every vent was carefully placed with maximizing airflow, and carefully deliberate surfacing treatment was used to optimize for safety.
I am proud to be able to say I helped design the world’s safest cycling full face and take it from concept sketch, into CAD, and see it hit the market to rave reviews from media and athletes alike.
The Formula is the entry-level road cycling helmet designed to fit under the Zypher family of road bike helmets. Road bike helmets are challenging projects, complex in form, requiring satisfying constraints for multiple manufacturing processes in a single part with complex tooling plans. This design prioritized ventilation and a feeling of flow and speed while maintaining enough structural integrity to survive the dynamic stresses of impacts.
The next step in the evolution of the original super successful 2’Fer light. Blackburn wanted to build off of what we learned from the Central 100 and 20 light’s versatility in the bikepacking scene and marry that with the utility of the original 2’Fer’s utility. A die-cast casing was designed to double as the electronic’s heat sink and allowed the light to be as small as possible. Custom lens and optics were designed to optimize the light beam for max clarity at night, and mechanical fasteners were utilized to solve for the watertight seal between the die-cast features and injection molded part tolerances.
Design of, artwork creation, and box design concept for 6D Helmets.
At 16 grams, the Blackburn Cinch carbon fiber bottle cage remains one of the lightest bottle cages on the market. This was achieved through a unique hook design that also created super strong arms to secure water bottles allowing for its minimal shape.
A bike light that was designed with the bikepacker first aimed at being created to compliment the different bags and gear that make traditional bike lights unsuitable for bikepackers. When it debuted the Central 100 and Central 20 lights were the only lights on the market with this unique form factor and adaptive mounting system that allowed it to attach directly to handlebar bags, racks, and be used in bags as auxiliary lights. Since then, many competitors have been inspired by it taking cues from its form factor and mounting system.
Creation of family product for an new start up babycare brand done for/under Stephen Gould Design. An unique branded look was created and applied to a full family of product concepts developed for silicone injection molding.
With an integrated visor, chiseled lines, and robust form, the Spark mountain bike helmet brings the aggressive look and feel trail mountain bikers are looking for at a price point that won’t break the bank. The design features large vents, in molded features, and a very lightweight shape not typically seen in its price range. These details were made possible by rethinking how its PC cap was designed around the vent openings to strengthen the structure and scrutinizing how the design was drafted for tooling to create strong beams of EPS.
3D development of the 4Forty was done in clay for its ability to efficiently and quickly explore shapes physically. Early on in the project ventilation was made a priority, so uniquely shaped vent holes became integrated into the graphic design of the form to meet testing requirements. Considerations along with the sculpting of the 3D form as well as very purposeful part line designs allowed this helmet to be manufactured without internal roll cages, a feat with large vents like this design. This also cut costs and allowed a more feature rich helmet in this price segment as well.
Numbers came first with this design, how form fitting yet comfortable can a lower coverage helmet with 2 piece spherical construction get. Thicknesses and energy managements drove the form and 3D design while going for an modernized retro take on the original BELL V1.
The first series of bike lights to be designed under the 2014 Blackburn brand relaunch. Through a deep dive exploring the competitive landscape, benchmarking products, and field research, the brand director and I realized there was an opportunity to go beyond chasing lumen output. We realized our competitors overlooked how visible their products made users to cars on the road. This led to our light design ethos of making lights that worked for everyone using the road. All Local light projects involved custom light beam optics to optimize visibility for a cyclist, ample side visibility features to increase road presence and safety, as well as features to aid drivers with depth perception; a truly holistic approach to bike light design.
The Wayside Side Entry Cage was designed specifically to fit modern, compact full suspension bike frames with features specifically geared towards mountain bikers. It’s 2 piece design allows the user to install it to work with both right-handed and left-handed riders. Built-in snap features keep the parts in place to make installation easy. Prototypes were trail tested and Santa Cruz Bikes collaborated on the front end to ensure bike geometry trends were taken into consideration.
The Local Basket and Rack is a modular rack system based on the Outpost Fatbike Rack I designed. The objective of this project was to figure out ways to trickle down the technology from the successful Outpost series of Blackburn bike racks at an entry-level price point. The solution was a 3 piece design that allowed parts to be mounted on the front or rear, using the same side struts, the user can either use a basket or platform to complete the assembly depending on what they need. Retailers loved the SKU rationalization and versatility of the system, consumers loved the high end, finished look of the Outpost series at an approachable price
The Blackburn Click Light Set was designed to be simple and easy to use light set. Its compact form factor was achieved by optimizing the casing’s wall thicknesses and careful consideration with electronics packaging. An exercise in taking advantage of the material properties of plastics, the lens was strategically thinned out in areas to make it flexible enough to double as a power button.
Drawing inspiration from BELL’s heritage spanning over 50 years and its trend-setting moto culture products, this children’s full face was designed to help the brand fuel its future with the next generation of riders. Instead of simply scaling down the geometry of adult full faces like our competitors, the team conducted fit studies to create new proportions and geometries based on the more compact facial features of our younger riders. Ample ventilation was added to help prevent trapped heat, a common concern with younger riders who are still discovering their bike skills. A prominent sculpted bevel around the eye port gives the shell its unique clean look while significantly strengthening the structure. All the purposeful, subtle sculpting allowed this helmet to achieve ASTM downhill certification while staying super ventilated and lightweight.
Bike inflation technologies are heavily protected with the space being riddled with patents. This makes the market really difficult to enter and requires lots of technical work and research to ensure patents are not violated. A great deal of front end research was done to figure a uniquely novel approach to solve for a universal CO2 inflator design that could accept all 3 types of CO2 cartridges. At the time of release, this was the only competitor of Genuine Innovations to do so. Ergonomic mock-ups were used to develop the unique trigger design to reduce wrist strain and make it easy to deploy with cycling gloves on.
Built for the little grom that wants to look like mom and dad on the trails. The Sidetrack 2 is a full feature, deep coverage, true trail helmet that was designed not to be another diluted ‘kiddie’ helmet. Fit studies and interviews were done with young riders to see what they desired, overwhelmingly the participants expressed that they wanted to look like their older siblings and heroes on the trail. Parents meanwhile appreciated the additional head coverage and safety features like the Sidetrack 2’s breakaway visor and rotational protection.
This version of Blackburn’s USB Click Light is still one the best selling rechargeable lights of all time. When launched, this light was the best FL-1 certified lumen per gram and lumen per cc bike light available. Blackburn wanted to squeeze in the most performance in the tiniest footprint, without sacrificing water resistance and durability. Careful refinement of the living hinge power button allowed for a more robust and simpler construction. Multiple variants were created in CAD and 3D printing was used to field test mounting ideas and form factors.
Blackburn needed a new bike trainer aesthetic that was distinct but resolved production issues it had with its use of multiple vendors and suppliers. Unique frame shapes were developed utilizing standard tubing to ensure all of the trainers felt consistent out of the different factories. This project entailed ground-up design and development work of a wide variety of parts manufactured in steel, plastic, and alloys using multiple manufacturing techniques including injection molding, die casting, machining, and metal fabrication.
As the lead bike accessories designer for the brand, I was also responsible for the design of retail space experiences as well for the product line. Working with Target’s and Walmart’s buyers, BELL’s product management team, and BELL’s creative director we would identify seasonal product pushes, marketing campaigns, and retailer goals. I would then use 3D CAD models of our products and packaging to create display layout planograms and design fixtures and signage with production designers.
One of the highest-grossing Blackburn products to be launched. This tiny but mighty light has proven to be an important, evergreen, staple in the Blackburn product offering year after year. It packs a lot of features and performance for its diminutive size. Designed to be the most versatile bike light possible, it can be integrated into any of the Blackburn bike racks, clip-on bags, mount on handlebars, and double as a front/rear bike light.
A budget-friendly alternative to the Blackburn Central 300/700 family of lights. The design required clever problem solving to reduce the part count and steps in the assembly process to offset the costs required for its heat sink and electronic componentry. The final design was a bike light with 200+ lumens that hit a lower price point than most competitors without sacrificing FL1 performance certification and IP-67 water resistance.
Render exploration of conceptual packaging designs done for Clorox with Stephen Gould Design.
The Central 300 and 700 lights are high performance, FL1 certified, IPX 67 rated bike lights. A ground-up developed dual-beam lens is the focal point of the design. Special considerations were made to accommodate large heat sinking features for the high output LED and electronics and extensive gasketing for this light to achieve its waterproofing certification. Large side markers ensure cars can see the rider from the sides as well, while the angled bottom optics flood the immediate area around the cyclist to increase road presence.
You know a project is a success when your bike industry friends and frame builders are asking you for “ride samples” for their weekend bikes. Often an overlooked category where design is no more than a mere CMF exercise. Blackburn wanted to go back to its roots and build the best bike racks in the world. This led to many innovations to solve for the plethora of bike geometries, increases in payload, a unique mounting hardware system, and breakthroughs with the vendor on metal fabrication techniques. The result was a family of gear that rivaled bespoke quality without the bespoke price tag. High end like machined branding and looped ends ensured backpackers were proud to have these on their rigs.
Designed to be a versatile and rugged, this project was a fun one to design. Lots of mock ups, experimentation with different cage materials, types of webbing, and ideas for mounting were tested in the field. I spent a lot of time along real riders to study their packing habits and record all the different ways the cage would get used and abused to ensure it literally could hold up to anything the riders would think of strapping to it.
CoPilot is a sub-brand under Blackburn responsible for creating fun, family-oriented cycling lifestyle products. Working directly with the product manager I led the design research and collaborated with two other designers to help redefine the look and feel of the CoPilot brand. The team relaunched the brand as a vibrant and fun brand aimed at young families. A new design direction was created and a full lineup of products from bike trailers to bags was launched as well.
For 3 years I led the design direction for BELL’s Licensed Product Group. During those years I worked with our in house engineer to figure out ways to leverage our MOQ’s and tooling know-how to develop ways to go beyond just stickers and decals. We created unique 3D sculpted products that were playful and added a level of depth and detail our licensor partners appreciated. I worked to balance the needs of both our in house product manager as well as the collaborating brands brand managers and product managers. I have been lucky enough to work with many big and iconic properties like Disney, Mattel, Marvel, DC, Sanrio, MLB, NFL, Paul Frank, TMNT, Nickelodeon, and many more.
Deceivingly simple looking, this project required lots of research and collaboration with Blackburn’s bike manufacturer friends to come up with a product that worked on a plethora of different bikes, scale across dozens of size ranges, and clear all their unique frame geometries. Metal cored extruded bodies were used so dynamo lights could use them as connectors to power sources, and all the hardware was designed from scratch to prevent toe/pedal overlap. Breakaway features ensured rider safety in case of debris jamming the wheels and lots of adjustment points were designed to ease installation for users.
Starting in 2012, I worked directly with multiple vendors to create shapes, motifs, and a CMF palette to unify what was a visually disjointed line. The project entailed providing 3D CAD assets for a wide range of different types of locks and finding colors that worked consistently when applied to a myriad of materials and manufacturing processes. Matte TPR materials were used for the sleeving to differentiate from competitors, red was utilized to call attention to interaction points, and molded branding details helped elevate the look and feel.
In 2014 Blackburn relaunched its brand and I was tasked to develop a 3D visual language that could unify the look and feel of a multi-category product family. The goal was to create a functionally driven and robust aesthetic that put the user experience first. For this project, I wanted to figure out a way to create an all-metal floor pump at a price point where most relied on plastic parts to hit costs. Working directly with the vendor’s manufacturing team, we achieved this, and also developed an new, distinct low profile, oversized pressure gauge that improved legibility and gave the design a integrated, modern look.
A lock that was designed to reconsider the 90% of the time when you’re pedaling between destinations. The majority of the time most riders are simply making short stops around their neighborhood that do not require bulky and cumbersome U-locks. An integrated clip makes this lock easy to carry and a retractable steel cable secures all the things a rider might carry traditional locks cannot secure like bike helmets, panniers, or loose ends on a bike rack.
A project done in collaboration with the US National Science Foundation. The ZEM house was designed to be an standalone off the grid housing module. The passive solar design included power, water, sewage, and heating systems that were developed with an team of structural and mechanical engineers. A working prototype home was constructed and showcased in San Jose, CA.
