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I’m a 22-year veteran in the field of product design and development. My career is anchored by a variety of creative design and technical innovation roles in corporate, agency, startup and freelance. I’ve taken an interest in all aspects of the product development process and have a vast skill set in consumer product design, graphic design and motion graphics.
My contributions to Product Development are not limited to creative deliverables. I have a strong understanding and years of experience with manufacturing, engineering, sourcing, and Product Management.
I’ve been called a ‘Swiss Army Knife’ by employers where I was the sole contributor in a product focused role.
Product Portfolio
FireBoard Pellet Drive
The FireBoard Pellet Drive is a bolt-on controller to replace the OEM control units found on most pellet smokers. The design was based upon a previous version of this product. Rather than build all new molds, I focused on making changes that could be easily implemented through mold modifications. The unit is fully waterproof using a large compression molded silicone gasket to seal off on the pellet smoker with integrated screw hole caps. The display window uses in mold labeling (IML) to create the black border around the display. Sonic welding was used to attach the window component to the main plastic body. This component is what allows the PCB to be mounted at angle with respect to the main body. These angular mounting bosses wouldn't be possible on the main body without complex motion in the tooling. It was the key element to making this modified mold approach feasible.
FireBoard Ring Drive
This is the first appliance product by FireBoard. It’s an air delivery system that is a drop-on accessory for standard 22 inch charcoal grills. This product converts a standard charcoal grill into a full fledged smoker by delivering air to the charcoal via the hollow duct in 360 degrees. There’s an integrated ceramic deflector plate to prevent flare up burns and provides more grill surface utilization. There’s also a built in fan and temperature probe that plug into the FireBoard monitor for full control over the desired heat setting. A variety of manufacturing methods were used to create this unit, including: extruded aluminum, stretch formed aluminum, cnc drilling, stamped sheet metal forming and injection molding. This is a highly efficient system that is on par or better than most smokers available in the market. I conceived, prototyped, designed, tested and coordinated manufacturing of the entire product.
FireBoard Pulse Wireless Probe
The Pulse is the first dual band wireless thermometer combining Sub 1Ghz and BLE connectivity. Constructed with ultra durable ceramic and stainless steel, the Pulse can withstand extreme temperatures and wet conditions. It’s also the first probe to use a hexagonal tube which reduces the cross section profile of the hole left in the cooked meat (which is important to the pro BBQ folks). The Pulse is actually two products - the probe and the charger. The charger is stackable and has pass-through, spring-loaded, magnetic electrical contacts for multiple unit charging using a single cable.
FireBoard G3 Blower
One of FireBoard’s most popular products is the Drive system. Drive allows users to control the temperature of their charcoal grills automatically. The G3 Blower is a refreshed design of the original. The redesign incorporates full stainless steel frame construction and a weather shield made with glass-filled nylon for heat resistance and durability.
FireBoard Beacon
The Beacon is FireBoard’s first sub 1Ghz sensor which communicates with the FireBoard 2 monitor. It's primarily intended for use in commercial walk-in coolers and freezers for precise temperature monitoring and alerts. This unit is fully waterproof and includes a magnetic mounting clip for discreet placement. The integrated temperature and humidity sensors are precisely located for accurate readings. The main body is overmolded with durable TPE which creates the waterproof seals when assembled with the other components. There's also an external probe port for addtional temperature data, if needed.
FireBoard Spark
The FireBoard Spark is the first WiFi and Bluetooth enabled smart Instant Read Thermometer with leave-in probe functionality. The Spark was designed to be a multi-functional tool used in the kitchen and out on the grill. It has an IP66 rating which was no small feat to accomplish with the overmolded TPE material mating with a cast aluminum front case on a non linear parting line. Not to mention the various jacks, and other through case components. I designed and engineered this product for manufacturing in less than 6 months while also incorporating PCB adjustments and supplier component challenges along the way. I also contributed to the UI/UX by providing menu flow design and graphic information layout. The screen size also came from my recommendation which helps the user read the temp from a distance. The spark has been well received by existing FireBoard customers as well as new BBQ enthusiasts and home chefs. It even won an award!
UbeCube Storage System
UbeCube is a modular approach home and mobile storage. The crate is modeled after a standard milk crate but optimized for cubic stacking. It's collapsible for shipping and storage when not in use. All accessories are modular and can be combined in a variety of configurations. I designed and engineered everything you see in this image. This product line was by far the most design and engineering I've completed as a sole contributor. Roughly 60 parts/molds were created. I designed and generated all of the manufacturing files/drawings. The manufacturing variety was wide ranging - injection molding, expanded foam, injection TPE, blow molding, cnc machining, soft goods using RF welding and stitching.
Castle Creations Monster X8S
The Mamba Monster X8S is a high powered electronic speed controller for large radio controlled vehicles. It’s predecessor was outdated and under-powered. Pulling cues from the highly successful Mamba X speed controller, the 8S extends the brand value of the Mamba product line. Consumers will associate the high quality of the Mamba X with this new addition simply by recognizing these visual cues. This product was designed before exiting Castle - some features were changed but the majority of them remain true to the original design concept. One of them being the forged heatsink which was a new manufacturing method for Castle products.
Castle Creations Sidewinder 4
Sidewinder 4 is an electronic speed controller for radio control cars and trucks. The project goal was to update an existing line of Sidewinder controllers with a new look and improved performance. We achieved this by increasing the cooling fan size and adding functional venting that allows the unit to exhaust heat more efficiently than its predecessors. The results were better than anyone expected with an improved overall performance of more than 40% better run times and higher load capability. The new improved performance has become a standard product feature called, Cryo-Drive.
Fieldnet Pivot Watch
Pivot Watch is a crop irrigation monitor that allows a farmer to check status by using an app on a smart device. The challenge was to develop a mounting solution for a variety of pivot arm diameters while also accommodating any other wires/pipes that might be installed on the arm. I designed a number of concepts for this product and after a few rounds, we had a winning design. Click the image to see more on Lyndsay’s website.
- more examples available -
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