X-Ray Chair - master of design thesis
Mid-century designers often leveraged emerging manufacturing techniques to unify form and function. This thesis explores how a designer with engineering capability can operate in that same space today.
The project resulted in a chair designed for injection molding where structural and manufacturing constraints directly shape the final form. A waterjet-cut aluminum frame provides the primary structure while molded panels complete the seating surfaces, demonstrating how authentic products emerge when design and engineering are treated as one discipline.
Island Lamp - product design studio
Inspired by historic Cincinnati traffic lights, this collaborative project reinterprets a familiar piece of local urban infrastructure as a small table lamp. Working with industrial designer Clay Brown and graphic designer Sarah Schonauer, we developed several prototypes before arriving at a final design.
The lamp features a wire loop integrated into the shade that twists to turn the light on and off while also controlling dimming. Most components were cast in resin using silicone molds, while additional parts were machined through DAAP’s Rapid Prototyping Center. Fifteen lamps were produced and sold at a pop-up shop in Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati.
Feed Shoe - component redesign
While working at Kyocera-Senco designing pneumatic nail guns, I specialized in plastic injection molding and redesigned the “feed shoe” for a new tool. After completing the engineering updates, the part appeared nearly identical to the previous version- which felt like a missed opportunity to me.
Because the redesign required new tooling anyway, the form could be updated at no additional cost. I reworked the component to be more ergonomic and contemporary, and the new design was approved and implemented in mass production.
This project sparked my pursuit of engineering-design and ultimately led me to pursue a Master of Design degree.
Sculpture Foundry - a foray in fine art
I follow the notion that the field of "making things" is a spectrum. If engineering is on one side and fine art on the other, then design lies along the middle. To push out of my typical engineering wheelhouse, I wanted to explore the processes of fine art.
Working in a foundry with sculptors expanded my knowledge-base and gave me more insight into different mantras of making. Plus, this very manufacturing-adjacent process reinforced my materials knowledge in practice.
We used lost-wax investment casting to produce bronze and aluminum sculptures.
Conceptual Airplanes - form/function
Growing up near CVG airport, I was always fascinated with airplanes. I feel as though they are humankind's peak designed object. While developing my rapid ideation skills through sketching and modeling, the form of an aircraft was a familiar and beloved subject to experiment with.
Most of my concepts are "fantastical," but always rooted in some technical idea or feature based in reality. I strive to maintain an apparent connection between form and function as my brand of design.
DAAP Grant Project - firefighter safety
As a Master of Design student at the University of Cincinnati, I worked on a grant project focused on improving the safety and effectiveness of firefighter protective suits. The project allowed me to operate directly at the intersection of design and engineering.
My role involved bridging design and engineering disciplines through data analysis, prototyping, industrial sewing, advanced materials testing, and composite development. The research team secured DAAP’s highest grant funding for two consecutive years and I contributed to the project throughout my time in the program.
I am listed as the primary inventor of the cooling apparatus in the University of Cincinnati’s patent draft.
Crystal Cabin - patented by Boeing
In collaboration with Live Well design studios and Boeing, I developed several aircraft cabin concepts based on design research. One concept- an adaptable lavatory system- addresses global differences in restroom use, particularly in Asian markets where many travelers could be more comfortable with squat-style toilets.
The concept was selected by Boeing to become internal intellectual property and was their sole submission to the Crystal Cabin Award 2024 competition, where it was shortlisted.
Additional development for the competition was completed collaboratively with digital/rendering support from Henry Levesque and Fiat Tongrod.