Dorel Industries is a large firm that owns multiple brands in the space accounting for ~50% of the global market at the time. We built a halo product line that was introduced under the Maxi-Cosi brand and introduced new product features, intuitive usability, elegant design integration, and utilized materials and processes that do not invoke the same feelings as injection molded plastic (specifically gas-assist injection molding and structural foam). A primary theme of the product family was the ability to covert between different form factors as children grow. We brought an adaptable high chair, convertible bassinet/bed, and unique folding stroller through prototyping and detailed design documentation before travelling to China to collaborate with ODMs to transfer the designs.

stroller1
stroller print
stroller modes
high chair1
high chair print
bassinet1
bassinet print
misc

Qualcomm had developed a “wearable mobile device” (WMD) cellular module and was interested in exploring potential use cases and product integrations. We explored several different product categories and converged on two different products; a smart watch and pet tracker (detailed below). Child and luggage tracker concepts were also developed. We also worked with internal teams to explore the integration of a new “Mirasol” display technology as well as medium range wireless charging.

The Tagg pet tracker is a cellular location device that integrates with a dog, cat, or other animal’s collar. We explored different forms for the electronics and IO, and worked with Qualcomm’s antenna teams to develop an integration into soft “wings” on the device. After prototyping, we handed off the design to an internal team being built to commercialize the design.

Tagg

Qualcomm wanted to build a reference design for a smart watch to deliver to OEMs. We developed a concept that combined a WMD cellular module, a Mirasol display, wireless charging, optical touch sensing over the display, and capacitive touch sensing on the bezel! I started by benchmarking different watch clasp constructions, and carried out a usability study on wrist sizes and strap comfort. I then worked with industrial designers and partner EEs to create a layout that embedded a rechargeable battery into the watch clasp, and integrated antennas and other electronics into a compliant elastomer strap. Our team also developed a GUI before transferring the design to internal resources. The finalized design was somewhat defeatured and released to the market in 2013 in limited volumes.

Toq

We helped integrate a first generation snapdragon module into a tablet form factor for marketing purposes.

tablet