designerpaul schmidt

�is is me. Paul Schmidt, designer.

Design is valuable as it a�ects people for the better. Not merely entertains, not merely distracts.

Teaches. Liberates. Excites. Engages. Empowers. Builds. Encourages. People are the most important resource. People are the reason I get up in the morning. �ere is nothing more wonderful than passionate, thriving individuals who are using their talents to better the world and lift those around them. I design for these people. Individuals, and their friends and family. And I learn their names.

Rocking Rocket Outdoor SwingSprout is a Utah-based furniture startup started by recent mechanical engineering graduate Clark Davis. Sprout’s design advantage is its patented joint system which allows for toolless assembly and disassembly.

Designing furniture for Sprout has been an excercise in making the most of limited resources, paying close attention to how the minutae of design a�ects manufacturability and marketability.

Inspiration

Design Research

�e goal with the Rocking Rocket was to create a spacewhich children would instantly recognize as their own.

Design for Manufacture

63” long

Made from 60” wide material(need to make 3 covers from

2 yards of material)

1.5” loop at both ends

18.5

” wid

e

Seam down the edges

12mm 4x8 BB, outdoor phenolic glue, white paint $53.28/sheet

Rope--½” white nylon, $0.27/ft x 12 ft $3.24

One 12 ft chain: 3592T18 $1.07/ft $12.84

Two SS caribiners: 31165T22 $3.81 each $7.62

6 Nuts and Bolts $0.20 & $0.05 $1.50

Two 20”x½” Dowels (48”x½”) $1.72

Two 20”x3/8” Dowels (48”x3/8”) $0.98

Fabric for top $6.50/top

Sewing time 20 min@$15/hr $5.00

Machine time ~20 min $20

Sanding Kit $1

Assembly time (with hardware) 3 min@$10/hr $0.50

Packaging time 10 min@$10/hr $1.66

Cardboard 14c/sq ft 87”x40” $3.38

V-Board 1.7c/in 4x 3H-8 $0.55

Foam 13c apeice 5 pieces $0.65

Tape 1/2c/ft 8 ft $0.04

Stretch wrap 1/2c/ft 20 ft $0.10

Instructions & Label $0.10

Total $106.11

Rocking Rocket Outdoor Swing

Green - $219.95

Blast off!! Let your children explore the final frontier with their exciting new space ship! This baltic birch outdoor swing can carry up to 200 lbs of “child”-load, and is a perfect getaway for swinging, reading, or sleeping. For little tikes, place the Rocking Rocket on the ground, and enjoy a gentle rocking-chair motion. A remove-able fabric top keeps the astronauts cool in case they pass too close to the sun, and an underseat storage compartment provides a handy place to store rations for the long voyage. Integrated handholds allow easy entry and exit, and a sturdy nylon rope allows setup from a tree or your own backyard swingset.

Retail Visualization

Rocking Rocket$219.95 $250.00

Blue Fabric Top

Outdoor Lighting Opportunities

My Junior Studio Project was for outdoor equipment brand Black Diamond, exploring lighting opportunities.

With Black Diamond’s strong culture of skiing and climbing, both activities I had only sampled once or twice in my lifetime, it was an excellent opportunity to apply my design methods to unfamiliar territory.

Research

OutdoorCooking

Multiple items to keep track of; �xed light is more appro-priate

Back-packingBackpackers don’t use lanterns; they use their headlamps for everything

ShadowsLight from a single source causes hard, dark shadows; light from two sources creates soft, grey shadows

BoulderingPropane lanterns are used most commonly due to their greater brightness than LED lanterns

GlareHead lamp glare is most common in c a m p s i t e settings

BatteryAnxietyPsychological ; felt when using a headlamp at full power although full power isn’t needed

“99% of the time, people just turn on their headlamp and go, not bothering to mess with the power settings.” -Jeremy, BD Designer

Problem Statements

AndrewHow can we improve the ergonimic & cognitive experience of headlamps?

KodyWhat is a headlamp that skiers will enjoy without the need to take it o�?

TannerHow can we create second-ary lighting to reduce dark shadows while bouldering?

BrianHow can a headlamp be useful indepen-dent of the head?

OliviaHow can we create light where a headlamp doesn’t directly shine?

KevinHow can we design a headlamp that people are less likely to shine in others eyes?

BrianNative Utahn -- 29 yrs old

Avid backpacker

“What do you do at nightwithout a camp�re?”

“We make do”

Design SpecificityAfter a phase of broad research, I moved forward focusing on one of the individuals I had studied, designing a �nal solution ideally suited for his needs.

Yellowstone/TetonWilderness

Wasatch/UintaMountains Colorado

RockiesSierraNevadas

Fire RestrictionsSummer 2012

Making Do

Vela• Clips securely to trees, straps, poles, tents, to create above eye-level light• Useful when head-mounted lamp is not ideal— cooking, changing clothes, night games, etc

Velito• A small, lightweight lamp for use while reading, using restroom, looking through bag, etc• Optimizes energy use to the task at hand• Recharged by Vela Lamp when attached to headband

A headlamp for when you need more than just a headlamp.

The Vela and Velito lamps symbiotically work together to provide for Brian’s lighting needs while out on the trail.

Vela Velito Lamp

Quick-Release Clip

Vela Lamp

Velito Lamp

1/15

Description: Fatigue Reduction Device

Docket No. :

Inventor: Brian Owens et al

FIG. 1

104

116

112

105

104

119

100

102

108

106

114

110

117

118

6/15

Description: Fatigue Reduction Device

Docket No. :

Inventor: Brian Owens et al

FIG. 6

600

608 620 610

616

606

602

618

612

604

614

621

3/15

Description: Fatigue Reduction DeviceDocket No. :

Inventor: Brian Owens et al

FIG. 3

310

304

312

302

306

308

100

Infant Carrier Arm Pad

In 2015, I was asked to validate and refine a concept invented and patented by a client in preparation for selling

the idea to an established manufacturer.

First modi�cation of V-shape design. Deter-mined proper geometry to �t into elbow, proved symmetry is ideal for easily switching the carseat from one arm to the other.

Strap doesn’t hold tight—mounting points are too high. Also, mounting points are di�cult to manufacture.

First exploration of U-shape design that would allow the user to easily switch arms.

Dimension A too wide. Dimension B too wide: puts too much pressure at Point C. Edge D digs into arm. Slots E too low and wide: handle pinches skin through slot. Flange F not full enough to be stable.

Modi�cation of U-shape design, ideal geometry for comfort and stability.

Di�cult to understand how to use properly. 2 out of 3 test subjects wore the carrier in the wrong position, and could not �gure out the correct position before becoming frustrated.

Chopped up version of 1st Mod V-shape design: removed high mounting points, drilled out slots.

Symmetry makes switch-ing arms relatively painless. No confusion about positioning. Test subjects considered it the most comfortable. Strap holds securely.

Client’s original vision, �eshed out into CAD.

Asymmetry unsuitable for switching arms. Not wide or deep enough: slides o� arm too easily. Mounting points are too high: strap doesn’t hold securely.

Holding an infant in their carseat at the elbow is the common method, but for heavier babies (10+ lb), it begins to hurt after ~5 sec. Pillow-type arm pads exist on the market, but only delay pain for an additional 10 sec. My client’s concept had the potential to delay pain for twenty minutes.

�F�o�r�m��D�e�v�e�l�o�p�m�e�n�t A

E

F

B

CD

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.820

5.8148

76°

1.948

3.898

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While the �nal geometry was remarkably comfortable, it didn’t visually communicate “comfortable”. Aesthetic development was necessary to create a

look that would appeal to mothers while maintaining manufacturability.

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T H E M A R K E TAN UNDERLYING NEED

THREE PATHS, LLC CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY 11/4/15

It is convenient for mothers to carry babies in their carseat, the seat handle slung over the mother’s arm, keeping the baby in a safe environ-ment while still leaving the mother with two free hands. Doing so, however, is uncomfortable after a very short time.

Floating Log

HappinessMountain Lake

Waterlog Pool Toy

Hiking in the Tetons and Uintas, I’ve enjoyed the delightof swimming to a floating log in a mountain lake. Inherently unstable,

these natural pool toys are a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

Toy Design

Waterlog

Waterlog

Di�erent from a pool noodle in that it is sti� and unbending,it is wide enough to be straddled, buoyant enough to carry

multiple individuals, and delightfully unstable.

Pinewood Rod

PVC

Cast Polyethylene Foam

paul schmidt paulschmidt.designer@gmail.com 801-419-2198