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Timothy Elliott

@timothyjamesdesigns

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I help industrial designers accelerate through manufacturing
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Camus Keys // expressive arrow keys
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Arrow keys are the misfits of the keyboard world. When it comes to office work, most people prefer to use a mouse or trackpad instead of arrow keys. And when it comes to gaming, most gamers insist on moving around with the WASD keys instead of the arrow keys. Hell, as a designer I couldn’t tell you the last time I touched an arrow key. I don’t know about you, but I think it’s time we celebrate the misfits. For this exploration I wanted to design a single keycap that could be used for all four arrow keys. That makes manufacturing/SKU management more efficient for HIBI. And I wanted the design to be minimal but highly expressive. Arrow keys have been hiding in the corner of the keyboard for too long. It’s time they get their chance to shine
@renderweekly @hibi.mx #rwxhibi #renderweekly #mechanicalkeyboard #keycaps #hibikeyboard #render #digitalrender #solidworks #keyshot #industrialdesign #productdesign #cmf #cmfdesign #misfits by @timothyjamesdesigns

Whisper Speaker // a speaker with zero bulk
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Typically the bigger a speaker is, the better it can sound. As a result, most speakers have a big and heavy aesthetic to give the impression of a big and loud sound. But good speakers don’t have to be big. “Audio transducers” are an alternative technology to the conventional speaker cone and allow for very thin, flat-plate-like speakers. They sound great but lose all the bulk of normal speakers. So for this design challenge I decided to explore how a speaker might be designed to feel light and airy. Something that‘s surprisingly loud for how thin and unassuming it is. Something that disappears in a room but still makes a statement

#rwspeaker #renderweekly #render #digitalrender #cgi #solidworks #keyshot #industrialdesign #productdesign #cmf #cmfdesign #conceptdesign #concept #digital #speaker #light #airy by @timothyjamesdesigns

This tape dispenser breaks two conventional Design for Manufacturing rules. Typically you can’t mold a part with vertical walls and you can’t have an undercut in the mold. But I have both. So how do I get away with it? This simplified animation of the mold helps illustrate how it’s possible. First, the outer walls can be vertical because the mold pulls apart side-to-side along the diagonal of the rectangle. Splitting the mold at this angle ensures that the metal tool doesn’t drag on the plastic part and scratch its surface. A good example of a part molded this way is the iPhone charging brick. If you run your finger over the corner of the brick you can feel the parting line where the two halves of the mold come together. Though doing this increases the cost of the mold, it opens up the possibility of vertical sides. When the mold cavity splits apart like this it also allows for slight undercuts in the mold core. That’s because the plastic part is now free to flex and pop out of the undercut in the mold. This is how the tape retaining bumps are formed. The plastic flexes enough for the bumps to pop out of the steel mold without shearing off. A good example of forming an undercut like this is a Tupperware lid. The lid needs an undercut in order to snap onto a container and form a water-tight seal. Like my tape dispenser, Tupperware lids are molded out of transparent polypropylene because it’s tough enough to flex out of the mold without breaking. Though I broke two conventional Design for Manufacturing rules on this part, neither rule is set in stone. Product design is more than just making something look good, it’s also understanding the manufacturing rules and knowing when/how to break them
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#engineering #dfm #manufacturing #designformanufacture #industrialdesign #product #design #productdesign #render #digitalrender #keyshot #cgi #tape #dispenser #tapedispenser by @timothyjamesdesigns

A few detailed shots of the tape dispenser hourglass. I really like the contrast between round/flat forms and translucent/opaque materials on this one. The brass accents also help to add a sense of warmth that you typically don’t see in office supplies. It’s a very simple product but it’s still visually interesting
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#industrialdesign #product #design #productdesign #render #digitalrender #keyshot #cgi #cmf #cmfdesign #sand #zen #hourglass #desktoy #tape #dispenser #tapedispenser by @timothyjamesdesigns

Tape Dispenser Hourglass // celebrating the utility of sand
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The major difference between a high quality tape dispenser and a cheap one is its weight. A heavy dispenser can be used with one hand and won’t slide around a desk. Conventional tape dispensers are typically filled with sand because it’s a low-cost weight that’s as cheap as dirt. But the sand is always hidden away and feels like an afterthought. So for this @design.workout I decided to explore how a tape dispenser might be designed to make the sand a focal point instead of a secret. Molding the dispenser out of transparent polypropylene allows the sand within to be on full display. And to further celebrate the utility of the sand, resting the tape dispenser on its side allows it to function as an hourglass. Watching the sand flow through the dispenser is great for taking a mental break and recollecting your thoughts. It’s a desk toy as much as it is an office tool. Though sand is a cheap material, it can still feel like a premium material if strategically integrated

#forDesignWorkout #renderweekly #cgi #render #industrialdesign #productdesign #product #design #cmf #cmfdesign #conceptdesign #concept #digitalrender #digital #solidworks #keyshot #lemanoosh #designmilk #sand #zen #hourglass #desktoy #tape #dispenser #tapedispenser by @timothyjamesdesigns

A closer look at the engineering and design for manufacturing that went into the Beats Flex Case. The main challenge was figuring out how to achieve the push-push latch mechanism while minimizing manufacturing costs. My solution was to use flexible latching spring-fingers that are molded directly into the lid and base of the product. Flexible features are a durable solution that also keep the part count low. The product does require quite a few parts in order to achieve the desired user experience, so to help reduce assembly costs there are snaps molded into the parts. These snaps make assembly quick and easy and save the labor costs associated with adhesive and ultrasonic welding. This whole design was an exercise in converging engineering, manufacturing, and industrial design in order to achieve a novel user experience
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#engineering #dfm #manufacturing #industrialdesign #product #design #productdesign #render #cgi #digitalrender #solidworks #keyshot #lemanoosh #beats #flex #beatsflex #beatsbydre by @timothyjamesdesigns

Sometime a satisfying animation can convey much more than a series of images. These animations of the Beats Flex Case help show exactly how the product looks and works
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#industrialdesign #product #design #productdesign #render #cgi #cmf #cmfdesign #digitalrender #solidworks #keyshot #lemanoosh #beats #flex #beatsflex #beatsbydre by @timothyjamesdesigns

Beats Flex Case // elevating the “wired-wireless” earbud experience
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Truly wireless earbuds like AirPods are designed with a delightful carrying case that doubles as a charger. However, when it comes to the cheaper, “wired-wireless” earbuds, there’s typically no included carrying case. Apple released their new budget “Beats Flex” earbuds in October and even they didn’t include a carrying case. So for this @design.workout I decided to explore how a carrying case might be designed to make these budget earbuds feel more delightful. A simple push-push latch mechanism is incorporated into the case to allow for quick and easy access to the earbuds. Much like the hinge on the AirPods case, this spring-loaded mechanism is super satisfying to interact with. And the recesses in the case keep the wires nice and tidy so nothing gets tangled. Simply press the top, unwrap your earbuds, and flex on the competition

#forDesignWorkout #DWheadset #renderweekly #cgi #render #industrialdesign #mechanicalengineering #productdesign #product #design #cmf #cmfdesign #engineering #conceptdesign #digitalrender #solidworks #keyshot #lemanoosh #beats #flex #beatsflex #beatsbydre by @timothyjamesdesigns

A quick animation that could be used for advertising the cactus koozie. It’s a simple product in a crowded marketplace so branding would be critical to a successful product launch. I imagine a series of short videos in a cohesive “Wes Anderson/surrealist art” vibe would create a lot of interest as an Instagram ad campaign. The ads would feature a custom drink called “Cactus Juice” to tie everything together
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#cactus #koozie #animation #render #cgi #industrialdesign #productdesign #product #design #creativedesign #branding #vectorart #graphicdesign #vector #wesanderson #surrealistart by @timothyjamesdesigns

A closer look at the engineering behind the cactus koozie. The cactus koozie works by minimizing the effect of thermal radiation. When electromagnetic radiation (like sunlight) hits a surface it excites the molecules of that surface, thereby causing the temperature to increase. This is why objects in direct sunlight will be hotter than the ambient air temperature. Now, in order to reduce thermal radiation, the only variable that we really have control over is surface area. If we can reduce the amount of surface area in direct sunlight we can reduce the effect of thermal radiation. The fluted surface of the cactus koozie does this by casting shadows on itself. To be clear, this results in only a minor reduction in heat transfer compared to a smooth koozie, but it is an improvement nonetheless
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#engineering #science #heat #transfer #radiation #shadow #cactus #koozie #industrialdesign #design #simulation #productdesign #product by @timothyjamesdesigns

Cactus Koozie // using biomimicry to keep drinks cooler
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Koozies are great at keeping drinks cold in the summer but their simple design hasn’t changed in decades. Is a foam cylinder really the best design? For this @design.workout I explored how the simple koozie might be enhanced through biomimicry. Like a cactus, the fluted shape is more efficient at staying cool in direct sunlight. The ribs create shade on the koozie surface which reduces the average surface temperature and also improves heat radiation by generating tiny air currents. While this sounds great in theory, would it actually work in real life? In order to confirm the effectiveness of the unique design I ran a simple thermal simulation. Even though the ribs are small, they do provide more cooling than a smooth surface. So not only is the cactus koozie whimsical in shape, but it’s performance-driven too!

#forDesignWorkout #naturedesignweekly #biomimicry #biomorphism #industrialdesign #render #cgi #mechanicalengineering #productdesign #product #design #engineering #simulation #digitalrender #keyshot #lemanoosh #koozie #cactus #summer #wesanderson #surrealistart

@design.eclipse @natureofform19 by @timothyjamesdesigns

A few beauty shots of the Ray Lounge Metal. This chair was a lot of fun to photograph. There’s an interesting flow of surfaces/lines from every angle! Initially I wanted to spray paint the steel tubes matte black but I really like how the raw metal and 3D printed handle compliment the mood of this shoot
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#industrialdesign #chair #design #chairdesign #furnituredesign #productdesign #prototype #plywood #plywoodfurniture #woodworking #lemanoosh #designlovers by @timothyjamesdesigns